Overheard at Work

[LeRainDrop]

"Y'all" tends to be restricted to our rural friends from lower latitudes.   Here in the PNW we say "you guys."

LOL, do you think the entire South/Southeast is "rural"?  Atlanta here, and "y'all" is pretty widely used by everyone, include Northern transplants like myself (I grew up outside Boston).  I have friends from Alabama and Tennessee who also use "y'all."  I found this neat map in wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y'all#/media/File:Y%27allMap.jpg

And do you think the entire Southeast uses "y'all"?

Not in South Florida...aka northern Latin America/southern New York. I'd venture to say anything south of Orlando is not "The South" any more - at least culturally.

Oh yeah, sorry.  Florida is generally carved out from "the South" :-)

[Rural]

... I studied several Romance languages at school and always appreciated being able to distinguish between the singular 'you' and the plural 'you', especially on the internet where tone fails can result in a lot of fallout. I therefore took to using "y'all" when I mean "you people generally" as it lessens the chance of an individual poster thinking that I am talking about (and possibly insulting) them personally. In this case I used it to distinguish between "you, the poster I am replying to" and "all of you Americans generally".

Careful! Y'all is often singular. Use "all y'all" to be sure.

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)


Another option, used about as often as y'all in this area, is y'uns. Short for you 'uns, of course.

ETA a husband tells me "y'all" was pretty well universally adopted aboard ship (US Navy) because it fills a practical need.

What the heck are yinz talking about?

Gotta love the 'burgh!!

I think the pronunciation is different, but I wonder if the two uses have a common source?

[Rural]

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)

Man how did I miss the y'all conversation?

I agree- y'all is NEVER singular. It is always plural.
All y'all is more plural.

All y'all ain't never seen a reflexive double negative before?

Naw, we done seen that.

[Zaga]

It's not.  I'm from Kentucky, and a lot of conversational contractions are in common use here, including Y'all.  In fact, the Florence, Ky water tower that can be seen from I71 Southbound is painted with a huge "Florence Y'all" even though Florence is an exurb of Cincinnati, Ohio.

It used to say Florence Mall but was changed for legal reasons.  Y'all seems to be a good substitute.  We always stop at that exit on our way down to the lake.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Y'all_Water_Tower

The exit sign on 171 for this place I find even more memorable:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bone_Lick

Beaverlick, Ky is a wonderful little community; and the locals get a bit mad when you laugh at the name.

I grew up in West Middlesex, and now live near Beaver Falls, Beaver, and the Beaver River.  Seems like a normal name to me!

[Papa Mustache]

my boss bought a new car this past weekend... because her 2013 vehicle got keyed along one door.  She bought the same vehicle only a few years newer.

Uh oh time for an oil change. Might as well buy a new car instead of paying the $50 to get it changed at the dealer... I guess some people never learn!

...or changing it in the driveway yourself... Takes me about 20 mins including cleaning up.

[MgoSam]

my boss bought a new car this past weekend... because her 2013 vehicle got keyed along one door.  She bought the same vehicle only a few years newer.

Uh oh time for an oil change. Might as well buy a new car instead of paying the $50 to get it changed at the dealer... I guess some people never learn!

...or changing it in the driveway yourself... Takes me about 20 mins including cleaning up.

Reminds me of Krusty the Klown speaking to an assistant, "My home's dirty, go buy me a new one."

[onehair]

I have overheard 2 of my coworkers on another floor:
1)Taking out  3 4 or more credit union loans successively to travel with no count boyfriend.  Same coworker's mom was heavy into payday loans, a gambling habit plus supporting a drug using son and lazy adult grandchildren.
2)Another supporting 2 adult daughters one of whom has a child and may be pregnant with another.  Neither daughter graduated high school one dropped out one got a certificate stating she'd completed 12 years.  Older one has a $600 car note and job doesn't cover it.   Younger one doesn't work at all.
As for myself I used to be addicted to the vending machine daily for 2 honey buns $1.25 each at the time and a bottle of tea from the machine $1.75.  After casually calculating I was wasting $21.25 or more per week on that thieving machine, I facepunched myself then started buying my buns from the grocery store $1 apiece or donuts  $.66 apiece from Shoppers Food Warehouse ( Shoppers has huge donuts lol I am partial) and drinks also since sometimes they are $1 each or 3 for $5.  On occasion I do bake my own as well cutting it to almost free.

We won't discuss lunch out that was $10-15 per day which I have cut down to maybe twice monthly. 

[mtn]

my boss bought a new car this past weekend... because her 2013 vehicle got keyed along one door.  She bought the same vehicle only a few years newer.

Uh oh time for an oil change. Might as well buy a new car instead of paying the $50 to get it changed at the dealer... I guess some people never learn!

...or changing it in the driveway yourself... Takes me about 20 mins including cleaning up.

Some cars, sure. But I can't get the oil filter on my Miata off without a lot of swearing and annoyances. Frankly, I'll go to the shop to do it every time. Besides, after the cost of oil it is about $10 for them to do it for me.

[Amasa]

Asked a coworker if she wanted to head out to lunch with me (my biggest clown habit).

CW: No, I'm going to the store because I have a 15% off coupon and another $10 coupon so it's time to shop. Want to come?
Me: Nope, no shopping budget this month since I have a vacation planned.
CW: I don't have a shopping budget either but I'll put it on my credit card and worry about it later.

Welcome to the forums! :)

[Ashyukun]

My wife's birthday was about a month ago, and someone (probably one of her students' parents) gave her a $15 Sephora gift card. She'd never even been in a Sephora store before, but since she needed new eyeliner decided we'd make a rare trek to the mall so she could use the gift card. And promptly discovered that almost NOTHING in that store is under $15. We spent like 15-20 minutes in the store as she looked around for ANYTHING that she had a use for that was under the value of the gift card (or at least near it), spending the entire time voicing her disbelief at why anyone would spend $40+ on eyeliner when she could get essentially the same thing at the grocery store for $5.

I'd give away that gift card before I'd use it if I wasn't absolutely thrilled with what I was buying. Let someone else endure the cost of using it. ;)

There are sites online that you can sell the gift card for some % of the value.  I regularly sell gift cards that I don't want.

Eh, it was worth the time spent there for the amusement and reminder of why my wife is so great. Somewhat amusingly, the eyeliner that she ended up finding and getting apparently turned out to be, at least in her observation, solidly better than the cheap kind she usually got- but no nearly enough to go back there for more. :P

[Mississippi Mudstache]

... I studied several Romance languages at school and always appreciated being able to distinguish between the singular 'you' and the plural 'you', especially on the internet where tone fails can result in a lot of fallout. I therefore took to using "y'all" when I mean "you people generally" as it lessens the chance of an individual poster thinking that I am talking about (and possibly insulting) them personally. In this case I used it to distinguish between "you, the poster I am replying to" and "all of you Americans generally".

Careful! Y'all is often singular. Use "all y'all" to be sure.

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)


Another option, used about as often as y'all in this area, is y'uns. Short for you 'uns, of course.

ETA a husband tells me "y'all" was pretty well universally adopted aboard ship (US Navy) because it fills a practical need.

What the heck are yinz talking about?

Rural, do you live in the Southern Appalachians? Y'uns was the preferred second-person plural among the natives of Rabun Co., Georgia, in the very northeastern corner of the state. It was a fascinating and incredibly annoying bit of regional dialect. I only recently learned that the word is shared by the people of Pittsburgh.

[shelivesthedream]

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)

Man how did I miss the y'all conversation?

I agree- y'all is NEVER singular. It is always plural.
All y'all is more plural.

Oh boy, now I'll have to try and sneak "all y'all" into daily conversation and see if anyone notices!

[FuturePrimitive]

Ho. Lee. Crap. I can't believe I read the whole thing. Took me a month or so but its good to have goals.

[Davids]

I have to call myself out as I went out for lunch twice this week. I will go out some Fridays for lunch but stupid me was in a rush to leave for work on Wed. that I forgot my lunch in the fridge. So instead I went to Wendys, only spent $5 but still that is $5 I could have saved. I also went out today but that was planned.

[Rural]

... I studied several Romance languages at school and always appreciated being able to distinguish between the singular 'you' and the plural 'you', especially on the internet where tone fails can result in a lot of fallout. I therefore took to using "y'all" when I mean "you people generally" as it lessens the chance of an individual poster thinking that I am talking about (and possibly insulting) them personally. In this case I used it to distinguish between "you, the poster I am replying to" and "all of you Americans generally".

Careful! Y'all is often singular. Use "all y'all" to be sure.

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)


Another option, used about as often as y'all in this area, is y'uns. Short for you 'uns, of course.

ETA a husband tells me "y'all" was pretty well universally adopted aboard ship (US Navy) because it fills a practical need.

What the heck are yinz talking about?

Rural, do you live in the Southern Appalachians? Y'uns was the preferred second-person plural among the natives of Rabun Co., Georgia, in the very northeastern corner of the state. It was a fascinating and incredibly annoying bit of regional dialect. I only recently learned that the word is shared by the people of Pittsburgh.

I only learned it from Dragoncar!

[forummm]

Co-worker A is leaving to make six-figures at a consulting gig. She'll be traveling all week and just home for weekends. All expenses during the week will be comped. Co-worker B and I were telling her that she should "live" with her mom on the weekends since she would have essentially zero expenses and could save about six-figures a year.

Instead, A is going to get a bigger apartment (she won't be using all week), with a new couch (the old one has dog pee on it--I'm guessing the new one soon will also), and paying for dog care during the week (instead of the dog keeping her mom company for free), a new phone, etc.

[Cheddar Stacker]

Instead, A is going to get a bigger apartment (she won't be using all week), with a new couch (the old one has dog pee on it--I'm guessing the new one soon will also),

Awesome.

[pbkmaine]

Poor doggie.

[dragoncar]

Poor doggie.

[Basenji]

Poor doggie.

[RysChristensen]

Poor pet sitter. 5 days a week of mopping up after the poor doggie....

[Taran Wanderer]

Co-worker A is leaving to make six-figures at a consulting gig. She'll be traveling all week and just home for weekends. All expenses during the week will be comped. Co-worker B and I were telling her that she should "live" with her mom on the weekends since she would have essentially zero expenses and could save about six-figures a year.

Instead, A is going to get a bigger apartment (she won't be using all week), with a new couch (the old one has dog pee on it--I'm guessing the new one soon will also), and paying for dog care during the week (instead of the dog keeping her mom company for free), a new phone, etc.

I don't mean to be judgmental, but that's just plain dumb.

Edit:  +1 for the poor doggie.

[RetiredAt63]

I just tried finding median cost instead of average cost and nothing came up on the first page.  If median cost is much lower than average cost, that doesn't make interesting news, does it?  (Sarcasm). So no coverage.

Well apparently the average cost of a wedding in Canada is $32k.
However, I expect the median to be lower. And of course, I expect that any Mustachian in Canada can throw a wedding that costs far less than the median.

[RetiredAt63]

Here too.  Once upon a time "guys" was only used to refer to men, but "gals" was never popular, and over the years "guys" has come to be gender neutral.  It felt a bit strange the first few times I used "you guys" and "guys" for all female groups, but now it produces nary a twinge.  It is actually very useful.  What about "youse"?  I had never heard it until I moved to SE Ontario, and even then it seems to be local and rarely used. 

"Y'all" tends to be restricted to our rural friends from lower latitudes.   Here in the PNW we say "you guys."

[Bumbling Bee]

Here too.  Once upon a time "guys" was only used to refer to men, but "gals" was never popular, and over the years "guys" has come to be gender neutral.  It felt a bit strange the first few times I used "you guys" and "guys" for all female groups, but now it produces nary a twinge.  It is actually very useful.  What about "youse"?  I had never heard it until I moved to SE Ontario, and even then it seems to be local and rarely used. 

"Y'all" tends to be restricted to our rural friends from lower latitudes.   Here in the PNW we say "you guys."

One hears "youse" and "youse guys" in Philadelphia a lot.

[Megma]

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)

Man how did I miss the y'all conversation?

I agree- y'all is NEVER singular. It is always plural.
All y'all is more plural.

Oh boy, now I'll have to try and sneak "all y'all" into daily conversation and see if anyone notices!

I would love to hear such a robust southernism pulled off in a British accent.

I had a coworker previously who was from rural NC but lived in London for 5+ years - fabulous accent!

And while I'm here, we also say y'all in Kansas, where I'm from though not all y'all, I've only heard that in NC. Another NC favorite of mine is "might could" as in:
You might could do that but instead maybe you should do this.

Love it.

[Papa Mustache]

I mention that he should have looked at a mini-van if he needed the extra space and it would get better MPG. He looked at me with a shocked look and stated he would never be caught dead driving a mini-van...

Anymore the minivan hate tells me alot about the person I'm talking to - such as appearances > utility. The American rejection of minivan people haulers is just dumb. Its a tool and if it fits use it. I've driven some very comfortable minivans.

[shelivesthedream]

I would love to hear such a robust southernism pulled off in a British accent.

I suppose it might be something like this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RgcwyI-NlvI

[infogoon]

Here too.  Once upon a time "guys" was only used to refer to men, but "gals" was never popular, and over the years "guys" has come to be gender neutral.  It felt a bit strange the first few times I used "you guys" and "guys" for all female groups, but now it produces nary a twinge.  It is actually very useful.  What about "youse"?  I had never heard it until I moved to SE Ontario, and even then it seems to be local and rarely used. 

"Youse" is common in Buffalo, but honestly, we're basically SE Ontario as well.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Here too.  Once upon a time "guys" was only used to refer to men, but "gals" was never popular, and over the years "guys" has come to be gender neutral.  It felt a bit strange the first few times I used "you guys" and "guys" for all female groups, but now it produces nary a twinge.  It is actually very useful.  What about "youse"?  I had never heard it until I moved to SE Ontario, and even then it seems to be local and rarely used. 

"Y'all" tends to be restricted to our rural friends from lower latitudes.   Here in the PNW we say "you guys."

One hears "youse" and "youse guys" in Philadelphia a lot.

And "wudder," which really threw me for a loop. (Water.)

[antarestar]

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)

Man how did I miss the y'all conversation?

I agree- y'all is NEVER singular. It is always plural.
All y'all is more plural.

Oh boy, now I'll have to try and sneak "all y'all" into daily conversation and see if anyone notices!

I would love to hear such a robust southernism pulled off in a British accent.

I had a coworker previously who was from rural NC but lived in London for 5+ years - fabulous accent!

And while I'm here, we also say y'all in Kansas, where I'm from though not all y'all, I've only heard that in NC. Another NC favorite of mine is "might could" as in:
You might could do that but instead maybe you should do this.

Love it.

Or else "fixin' to" - I'm fixin' to go to the store, can I borrow your credit card?

[Pooperman]

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)

Man how did I miss the y'all conversation?

I agree- y'all is NEVER singular. It is always plural.
All y'all is more plural.

Oh boy, now I'll have to try and sneak "all y'all" into daily conversation and see if anyone notices!

I would love to hear such a robust southernism pulled off in a British accent.

I had a coworker previously who was from rural NC but lived in London for 5+ years - fabulous accent!

And while I'm here, we also say y'all in Kansas, where I'm from though not all y'all, I've only heard that in NC. Another NC favorite of mine is "might could" as in:
You might could do that but instead maybe you should do this.

Love it.

Or else "fixin' to" - I'm fixin' to go to the store, can I borrow your credit card?

"I'mma" (I'm + gonna) - I'mma get wasted tonight!

[Drifterrider]

Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)

Man how did I miss the y'all conversation?

I agree- y'all is NEVER singular. It is always plural.
All y'all is more plural.

Wrong.  Y'all is singular.  All Y'all is plural.  Alloyall is when speaking to a group. 

All y'all ain't never seen a reflexive double negative before?

[Papa Mustache]

Coworker: I just really don't like eating leftovers. It just seems like a lot of work to cook extra.
Me: uh huh (I was in a bad mood)
Coworker: Yeah, plus the whole tupperware thing grosses me out. I heard they give you cancer if you use them in the microwave
Me: <as I dump my tupperwared lasagna onto a paper plate to heat up> really?

Coworker: Proceeds to heat up a lean cuisine

I've always been a little worried about what the LC frozen lunch containers are lined with. Can't be wax b/c it would melt in the microwave. Is it some sort of oil derivative like wax? (i.e. still just as worrying).

As for Tupperware - we quit plastic food storage containers a few years back. Our plastic containers were aging badly and I worried that some of the plastic might be leaching into our food during microwave use b/c the plastic was so rough looking inside. We still have plastic mixing bowls and a couple pieces of food storage containers. 

Our solution was glassware with plastic tops. Take the top off before you nuke the food. Now several years later everything still looks new and it wasn't that expensive. Multiple brands to choose from. Can buy lids and bowls separately. We have a mix of Italian and American brands. Tough glassware too. I have dropped a few pieces along the way on our linoleum floor and they did not break. So far they seem like a good long term solution.

[MgoSam]

Coworker: I just really don't like eating leftovers. It just seems like a lot of work to cook extra.
Me: uh huh (I was in a bad mood)
Coworker: Yeah, plus the whole tupperware thing grosses me out. I heard they give you cancer if you use them in the microwave
Me: <as I dump my tupperwared lasagna onto a paper plate to heat up> really?

Coworker: Proceeds to heat up a lean cuisine

I've always been a little worried about what the LC frozen lunch containers are lined with. Can't be wax b/c it would melt in the microwave. Is it some sort of oil derivative like wax? (i.e. still just as worrying).

As for Tupperware - we quit plastic food storage containers a few years back. Our plastic containers were aging badly and I worried that some of the plastic might be leaching into our food during microwave use b/c the plastic was so rough looking inside. We still have plastic mixing bowls and a couple pieces of food storage containers. 

Our solution was glassware with plastic tops. Take the top off before you nuke the food. Now several years later everything still looks new and it wasn't that expensive. Multiple brands to choose from. Can buy lids and bowls separately. We have a mix of Italian and American brands. Tough glassware too. I have dropped a few pieces along the way on our linoleum floor and they did not break. So far they seem like a good long term solution.

That does sound like a good plan. Any ideas on where to buy these inexpensively? I am moving in about a month, and want to get a set of good containers for making lunch and dinners.

[zataks]

I've bought two different sets of pyrex bowls with lids in assorted sizes from Costco. DW and I use them everyday for lunch and leftovers storage.

[Papa Mustache]

Yep, I know a guy who owns a furniture business. He once told me, in all seriousness, "I don't sell furniture, I sell finance".

The furniture store owner I worked for back when admitted to a 70% markup. Made the 20% off sales seem a little less impressive. Of course this is the boss who complained that they couldn't give us delivery guys a 25 cent/hour raise b/c they were broke yet they had a boat, giant RV, European sports cars (replaced every 18 months or so), etc.

A few years later several pieces of their property burned to the ground one by one. First the garage (RV too I think), then the house, then the investment property, etc.

[4alpacas]

Coworker: I just really don't like eating leftovers. It just seems like a lot of work to cook extra.
Me: uh huh (I was in a bad mood)
Coworker: Yeah, plus the whole tupperware thing grosses me out. I heard they give you cancer if you use them in the microwave
Me: <as I dump my tupperwared lasagna onto a paper plate to heat up> really?

Coworker: Proceeds to heat up a lean cuisine

I've always been a little worried about what the LC frozen lunch containers are lined with. Can't be wax b/c it would melt in the microwave. Is it some sort of oil derivative like wax? (i.e. still just as worrying).

As for Tupperware - we quit plastic food storage containers a few years back. Our plastic containers were aging badly and I worried that some of the plastic might be leaching into our food during microwave use b/c the plastic was so rough looking inside. We still have plastic mixing bowls and a couple pieces of food storage containers. 

Our solution was glassware with plastic tops. Take the top off before you nuke the food. Now several years later everything still looks new and it wasn't that expensive. Multiple brands to choose from. Can buy lids and bowls separately. We have a mix of Italian and American brands. Tough glassware too. I have dropped a few pieces along the way on our linoleum floor and they did not break. So far they seem like a good long term solution.

That does sound like a good plan. Any ideas on where to buy these inexpensively? I am moving in about a month, and want to get a set of good containers for making lunch and dinners.

Look out for good deals for Pyrex on Woot.  We have two sets that we paid very little for during a woot-off.  Our Pyrex is almost 10 years old and looks brand new.

[4alpacas]

Coworker: I just really don't like eating leftovers. It just seems like a lot of work to cook extra.
Me: uh huh (I was in a bad mood)
Coworker: Yeah, plus the whole tupperware thing grosses me out. I heard they give you cancer if you use them in the microwave
Me: <as I dump my tupperwared lasagna onto a paper plate to heat up> really?

Coworker: Proceeds to heat up a lean cuisine

I've always been a little worried about what the LC frozen lunch containers are lined with. Can't be wax b/c it would melt in the microwave. Is it some sort of oil derivative like wax? (i.e. still just as worrying).

As for Tupperware - we quit plastic food storage containers a few years back. Our plastic containers were aging badly and I worried that some of the plastic might be leaching into our food during microwave use b/c the plastic was so rough looking inside. We still have plastic mixing bowls and a couple pieces of food storage containers. 

Our solution was glassware with plastic tops. Take the top off before you nuke the food. Now several years later everything still looks new and it wasn't that expensive. Multiple brands to choose from. Can buy lids and bowls separately. We have a mix of Italian and American brands. Tough glassware too. I have dropped a few pieces along the way on our linoleum floor and they did not break. So far they seem like a good long term solution.

That does sound like a good plan. Any ideas on where to buy these inexpensively? I am moving in about a month, and want to get a set of good containers for making lunch and dinners.

Look out for good deals for Pyrex on Woot.  We have two sets that we paid very little for during a woot-off.  Our Pyrex is almost 10 years old and looks brand new.

One caveat on those glassware containers - try not to put the lids through the nuke-ro-wave. They get all deformed and stop sealing.

You can find the containers at thrift stores with some regularity.

Haha!  We are down 2 lids because of the microwave.  We've learned our lesson, and our Pyrex is going strong.  I've never found any in the thrift stores (ones with lids), but I'll start looking.

[horsepoor]

I much prefer the Glasslock to Pyrex for lunch containers, because they seal fully.  Costco usually has both.  I've seen the Glasslock stuff at Marshall's/TJMaxx, too.  Our Pyrex stuff is probably 5-6 years old and some of the lids are starting to fail where they have to flex to go on/off the container.  Time will tell with the Glasslock, but so far it's been getting regular use for probably 3 years and the lids are like new.

[Papa Mustache]

Some tales of commute silliness.

A couple weekends ago, chatting with a friend of a friend at a party, she remarks that she commutes from town A to town B.  The distance is not measured in miles, but *hours*, I think she said 1 1/2 hours commute if she leaves so that she arrives by 7am.  The part that hurts my head is she used to live in town B.  Wha.....?

Then there is my co-worker who is actually getting close to (normal age) retirement, maybe in the next year or so.  She has been commuting 2 hours to & from work for DECADES!  How in the heck does one keep up with that lifestyle?  The lifestyle with no free time???

2 hrs = ~$25 worth of gasoline, per day? Then wear and tear and replacement cars, etc.

I have a couple of friends who have done the same for years. Talked to one recently. We was driving 75 miles west everyday. Hey - you still making the big commute? Yep he tells me. Switched employers though. Now he's driving 80 miles to the east. Hope he is making big money and loves the drive.

Remember when another friend told me that they collectively (in two cars) spent more on gas and repairs than their healthy mortgage every month and decided to move closer to their work. Until that moment (years ago) I never thought that was possible to burn that much gasoline in two frugal cars.

Live and let live...

[Papa Mustache]

I guess I feel like I need to either explain or justify my food choice to people, or describe the recipe, or defend how easy it was to make, etc. Also, it feels kind of unhygienic to me to have people point at my food or lean over my shoulder to see what I'm eating while I'm eating it.

Probably the same as the person who comes into my office to chat and then walks over so they can see my computer screen while they talk. Now they stand so close that I have to look up at them while we chat and frankly I don't want to stand that close to anyone that isn't my wife or children. ;)

I clear the screen before they clear the door frame. None of their business. Not in my chain of command.

I swear this is some sort of psych thing - like a person silently trying to dominate those around them.

[Papa Mustache]

Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

Yeah - I worked with her coworker. That soup I brought in was unhealthy but the fried fast food he ate everyday was somehow healthier.  Huh? he was all about how the people around him were a screwed up mess but he was making all the right choices. No woman would have him, his ex- limited his access to his children, and he was homophobic. Oh - and my choice is frugal transportation never came close to being as cool and masculine as his vehicle. A barrel of laughs to be around. ;) SO many great things about leaving that place! ;)

[dragoncar]

Not a secret, but most people don't know that the Pyrex brand was licensed by a Chinese company.  They still make OK food container, but it's nothing like the borosilicate glass of old (no longer made by Corning)

There are a few other brands like this but I can't remember them at the moment.  It's not uncommon for successful brands to switch to lower quality product (eg kitchen aid mixers) but completely licensing their products to any random company is pretty rare

[forummm]

Not a secret, but most people don't know that the Pyrex brand was licensed by a Chinese company.  They still make OK food container, but it's nothing like the borosilicate glass of old (no longer made by Corning)

There are a few other brands like this but I can't remember them at the moment.  It's not uncommon for successful brands to switch to lower quality product (eg kitchen aid mixers) but completely licensing their products to any random company is pretty rare

Yeah. The current Pyrex stuff is still good (we use them daily). But much cheaper. I've never had one break.

When you see formerly fancy brands showing up at the dollar store you know they've been sold.

[the_fella]

Not a secret, but most people don't know that the Pyrex brand was licensed by a Chinese company.  They still make OK food container, but it's nothing like the borosilicate glass of old (no longer made by Corning)

There are a few other brands like this but I can't remember them at the moment.  It's not uncommon for successful brands to switch to lower quality product (eg kitchen aid mixers) but completely licensing their products to any random company is pretty rare

I could be wrong (first time for everything), but I believe Pyrex laboratory glassware is still borosilicate.

[Papa Mustache]

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

I live and work in a rural area of a northern state.  I have had actual discussions with coworkers disagreeing that Obama has not, in fact, had the most Executive Orders ever.  This is something that is a fact, and can be found online.  But nope, the Dictator in Chief is definitely just sending out dozens of those babies every week.  Also, carbon dating is a giant worldwide conspiracy theory and they're doing it wrong, because the 6,000 years old earth as stated in the Bible is the way it really is. Oy.

And dinosaurs never existed the same folks insist. Wife gave up 15-20 mins to a coworker once who wanted to make his point that the world was only 6,000 years old and never any dinosaurs. This was a college educated person too...

[forummm]

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

I live and work in a rural area of a northern state.  I have had actual discussions with coworkers disagreeing that Obama has not, in fact, had the most Executive Orders ever.  This is something that is a fact, and can be found online.  But nope, the Dictator in Chief is definitely just sending out dozens of those babies every week.  Also, carbon dating is a giant worldwide conspiracy theory and they're doing it wrong, because the 6,000 years old earth as stated in the Bible is the way it really is. Oy.

And dinosaurs never existed the same folks insist. Wife gave up 15-20 mins to a coworker once who wanted to make his point that the world was only 6,000 years old and never any dinosaurs. This was a college educated person too...

I thought the dinosaurs coexisted with humans. Didn't Jesus ride one into Damascus?

[MgoSam]

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

I live and work in a rural area of a northern state.  I have had actual discussions with coworkers disagreeing that Obama has not, in fact, had the most Executive Orders ever.  This is something that is a fact, and can be found online.  But nope, the Dictator in Chief is definitely just sending out dozens of those babies every week.  Also, carbon dating is a giant worldwide conspiracy theory and they're doing it wrong, because the 6,000 years old earth as stated in the Bible is the way it really is. Oy.

And dinosaurs never existed the same folks insist. Wife gave up 15-20 mins to a coworker once who wanted to make his point that the world was only 6,000 years old and never any dinosaurs. This was a college educated person too...

I thought the dinosaurs coexisted with humans. Didn't Jesus ride one into Damascus?

They did coexist, I read it on the Internet. I don't care about your fancy pants liberal elite degree in some made-up word, I know what I know. Don't you dare tell me that I'm wrong, you're just being intolerant! Elite, libruls are fascists that want to tell everyone how to think. Thanks Obama.

[Papa Mustache]

Same coworker who outed me as a Mustachian decided to buy a new car, because his car was 5 years old.  Discussed the process at length in our cubicle.  Highlights include - "I've just accepted that I'll always have a car payment,"  the rational that by the time you've paid off a new car it has fallen out of warranty and you'll have to start paying for adhoc repairs, and his wife deciding as he shopped for a car that she missed her old VW and deciding to purchase a VW Jetta at the same time.  I'm currently in negotiations with my local Honda dealership to get the price of a 2015 Fit down to $10k after trade so I can buy it with cash.  I'm taking me time, since mine is only 8 years old and I don't NEED a new one, but the new one is purple and has 8 years newer fancy features.  Said coworker keep trying to convince me that it's a terrible idea to pay cash for a car, and that he's much better off always driving a new car with payments and a warranty.

A Honda treated well ought to last 200K+ miles. We're nearing 300K miles. Never been stranded, original clutch, and just the normal maintenance - aside from radiators. I've been through 3 of those. The first lasted 160K miles I think, the second budget repair part lasted 13 months, the next NAPA part lasted 8 years, am on that next replacement (lifetime replacement).

I get replacing a car that's getting rusty. Just take care of it, drive it gently, use quality repair parts and enjoy that new car for the next 15 years.