Ship of Fools: Bogies / Boogers

Thread: Bogies / Boogers Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by angelfish (# 8884) on :

Last week I was chatting to a friend of mine and she interrupted me to point out that I had a bogey hanging out of my nose. I was naturally mortified and wiped it away with a tissue, but it spoilt the rest of the conversation for me as I kept thinking about it and feeling embarrassed.

Then, this aftermoon, the very same thing happened, but this time she had the bogey hanging out. Remembering my earlier mortification I resolved to look her squarely in the eye and not say anything about it.

Which one of us acted as a good neighbour?

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

'Snot easy to say.

Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :

If it was my husband or my kids I'd tell them but I wouldn't dream of telling anyone else. Too embarrassing for them and for me. Well, maybe if it was a very close friend I might have a quiet word to let them know as they were leaving that they might want to tidy up their nose a bit, just to save them facing anyone else with it. But somehow it feels a bit of a personal thing to comment on!

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

Why not just make strong eye contact and wipe your own nose several times till the catch on?

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

I would tend to not use words such as booger, but say something like "you might want to wipe your nose". I would probably also think to tell the person with the long strip of toilet paper hanging from the back of their pants that they might wish to attend to this.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

A similar dilemma arises when you see a gentleman unaware that his fly is down. I've been known to say sotto voce to someone in such a predicament, without making eye contact and while moving my lips as little as possible, "Dude, check your fly." The gentleman has always been very grateful for the advice.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

I think the sotto voce thing is key.

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

Friends don't let friends walk around with nose danglies.

Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
A similar dilemma arises when you see a gentleman unaware that his fly is down. I've been known to say sotto voce to someone in such a predicament, without making eye contact and while moving my lips as little as possible, "Dude, check your fly." The gentleman has always been very grateful for the advice.

I'm afraid there are other men, "lewd fellows of the baser sort", who would respond to your well-meant information with, "It pays to advertise".

I once had an egg and bacon roll at MacDonald's for breakfast, and it was only hours later when I caught sight of my face in a shop window, that I realised there were a number of very bright yellow blobs of yolk in my beard which it had occurred to no-one to apprise me of.

And yes, I realise it was a judgement on me for partaking at the Anti-Christ's table.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

If there's a clean paper napkin/tissue, hand it to them and whisper "um...".

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
Friends don't let friends walk around with nose danglies.

Wisdom of the ages.

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

I would totally tell. or at least give them that meaningful, "we share a secret" look while suggestively wiping at my nose.

I once tucked my skirt up into my underpants at work - bartending! which is like being on stage! and no one said a word, just snickered, and dropped things behind the bar for me to pick up. I was mortified! I yelled at the regulars and threatened to water down their beers for the rest of the winter. assholes.

always tell! it's what a good neighbor does!

Posted by angelfish (# 8884) on :

Oh dear. I am judged and found wanting. Does it help to add that we were in her own home, towards the end of the day and she was not going to see anyone else before bedtime?

I thought about doing the meaningful stare and gesture thing, which is what I would do if in a group and a close friend or relative had a similar problem, but when it's just the two of you that's as bad as saying it out loud, isn't it?

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

quote:
Originally posted by angelfish:
Oh dear. I am judged and found wanting. Does it help to add that we were in her own home, towards the end of the day and she was not going to see anyone else before bedtime?

At which point she is going to look in the bathroom mirror and go Bugger! And he never told me!

Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :

I'm wondering now if there is a cultural factor in this. us English are all uptight and embarrassed to say anything!

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

Which is why I suggested the fake nose-wiping thing.

I had a teacher once that I was semi-friendly with-- one day in class I genuinely got an itch on my nose, but I was watching his lecture so intently that he took my nose-scratching for a hint and began frantically swiping at his nose, mid-lecture. Then he looked over at me for approval, and it took me a while to figure out what had happened. [Snigger]

[ 25. October 2013, 06:25: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
I had a teacher once that I was semi-friendly with-- one day in class I genuinely got an itch on my nose, but I was watching his lecture so intently that he took my nose-scratching for a hint and began frantically swiping at his nose, mid-lecture. Then he looked over at me for approval, and it took me a while to figure out what had happened.

that's awesome!

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

Many years ago I read in an etiquette column that if it's something someone can fix (e.g., a nose-wiping predicament) tell them. If it's something they can't fix right then (a run/ladder in their stockings) don't tell them. They can't do anything about it, and knowing about it will just embarrass them.

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

There I was thinking I'd been called to heaven! [Biased]

The good neighbour was the friend who told you. It takes far more courage and friendship to do that than say nothing. Imagine if it had been worse than a mere bogie! (skirt tucked in knickers, fly open with all showing etc) You would want to know however much it made you [Hot and Hormonal]

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
If it's something they can't fix right then (a run/ladder in their stockings) don't tell them. They can't do anything about it, and knowing about it will just embarrass them.

I could fix that - if I'm wearing them I always carry a spare pair. Now I'm trying to think of something I couldn't fix that wasn't permanent anyway?

[ 25. October 2013, 06:58: Message edited by: Boogie ]

Posted by angelfish (# 8884) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lucia:
I'm wondering now if there is a cultural factor in this. us English are all uptight and embarrassed to say anything!

Yes, well as it happens she is American and I am English, so you might be onto something there.

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

This reminds me of the story of the guy who comes home from church with 2 black eyes. He's asked how he got the black eyes. He says the women in the pew in front had her dress stuck in her butt crack. So he pulled he out when they stood to sing.

Q: "okay, so that's how you got the one black eye, what about the other one"
R: "well I then realised she didn't want it pulled out..."

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

Well, now that we've all had a good blow into our hankies...

Closed on the grounds that it's putting the Heaven Hosts off their tea.

Firenze
Sniffer Stopper

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