Things That Annoy Me, But Shouldn't

Speaking from experience, they're likely concerned that accepting the offer will forge a relationship they don't want. Say, if the bloke next on in the bus queue says, "Have a piece of gum," the average mind-my-own-business individual is likely to think, What does he want from me? Am I going to have to make chit chat with him after this? "No, thanks!"

Though if you're thinking of people who know and get along with each other, and the potential recipient stiffly refuses the smallest offerings on some kind of principle, yeah, that's annoying. And rude. Refusal to allow another to be generous is ungenerous.

 

Not to be hokey, but sounds like giving things is your grandma's love language.

 

Very true. I've known people who do that on general principle, so they can maintain a sense of superiority or some kind of 'noble aloofness'. Also, I'm reminded of movies where the subtext of a conversation is an offer or a demand, not stated openly, and the one making the offer (or the demand) also offers a cigarette or drink. If the other party accepts, they've tacitly acquiesced to the unspoken deal.

 

that is so true

 

Must be spoken in New York (or New Jersey) Italian gangster accent. @Homer Potvin —do you know if there were any gangsters in your family tree? It might explain a lot.

(Wait, what am I saying??!! How do I know you're not in The Family yourself??? )

... Are you about to give me a plate of pasta, a glass of red wine* and an offer I can't refuse?

*Symbolizing my blood

 

I imagine they're like a halfway point between New York and Bahston accents.

 

Personally, I think chewing gum is disgusting, and I'd always refuse an offer of a piece based on that.

 

Ah, Maine! Always makes me think of Stephen King and Fred Gwynne...


It's not included here, but the one I always remember is the way he says "Oh, that's GOOOooood!"

 

A response like that to “You want a piece of gum?” would hopefully get you a punch in the mouth, crutches or not, and rightly so!

 

Agreed. I mean I wouldn’t offer gum to a stranger on a bus - that would be weird. I’m talking mainly about work colleagues, one in particular who‘s somewhat of a hypocrite in this area. He’s always flatly refused my offer of (whatever) and yet often asks me if I’d like the biscuit or packet of crisps left-over in his lunchbox at the end of the day.

I suspect, like @Xoic says, it’s some kind of silly pride thing.

 

In DOOM you have to get the backpack to double your already ridiculous carrying capacity, so that's something.

 

You know OurJud, you're the one who's constantly moaning about how this or that bothers you, but when you're the one who's engaging in behaviour that bothers other people, it's suddenly not so funny...

 

In 1st/2nd edition D&D, adventurers would regularly beat monsters and cart off booty amounting to tens of thousands of gold pieces.

No one ever bothered to think about how heavy gold is.

 

Everyone calm down, have a chair, I'll serve the cake and tea, and we'll have a lovely little chat about harmony and good will.

Siddown, I said. Have some cake, drink the damn tea, and enjoy yourselves.

 

Things have taken a turn. This should be interesting.

 

What kind of cake?

 

I was just given an ice cream from my elderly neighbour. I put the ice cream in the fridge, and I am going to give it to a random future guest. That is how accepting and generous I am.

 

Yeah when you're somehow carrying a shotgun, a sniper rifle, an assault rifle and two pistols as well as a backpack full of explosives and a parachute it begins to get a bit ridiculous.

 

Well, obviously you just bundle all the weapons together, hang them under the parachute, and aim a fan up at it so it follows you wherever you go. Simple!

 

Like fruitcake, it gets recycled from one person to another for years...

 

speaking of fruitcake