You said what?

[Rapscallion]

Monday last, I popped off with a chum to buy a new desk from Staples. So far, so good. Asked for the appropriate kit for the one I liked (it's now my new command deck) and a young chap brought it to the counter.

The cashier looked at him. "Which other customer are you going to speak to like that?" she asked, and my ears perked up. He'd been nothing but polite, perhaps too polite, all the way.

"She didn't have to react like that!"

"Yeah, but..."

The cashier realised I was watching with interest, so I introduced the site I happen to run, and they visibly relaxed.

As the kit went into the back of the bastardmobile, I asked what had happened.

"Just a woman yesterday," admitted the youth. "She was obviously pregnant, so I asked how long she had left."

I facepalmed, as you should in such circumstances. "Dude, advice for life. If you can't see it coming out, don't mention it."

"I was just trying to make small talk!"

Every generation has the unalienable right to learn by fouling things up. I'm convinced of it. He was young and earnest, but damn that was a mistake.

Rapscallion

[Bright_Star]

Because a woman looks pregnant doesn't mean that she is.

[sms001]

I facepalmed, as you should in such circumstances. "Dude, advice for life. If you can't see it coming out, don't mention it."

Quoted for truth.

Did get a good laugh out of customers and coirkers along this line once. Knew the woman was pregnant, woman knew I knew. (Hubby had mentioned it in front of both of us.) Waited 'til she brought in the stroller with the newborn and deadpanned - "Hey G! Congrats. When are you due?"

Even THAT may be iffy.

Hope to see your new converts here soon.

[Buglady]

My sister is expecting... just starting to show pretty obviously at this point. She's having WAY too much fun with people who ask her about it. (Also having far too much fun with the fact she looks about 14 - even though she and I are both in our 30s - and there are a lot of busybodies in this city).

She went around for about a week claiming to have been implanted with an alien larva - when the baby started to move, she said it was the weirdest feeling EVER and that was the first thing that popped into her mind.

[JLRodgers]

It's risky to mention being pregnant even if you see it coming out -- after all, why would you be looking down there?

You know there'd be some woman in a dress with a baby popping out, yet she'd slap some "jerk" mentioning some baby dangling by a cord.

[joe hx]

i was in a shrink's office as a teen with my mom and he asked how along she was... and she wasn't pregnant

[Becks]

"Dude, advice for life. If you can't see it coming out, don't mention it."

That should be advice everyone is born knowing and following.