S/O: Weird phrases/expressions your ILs use

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Make out" to mean "results" which is unintentionally funny.

Typical conversation with my MIL will be, "how did you make out with your boss? I know you weren't expecting him to come."

(I have a junior high sense of humor so tears are springing to my eyes and I'm shaking trying to hold back laughter). MIL is very very proper and formal.

Must be a regionalism as I grew up saying "make out" in the same fashion. I'm from Philly. It does look funny written out with that particular example though.

[Anonymous]

This is a British one - I'm British and so are my in-laws, but I'm from London and they are from other cities in the UK (with different accents). My MIL infuriates me by saying "pl-AR-stic" instead of "plastic" It is confusing because Londoners say "grarse" not "grass" and "barth" not "bath", BUT we say "plastic" not "plarstic".

[Anonymous]

"We'll only come stay with you if it's worth our while."
I.e. 3 weeks and you buy all the food and groceries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom, age 81, takes great pains to mention every professional's race and sex, but only if SHE considers such noteworthy. So, "this lovely, young, black female doctor" or,
"The new nurse is an Oriental man." (cringe) "Did the Indian pharmacist help you? I like her." Never just the doctor/nurse/Dr. Smith

DD years ago attempted to correct my mom and advise her that African - American is preferred over Black or Negro. My mom has gone retro and now says Afro-American.

My MIL does this and she's in her 60s. She always recounts how many Asian women she saw on an outing.

[Anonymous]

PP, my mom loves to count asian people she sees and report it back to me, goodness knows why. I can tell you the ethnic breakdown of book club, checkout lines, and doctors' offices. I married an Asian guy and now she thinks this makes her counting somehow relevant and legit so it's become worse.

[Anonymous]

My MIL uses the terms "britches" for diapers. I cannot stand it. So I relentlessly use the term diapers around her. You know, the actual term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"We'll only come stay with you if it's worth our while."
I.e. 3 weeks and you buy all the food and groceries.

Ok, that's them being assholes. What are they like when they do visit?

[Anonymous]

"Beat feet" for moving quickly or hurrying up. "C'mon kids, let's beat feet!" *shudder*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, my mom loves to count asian people she sees and report it back to me, goodness knows why. I can tell you the ethnic breakdown of book club, checkout lines, and doctors' offices. I married an Asian guy and now she thinks this makes her counting somehow relevant and legit so it's become worse.

Does she do it in front of your husband? Also, how do all of these moms/MILs live in areas where seeing an Asian person is a novelty?

[Anonymous]

My side:

"I need a coffee" or "Do you want an egg or a toast?" ("a" instead of "some")

Adding a "the" where it's not normally found: "I'm going to the Shop n Save"

"Aye-uh" = uh-huh, yes, sure (my grandfather and his friends say this constantly)

Something really great or extreme is "wicked" - "It's wicked cold today"


Husband's side is more grating, although to be fair, probably not to him:

"She needs her pants changed" (for a baby)

Snacks or sweets for kids are "nummies"

City/place names get shortened, as if they're too much trouble to fully pronounce: Alexandria = "Alex", Minneapolis/St. Paul ="the cities" , Mall of America ="mega-mall"

My MIL pronounces "scone"-- i.e. something one might eat with a cup of tea-- as "sconce", which is more normally found hanging on a wall

[Anonymous]

When my grandmother was not dressed up she'd say "oh Linda came over and I was looking like a bag of hammers". I love it and use it to this day. Always calling myself a bag of hammers when I'm looking rough. Love you grandma!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:This is a small one but instead of mac and cheese she says macaroni with cheese.

I'm pretty sure I say macaroni and cheese (with an "and" not a "with"). I didn't realize that was a thing.

You and PP's MIL are correct. "Mac and cheese" is the nickname.

I'm also team MIL on this one!!

Look it up, OP. It's "mac and cheese" for pretty much every brand that sells it. Your MIL probably thinks you're the one who sounds dumb.

Dontcha just love it when Forest Gump chimes in?

We say Mac Cheese in my family. I think it's funny. Also we say T-Bell instead of Taco Bell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, my mom loves to count asian people she sees and report it back to me, goodness knows why. I can tell you the ethnic breakdown of book club, checkout lines, and doctors' offices. I married an Asian guy and now she thinks this makes her counting somehow relevant and legit so it's become worse.[/quote]

This with my sister except with black people after I married my black/Asian husband... she doesn't report on Asians because there are tonnes where we are from. Not many blacks, thus the report. When she does it, I will scratch my chin and nod and say 'seems about right' or 'good to know'... she doesn't pick up that I'm fake- approving/confirming. She doesn't say it to my DH really... but if she has a special gleam in her eye like she's holding something back he will say, starting quietly 'was he..... blaaaaaaaaack???? OR AY-ZHUN??' (ending in a yell) and do a little shimmy that makes us all LOL. We do not know wtf that is all about but it's our little joke and we are all LOL for different reasons I'm sure.

[Anonymous]

"Macaroni with cheese" is also correct.

The Washington Post uses "macaroni with cheese:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/baked-macaroni-with-cheese/7350/?utm_term=.d23d46b4a99c

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my mom loves to count asian people she sees and report it back to me, goodness knows why. I can tell you the ethnic breakdown of book club, checkout lines, and doctors' offices. I married an Asian guy and now she thinks this makes her counting somehow relevant and legit so it's become worse.

Does she do it in front of your husband? Also, how do all of these moms/MILs live in areas where seeing an Asian person is a novelty?

Yes, she does it in front of DH and lives somewhere with a huge asian population, so it makes the whole thing even weirder.