Anonymous wrote:

You might call one of my houses "Mc (whatever)", but you have no idea. It was custom built to our specs by a builder who will not build en mass (he makes enough money to not do so). We happened to have EARNED every last inch of our beautiful house at an young age. Our yard happens to be huge, too. It also happens to be in a very close in location. But gosh, with your attitude, I would bet you would burn it down, given the chance.

You sound lovely though. Yeah, right. Keep labeling, it suits you and your rotten attitude.

I can NOT wait to meet you in person. You have absolutely no idea.

Sit down for a moment, because this might come as a shock: not everyone is jealous of you. I don't want your big house, or your huge yard. That's not where my priorities are. Reading the utter lack of joy coming off your posts here, I don't see a lot to envy.

I dunno, the rowhouse chick did start it with labeling. Maybe that makes her feel better for not living up to mommy and daddy's expectations. Or whatever she is lacking. I would highly doubt Mcmansion chick needs to be accepted by rowhouse chick. My money's totally on Mcmansion chick.

Not all new houses are Mcmansions. Doesn't that sound a little ignorant? Why is PP in the rowhouse so adamant and antagonistic? Is it the whole thread that's pissing her off?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You might call one of my houses "Mc (whatever)", but you have no idea. It was custom built to our specs by a builder who will not build en mass (he makes enough money to not do so). We happened to have EARNED every last inch of our beautiful house at an young age. Our yard happens to be huge, too. It also happens to be in a very close in location. But gosh, with your attitude, I would bet you would burn it down, given the chance.

You sound lovely though. Yeah, right. Keep labeling, it suits you and your rotten attitude.

I can NOT wait to meet you in person. You have absolutely no idea.

Awwwww SHEEEEET. A DCURBANMOM threat. I hear snaps.....a la West Side Story. Let's have a bitch-off. Which NWDC Starbucks?

Northwest Side Story. No snaps, it might break a nail. But she'll send her housekeeper to kick your ass.

Anonymous wrote:

You might call one of my houses "Mc (whatever)", but you have no idea. It was custom built to our specs by a builder who will not build en mass (he makes enough money to not do so). We happened to have EARNED every last inch of our beautiful house at an young age. Our yard happens to be huge, too. It also happens to be in a very close in location. But gosh, with your attitude, I would bet you would burn it down, given the chance.

You sound lovely though. Yeah, right. Keep labeling, it suits you and your rotten attitude.

I can NOT wait to meet you in person. You have absolutely no idea.

Awwwww SHEEEEET. A DCURBANMOM threat. I hear snaps.....a la West Side Story. Let's have a bitch-off. Which NWDC Starbucks?

18:18, I am sorry if you feel that some people don't appreciate you, your house, or some other aspect of your life. But no one is calling your house a McMansion.

You seem very angry. Are your feet cold? Are your shoes uncomfortable?

You might call one of my houses "Mc (whatever)", but you have no idea. It was custom built to our specs by a builder who will not build en mass (he makes enough money to not do so). We happened to have EARNED every last inch of our beautiful house at an young age. Our yard happens to be huge, too. It also happens to be in a very close in location. But gosh, with your attitude, I would bet you would burn it down, given the chance.

You sound lovely though. Yeah, right. Keep labeling, it suits you and your rotten attitude.

I can NOT wait to meet you in person. You have absolutely no idea.

Anonymous wrote:
Correct. My house is 2200 square feet, built in 1908, in the middle of a block of (essentially) identical attached houses in the District. In accordance with local vernacular, I call it a rowhouse. By all means, if you have a better "label", go right ahead.

Can you come up with a single word for newly constructed large houses on smallish lots in the suburbs, that were all built by the same developer at the same time and share common architectural features? If you can, I will use that in the future. Until then, McMansion is exactly the right word to use, as it conveys all the meaning above.

how about grumpy old troll-houses?

Anonymous wrote:

Clearly, PP lives in a smaller, older home. Shall we give IT a label? Or be more mature (and better adjusted) than PP?

Correct. My house is 2200 square feet, built in 1908, in the middle of a block of (essentially) identical attached houses in the District. In accordance with local vernacular, I call it a rowhouse. By all means, if you have a better "label", go right ahead.

Can you come up with a single word for newly constructed large houses on smallish lots in the suburbs, that were all built by the same developer at the same time and share common architectural features? If you can, I will use that in the future. Until then, McMansion is exactly the right word to use, as it conveys all the meaning above.

Clearly, PP lives in a smaller, older home. Shall we give IT a label? Or be more mature (and better adjusted) than PP?

Anonymous wrote:

Why do DCUM posters love the word McMansions? Is that to cover up for their lack of manners? Does it make them feel better?

I wouldn't dream of entering a new home with shoes, nor would I walk in with shoes if there are shoes by the door. Take a hint!

"McMansion" refers to a very specific sort of house. It is generally in a development with other houses built from the same plans-- no more than 3-4 different plans for the whole development, and all built by the same development company, usually on spec. It usually has at least one room that is open to the floor above, often the foyer. (This room will be described by real estate agents as "soaring".) The construction materials are often poor quality (lousy insulation for heat and sound) but the cosmetic finishes are more expensive (granite countertops, travertine bathrooms). Landscaping is almost always neglected.

You see the term McMansion on DCUM a lot because there are lots of McMansions in this region. It's just the right term for a certain type of house. Do you also take issue with "rowhouse"? Because that's the right term for most of the houses in the denser DC neighborhoods.

TB is transmitted by wearing shoes or not wearing shoes?

I thought it was transmitted by person-to-person contact, meaning the shoe/no shoe groups would benefit public health if they got so offended by the other groups practices that no one was willing to be near anyone else.

In the meantime, I encourage everyone to walk around dog poop and urine puddles, regardless of whether you'll be taking your shoes off. I wouldn't have mentioned it, but evidently lots of people just cruise right through that stuff, rendering their shoes disgusting.

TB anyone?

It is beyond me that people are offended to be asked to remove their shoes while visiting someone else's home. Why should my baby have to crawl in 'God knows what' came in on your shoes; whatever you may have stepped in on the sidewalk...urine, saliva, etc. The germs on the bottoms of your shoes that you wore into a public restroom!!! Gross! Vacuuming will not pick up the germs. It's just vile to wear shoes on your carpet!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
And really, how well would "I'd rather not," go over? Most of us try to be polite, so when I was asked to take off my shoes, I did. I also made a mental note to never go back there again, and we haven't. Neither have about 90 percent of the others he invited to the party, and everyone still talks about the time he made us take off his shoes and walk all over the cat litter.

I do not understand. You are willing to sacrifice a friendship because you do not want to be blunt, and then turn around and talk about this person behind his/her back.
All of that is OK, but it is not OK to be blunt.

All this in the name of being polite.
Me thinks you do not know what polite means

Good point, but if this were a best friend, I would speak up. Since this is a casual friend, almost more of an acquaintance, I just sucked it up the one time. I also do not like confrontation. I believe this is different from being polite. Other people did say they prefered not to take their shoes off and he said it was a requirement! You're right that it's not cool to talk behind his back. But he does make himself an easy target, wouldn't you say?