jean-vic
Well-known member
I was at work the other day, minding my own business at my till/checkout (or other regional variant of the same) when a girl was put on the till opposite. We've been paired up before and had a laugh, but that was about it. It was no different this time. Having a laugh and generally just getting on.
About half way through the shift, though, she gets my attention and asks: "Are you free tonight?" Now, that struck me. In my experience, you ask that question if you are intending or hoping to do something with that person. For example, I will ask my mates if they're free if I fancy going to the pub. Anyway, I said I was free and asked her why. She then said, "There's a great band playing at The Venue, tonight. You should go." A customer came to me at this point so we couldn't finish, but it played on my mind.
When my next break came, I went to her till and said, "Yes, I'm free tonight. Why?" She repeated the line about the band, to which I asked who I was supposed to go with. She then replied, "I get off at 10." I tried to say something but she interrupted to me to say, "Take your missus/Mrs." I told her I was single. She replied, "Oh. I thought you had a girlfriend, for some reason. Go with your mates." I said my mates wouldn't want to go that far out for a band. I then asked, "Do you want to go?" to which she replied, "I'm already going with a lad, I think." I just said, "Oh well", made a joke about watching crap tv at home and left it at that.
It really has been confusing me, though. The phraseology she used, the questions that seemed as if they were intended to fish for answers, particularly the girlfriend one. I asked someone else about it and they admitted it was strange.
Anyone got any thoughts?
About half way through the shift, though, she gets my attention and asks: "Are you free tonight?" Now, that struck me. In my experience, you ask that question if you are intending or hoping to do something with that person. For example, I will ask my mates if they're free if I fancy going to the pub. Anyway, I said I was free and asked her why. She then said, "There's a great band playing at The Venue, tonight. You should go." A customer came to me at this point so we couldn't finish, but it played on my mind.
When my next break came, I went to her till and said, "Yes, I'm free tonight. Why?" She repeated the line about the band, to which I asked who I was supposed to go with. She then replied, "I get off at 10." I tried to say something but she interrupted to me to say, "Take your missus/Mrs." I told her I was single. She replied, "Oh. I thought you had a girlfriend, for some reason. Go with your mates." I said my mates wouldn't want to go that far out for a band. I then asked, "Do you want to go?" to which she replied, "I'm already going with a lad, I think." I just said, "Oh well", made a joke about watching crap tv at home and left it at that.
It really has been confusing me, though. The phraseology she used, the questions that seemed as if they were intended to fish for answers, particularly the girlfriend one. I asked someone else about it and they admitted it was strange.
Anyone got any thoughts?