I was shopping at the Salvation Army thrift store the other day, and I guess I was dressed fairly fashionably for a 44-year-old mama of four. I had on boots and a skirt and a leather jacket. Well, this man who worked there kept joking with me about how a "pretty girl like me needs this item or that item or this chair or book or sofa or dress." I was getting a little bit irritated, but just as I was about to say something about it to the manager, he finally gave up and walked away.
Then, another man who looked like he was about 30 -- an African-American gentleman (I have to tell you that for this to make sense -- I am in no way trying to poke fun at this culture or that culture. Just identifying the perpetrator in this hilarious scenario).
So this guy walks up to me and starts talking about my knees. I mean, he's going on and on about how fat my knees are and how much he loves fat knees! I do not know what to make of this situation because, frankly, I have never thought much about my knees being fat or thin or pretty or ugly or anything at all other than the joints by which my legs are still able to bend, thank the good Lord.
I finally got tired of this man pestering me, so I held up my left hand and pointed to the wedding ring on my finger. He says, "Oh now, baby, that's just too bad." I wish I could pass along the accent -- it was very hip. And the man wasn't bad-looking either. But why was he so interested in my fat knees?
I went home, and later on at the dinner table, I started talking to my family about the incident. To tell you the truth, I was befuddled and confused by the whole thing. Then, one by one, my teenaged girls and husband all started snickering and giggling.
"Meg, you just don't know the modern lingo," my husband said, still laughing. "He was trying to tell you he thinks your knees are sexy or good-looking. The word for that is 'phat! P-H-A-T!' "
Okay, well, what do I know about "phat?" So I looked it up at answers.com and it says: "Excellent, first rate; phat fashion; a phat rapper; sexy (said of a woman).
Ohhhh Baby!!!!
I guess I've still got it...
Yours -- with phat knees!
Megan
P.S. As I was leaving the store, I heard that same employee say, "A pretty girl like you should have this sofa." I looked over and saw that he was talking to a plump, elderly lady of about 80!
2 comments:
Megan, you've got it going on! I'm surprised you didn't get more offended by the "fat knees" comment, though, before you learned what it meant.
Nobody ever says stuff like that to me at the Goodwill. I need to dress better.
I WAS offended. But I thought, "Well, if he LIKES fat knees, I suppose it's a compliment!"
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