Ever talk to someone on the phone and have no idea what their gender is?

[progmom]

I have talked to this Leslie/Lesley person on the phone about 5 times, and I seriously have no idea. I found that this time I couldn't even concentrate on what s/he was saying...I kept analyzing the voice.

:shrug:

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

1. No... but I can imagine that would drive me NUTS!!

Is there any personal 'small talk' with Leslie/Lesley? Could you work in a 'so do you have a family' to see if the word husband/wife/BF/GF come into play... Cripes, I'd HAVE to find a way to get a clue or I'd bang my head repeatedly against my monitor!!

[lukasahero]

4. Wouldn't necessarily work anyway

I'm a Leslie and until quite recently referred to my SO as my partner (we were not married at the time and boyfriend sounded pretty stupid at our age). It doesn't help that his name is generally considered a girl's name in America.

Ah, the fun we have had with telemarketers. :rofl:

[underpants]

2. Hahaha - my old trick with telemarketers

I can mimick a voice that Billy Crystal did at the end of "Running Scared" to a Tee-"Oh NOOOooo the man on Jeopardy didn't know Deuteronomy" (obscure reference)

Twice I have had telemarketers/pollsters totally confused for over 30 minutes. Once I had this poor girl on the line for 45 mintues until I said "Do you have big boobies?".

Two friends were there in room dying laughing the whole time

"Sex? Oh that is a PERSONAL question now isn't it"

"Company? (employer) Oh I only have company on Sundays after church"

Finally the boobies line came out-my buddies lost it and I could hear several people howling laughing behind the caller (the whole phonebank must have been listening in).

[AntiCoup2K4]

7. I usually take the Seinfeld approach to telemarketers

Seinfeld (to telemarketer): I can't talk right now. Why don't you give me your home number, and I'll call you back later.

Telemarketer: I'm afraid we can't do that.

Seinfeld: Oh, I guess you don't want people calling you and bugging you at home.

Telemarketer: Right.

Seinfeld: Well now you know how I feel. (Click)

[Shell Beau]

3. It's Pat!

[trackfan]

5. My mom had a pretty deep voice

and solicitors often called her "sir".

Once she called my sister at work, and one of my sister's co-workers answered the phone. My sister asked who was calling, and the co-worker said, "I don't know, but I think it's a gay man".

[miss_kitty]

6. i know one of the people this character is based on

[progmom]

8. for real?

that's interesting! :)

[miss_kitty]

11. Yes

It's the person, I believe, from whom Pat gets his-uh-hers-uh-Pats clothing sense comes from. and some other characterics. I saw Julia Sweeny on a chat show talking about part of her inspiration for Pat-not the person I know-She said while attending the U of W, she was asked on a date by someone of indeterminant gender. She went to a movie with the person and got kissed at the end of the night and to this day has no idea if she's had a lesbian experience. She used to work in a theater a friend of mine managed.

[Terran]

9. Yep. With a man named Sue.

Okay, Sue is indeed a woman, but her voice is SO deep, I was sure the first two times I talked to her that I was speaking to a man, even after she gave me her name (this is a social services case manager I work with occasionally by phone). My brain was just short-circuiting, trying to square "Sue" with being a man, and for a while I thought, "Oh, he's Asian! It's 'Siu', not Sue." But nope, she is a she. I'm recovering nicely now, thank you.

[progmom]

10. I had a Rusty, too

Talked to them once a month for about a year. Still don't know their gender. :shrug:

[sniffa]

12. try having that probLem in person

:wow:

[crispini]

13. Gender determination by listening to someone's voice

is so hard-wired into your brain, it's no wonder it's freaking you out. Babies can tell the difference between male and female voices when they are less than a week old.

[Patiod]

14. Happens all the time with my friend's kids

Harder to tell the difference with the little ones

[UncleSepp]

15. Yeah, but so what?

What's the big deal?

[progmom]

16. is this a big deal?

:shrug:

just a harmless lounge post.