Huh?! You want to do what?
I recently spent three days in Hanoi with a colleague – let’s call him A – who has a habit of saying “Huh?!” very loudly every time someone says something to him.
It appears that a loud “Huh?!” is his standard response to everything said to him.
This is what I mean:
Me: I think we should eat at Le Beaulieu this evening.
A: Huh?!
When he retorts with a loud “Huh?!” – and the way he says it sounds as if he’s asking a question or seeking clarification – you don’t really know if that’s just a habit of his, that that’s his way of acknowledging something you’ve said or if he is really seeking clarification.
I was with this person in Hanoi from January 19 to 21 and it drove me nuts.
Don’t get me wrong, A is a nice enough chap and is quite pleasant company, but having a conversation with him is like pulling teeth – very often a bit of a struggle.
Another example:
Me: It looks like the seminar will end early today.
A: Huh?!
Me: I said it looks like the seminar will end early today.
A: Huh?!
Me: (I’m shouting now) I SAID IT LOOKS LIKE …
(but before I can finish my sentence) he says
“I hear you, I hear you. Stop repeating yourself all the time.”
Me: Huh?!
This same person is going to be with me for two weeks in Bangalore.
Wish me luck.