This week is all about the best compliments, so please excuse the back handed compliment above. Cymbal please, bud dum tschhhhh.
Jo told me over lunch that Men’s Health has done a survey to find out the top 10 compliments that their readers love to hear.  According to science (yes science can be sociological) 90% of men would like to be complimented more by their partner.

Here they are:

“Your arms are definitely looking bigger.”
Just for research purposes I popped on to Men’s Health, the menu reads,
Get bigger arms
And
Six packs on a plate.
Ah ha, I thought that it would be about your five a day and cutting down on the fags and other health issues.  I think a caveat to this one should be, to only use it when you know that your man has been using the dumbbells, or a) he’ll know you are lying b) he might worry he has some arm-swelling, tropical disease.

“Wow.”
Self explanatory.  Use for wow moments without sarcasm.  As in wow, you look great in that shirt, not wow you are so intolerant.

My friend once had someone say to her, “you’re looking wow today”.  That also works.

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.”
So there are definitely some situations where laughter isn’t appropriate.  The trick is to laugh with, rather than at.  Science says men try to make people laugh 12 times a day, that’s 4380 times year, phew.

“You the man.“
Does this work outside the US of A, I’m not sure.  Maybe if it was part of a caveman role play, you man, me woman…

“The kids just adore you.”
Aside from Willy Wonka and the Pied Piper of Hamlin, let’s leave this one for men who are dads, yes?

“What do you think?”
Important note, this is checking what your man thinks about an important topic making him feel very important himself.  This is not “what are you thinking about?”, which in my experience is met with a frown.

“Cute feet.”
Science says that men don’t generally like to hear about parts of their body that they can’t control, like their jaw line or eyes,  (That’s shame I like taking smug credit for things that was I born with, it pays to be deluded in these matters I think), all apart from their feet.  Men know that other people think men’s feet are either smelly, ugly or both, so a compliment for their trotters, goes a long way, just like feet do.

“Meow.”
This one is all about bringing the animal out in you, passion wise.  Acceptable animals: cats, snakes, mermaids (?).  Unacceptable animals: baboons, pigs, hedgehogs.

“Impressive.”
We all like to achieve things and we all like to be impressive, well I do anyway, I’m sure science says we do.  It’s lovely if you make sure you know when your man is trying to be impressive.  I think men like to know obscure facts and be very good at obscure hobbies.  Ie:
“The Miconesian Islands are in the Pacific” “Impressive”
“I’ve just managed to balance 50 acorns on top of each other” “Impressive”

“I want you.”
This one is, I think, the best.  Making me feel all gushy.

Men:  What’s the best compliment you have received?

Women and Men who love men:  what stunner do you reserve for special occasions?

Women who love women: how do you make your man friends and rellies smile?

Tell us

Love from

Rachel and the Laundry, you look great today, by the way.

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