How to put your foot in it in 40 ways...........

Well maybe not 40 ways but getting close on..

I am well known in my family for having a mouth that sometimes and mostly unexpectedly will run completely away from me.  At just turned 16 I managed to land a receptionist job in a firm of solicitors in Holburn (near the Old Bailey Court) so quite respected, and was invited to attend their Christmas do (which was being held in July for some reason). I had only been there a few weeks and I was still extremely nervous to be around the "big" bosses.  As the meal went on I just sat there listening to the conversation that was going on around me right up until the point when one of the male Partners flippantly commented that "all Jewish woman are tyrants" and little old me who had not said boo to a goose piped up "that's because all Jewish men are wimps" now we were both Jewish so it wasn't a racial thing but I soon got sacked anyway.

The point to all this is that about 2 weeks ago I started my new part-time job which I am quite enjoying though it is does feel funny being on the bottom rung of the ladder again after so many years with mum.  Anyway there are just 5 of us "ladies" working in the accounts dept. the rest of the company consists of around 42 men who aren't always there but make up the majority of the work force at any given time in the office.  Out of these 42 men there are 5 managers and I think I have already managed to leave 2 of them feeling a little bit wary of me.

All the guys that come in to the office and chat freely with the accounts ladies especially as one of them is the MD's wife so is next to G-d's ear.  The other day when the M1 was filled with Marmite we were all happily discussing the love/hate thing and who'd be down there licking the tarmac and one of the managers went in to a long conversation about yeast and how it was produced and how he used to work in a brewery and it was a very interesting conversation right up until I killed it dead but shouting across the room "The only thing I know about yeast is it gives you nasty thrush".  Needless to say he left rather quickly after that and didn't return until after I left in fact I don't think I have seen him back in the office.

Another day a different manager came in to the office to get some photocopying done, and he was flapping with in seconds.  One of the accts team rushed over to calm this poor man down and gently guide him through the process of lifting the lid, placing the paper and pressing the button.  After this dreadful task was completed he turn to us all and in a particularly whining voice said  "Photocopiers are too complicated, like women" I couldn't help myself and plus I thought I might earn a couple of brownie points with my colleagues, I retorted "No they are simple, like a man" Again the room was stunned in to silence, opps perhaps you allow sexist comments in this company, because you are all "just" women.   Anyway the manager left rather red face and though he did have the guts to come back in to the office that day, refused to look in my direction at all.

I am very glad these people I seem to be offending are in no way able to effect my job prospects and I am also glad I seem to getting on with my fellow accts ladies, the Christmas party that is in a couple of weeks should be a laugh but I think I will just try to keep my mouth closed most of the time................