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For better or for worse, every family on Earth has its fair share of quirks and behavioral oddities. So, it helps to be polite, tolerant, and a tad more forgiving when you’re invited over to visit for dinner, a party, or a sleepover. However, some family rules and traditions are so weird that they might affect you quite a bit.

Some confused (and slightly creeped out) guests took to a thread on AskReddit to share the most bizarre house rules they’ve ever personally witnessed when visiting someone else’s place. You’ll find their stories as you scroll down.

#1

Teen boy at dining table engrossed in phone, surrounded by salad, embodying bizarre house rule vibes. My friend must ask his father before he is allowed to eat anything in their house. One time our group of friends wanted to go out on a Friday night. We asked if he could come and our friend said he was grounded. We asked him what he did this time and he responded, "I ate a bowl of cereal when my dad wasn't home."

Probably the stupidest thing i've ever heard someone get grounded for.

RDDR_CEO , freepik Report

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    #2

    Open kitchen cabinet with neatly arranged plates on wire rack, reflecting bizarre house rules. I had a friend who instead of washing the dishes after a meal just put them straight back in the cupboard. I thought his parents would freak out but it turns out it was just something they did in their house.

    Whenever I went over I always made sure to eat beforehand.

    anon , freepik Report

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    #3

    Close-up of a sesame-seed-coated bread resembling a duck's face, relating to bizarre house rules. No fighting over the heel of the bread. The father once off hand told his oldest children that the heel of a loaf of bread was the best and made them want it instead of the regular pieces. By the time there were 4 kids sometimes fist fights would break out over the heels. Loaves had been opened on both sides, or loaves were a mess because someone reached through the sack and pulled the back heel out. For a while there was a turn system where the heels were promised to a child for each loaf, but that fell apart when one went to summer camp and lost their turn. One time my friend wasted an afternoon waiting for his mother to come home with a fresh loaf of bread instead of going out and playing. I witnessed fist fights over the bread most people throw away.

    DarrenEdwards , freepik Report

    Riley Quinn
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I didn't fall for that when my parents and grandparents said the heels were the best part. Although, I do like a toasted heel with peanut butter.

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    To be completely fair, it’s usually best to give your hosts the benefit of the doubt. It is incredibly difficult to see how peculiar some of your family rules and traditions might look to an outsider. It’s only by interacting with lots of different people from various backgrounds that you can then begin to look at your own situation and upbringing more objectively.

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    Some of these rules and traditions form so naturally and gradually that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when they became ‘a thing.’ What’s more, some behaviors are so deeply ingrained in your daily routine that you don’t actually notice that you’re doing them. Reading through the thread, it’s actually quite a revelation to hear that other families also used to prioritize the heel of bread (it’s crunchy and delicious!) while others just threw it away (which also makes some sense).

    When you start thinking about all of these dozens of little behaviors, you start to realize that every family is weird… though some are much more bizarre than others. For example, it’s natural to be weirded out if someone doesn’t wash the dishes after dinner and just puts the plates back on the shelf, dirty.

    #4

    Child jokingly whispers a bizarre house rule to a senior woman, both smiling in a cozy kitchen. In college I had a friend that lived with his grandparents when he went to school. Before they'd let him leave the house his grandmother would say "nothing good happens after midnight" and he would have to repeat it.

    If I was there, I would also have to repeat the phrase.

    iownalaptop , freepik Report

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    #5

    Woman sitting on a white floor, wearing casual clothes, appearing thoughtful next to baskets in a bright room, related to bizarre house rules. I had a friend whose mom required her to sit on the floor. Never a chair, couch, bed, or other piece of furniture. I went to her house once and sat down on her bed and she flipped out, made me get off it and spent several minutes smoothing the sheets to make it look flat again. I think her mom thought "kids are dirty" but the rule was in place even after bathing and wearing clean clothes.

    ...

    I also have a family member has a "no pants dragging the ground" rule. In addition to taking shoes off, you have to roll up your pants when you come into the house. Last time I visited, I brought jeans straight out of the dryer, never worn outdoors, and changed into them when I got there. She still gave me dirty looks.

    knitasha , freepik Report

    Nina
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The kids sitting on the floor seems a bit abúsive. Like, they're little humans, don't they deserve to be treated as such and not as pets?

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    #6

    I posted something about this once before.


    They yelled at me for not letting the cat that was walking around on the table eat from my plate. I love cats, but what the hell?


    Apparently gently nudging the cat away from my food was "interfering with the freedom of another sentient being".


    I was 12 I think. I was pretty freaked out.

    acorngirl Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wasn't the cat interfering with another sentient being as well?

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    But speaking up about these rather strange behaviors can be incredibly awkward and embarrassing. You’re a guest, after all! So, if something’s concerning you deeply, you could, for example, pull your host aside for a friendly but frank chat. Tell them how it affects you while also not sounding judgmental.

    How open you can be is obviously going to depend on the type of relationship you have with the host. If someone’s super close to you, you can joke around more and be less guarded. Someone who’s still half a stranger, however, might react very strongly to any criticism about how they go about their business at home.

    You could also reach out to the host at a later point in the future if that sort of behavior continues. Or you could simply reevaluate the friendship you have and come over for dinner less often if something bothers you that much.

    #7

    Two men sitting on the floor, enjoying croissants and orange juice, surrounded by cozy blankets. Not a house but a dorm room--these two guys had a big list of words that were banned within the room. A lot of them were swear words (not because they were opposed to swear words, but just because using a lot of them is a lazy way to speak), but others were things like "good," and "bad." They didn't really get mad if you said them, but it was still kind of challenging to avoid using "lazy" words when you were visiting.

    ghost_in_the_potato , freepik Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Snobs. Swearing done properly is hilariously creative and descriptive.

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    #8

    Hands serving cheesy pasta in a bowl, with golden handles, on a wooden table. Not so much a rule, but a weird thing. My mother in law had an aunt who was a self proclaimed "hand dipper." When you ate a meal at her house, she used her hand to scoop up a portion and put it on your plate. It could be mac n cheese, a casserole, whatever.

    astronomydomone , freepik Report

    #9

    Person pointing at a word in an open book, highlighting peculiar house rules concept. My best friend in elementary school had a paddle on the wall in the kitchen engraved with the bible verse about "sparing the rod". Next to it were different infractions and how many swats with the paddle they were worth.

    I was later asked not to return after I said "Oh, God" after a sad story.

    FancyLadyOfCornwood , freepik Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Religious nutjobs. Tolerant as always.

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    What are some of the weirdest rules or traditions that you’ve personally witnessed after being invited to come over to someone else’s home? What was your first reaction when you realized something bizarre was happening, dear Pandas?

    Are there any strange rules in your home that you think might leave some of your guests a tad confused? We’d love to hear your opinions. If you feel like sharing, feel free to write your thoughts in the comments below.

    #10

    Stack of neatly folded towels on a wooden bath tray next to toothbrushes in a holder, representing house rules aesthetics. I had a roommate that was very particular about her home. She called it OCD, but I don't like throwing around that term. She was never diagnosed, and coped pretty well most of the time.

    She always said she didn't expect me to follow her crazy rules, but I could tell it stressed her out, so I just did my best to remember and follow some of the "rules" so she didn't freak out as much.

    * All towels had to be folded the "right way" and stored in a specific order. They also had to be the same color. I had to hide my towels in my own room because she couldn't stand to see my brightly colored towel amongst her gray ones.

    * All shampoo and soap bottles had to face the same way, with the label facing outward. All cans in the cupboard had to face the same way as well.

    * If the vacuum tracks started fading, it was time for another round. There were times she felt the need to vacuum at 3am.

    * All shoes had to point the same way, be with their pairs, sorted from larges to smallest AND should be sorted by color. I can't remember how the colors went. I never got that one right.

    * When she felt stressed at work, she would tear apart the house and clean EVERYTHING. I couldn't be in the way, so I either stayed in my room or left the house. Her cleaning binges could last 8 hours or longer.

    * She refused to use Tide laundry soap because she believed it left a coating on her clothes because they illuminated under a black light. I didn't have the heart to tell her almost all soap is going to do that. The same night, she turned the light onto the carpet, she was up until 5am cleaning all of the carpets in the house.

    * She was also pretty superstitious and hated it if I brought anything in the house that could be associated with the occult. I had to hide a lot of incense, candles, necklaces with charms, and some books. Lord of the Rings would have sent her over the edge.

    Funny thing is, I'd live with her again in an instant. At least the house was always clean.

    psychocentric , freepik Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The towels and the labels and the shoes seem normal to me....right? RIGHT?

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    #11

    Assortment of milk bottles and chocolate chip cookies on a table, emphasizing bizarre house rules. I slept over a friends house in grade school one time. He prepared us a bowl of cereal the next morning for breakfast. Not thinking ANYTHING of my behavior, I didn't finish the milk. I just never used to. I don't know.

    He was like "You uh...gonna finish that?"

    "Uhhh oh...I uh...I don't think so? Does that matter?"

    He panicked. Absolutely panicked. I think he put it down the toilet before his parents came back into the room.

    I don't know what the rule was, exactly, but FINISH YOUR MILK OR DIE would be my guess based on his reaction. I still feel bad about it. I was like 8 and didn't think.

    soomuchcoffee , freepik Report

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    #12

    Person in green shirt holding broccoli, against a green background, evoking bizarre house decor themes. I moved across country years back. I was looking for a room through craigslist. You find some pretty wild house rules on there

    Showers can only be had on specific days

    no one in common areas after 10 pm

    no overnight guests

    vegans only



    i had more freedom living with my mother.

    sdcrag , freepik Report

    Portentia9
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment has been deleted.

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    #13

    Family having breakfast, displaying bizarre house rules with unusual phone usage and distracted interactions. When I was about 15 I was invited over to my friends house. The house rule was that no one spoke during dinner and its not like they watched TV or something. Dead silence. When they did communicate it was so formal "may you please pass me the salt" then silence again. Suffice to say it was the most awkward dinner I've ever experienced and I no longer went over for dinner.

    anon , freepik Report

    Robin Roper
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dinner table conversations is how children learn and develop so they will someday be able to hold adult conversation. Around the dinner table is how we taught our son about life and decisions. This house/family sound dreadful.

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    #14

    I went to a friend's house where the friend's mom made everyone take off their shoes and socks when they got inside. Not totally outrageous yet. But after I took off my flats I told her that I couldn't take my socks off because I was actually wearing tights.

    “That's fine,” she said. “Have a seat and hold on a minute.” I sat down on a kitchen stool.

    Five seconds later she came back with a pair of meat scissors, bent down, grasped my feet, cut off the ends of my tights, and rolled them up to my ankle so that my bare feet were showing!

    I was totally shocked! She didn't even give me a chance to change out of my tights, she just went for it. Had no problem destroying her guest's clothes without warning! Needless to say I never wore tights again in that house.

    Anonymous Report

    QuincyForrest
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OP "never wore tights again in that house." I wouldn't have gone back to that house, period.

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    #15

    I know people who pour the milk they don't finish back in the carton. Ewww.

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    Don't listen to me
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So why can't they just finish it up?? A quick drink & its all gone!

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    #16

    My neighborhood friend and I would hang out almost every day of the summer. We would go out exploring in the woods with a bunch of our friends and would usually come back all muddy and tired. My friend was very nice and would offer me water and food. His parents would take those away from me if they saw me with them saying they were only for their children. He was always allowed to eat at our house yet I'd have to walk back if they started having any type of meal. The worst though was his next door neighbor who had a daughter our age and when we were hanging out we all got muddy (we were 10) the girls mom proceeded to take her daughter and my friend into her house to clean them up and told me I wasn't allowed to enter and that I could use the hose. Some people just know how to ruin a kid's self esteem.

    boomsloth Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tightwads. Or maybe they just hated OP

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    #17

    A person holding a water bottle in a home office, with a laptop and plant on the desk, creating a slightly creepy vibe. In my friends house you were only ever allowed to drink water. No juice, no beer, no milk. Water. Even if you took your own drink to her house, you had to drink water.

    dreamer234 , freepik Report

    #18

    When I was in the military I lived in base housing. They have a lot of rules that most HoA's would have but one always stuck out to me. We could only set our A/C to 10 degrees below the outside temperature. At first this kind of made sense because we didn't pay the power bill, they did. However I was stationed in west Texas where the average summer temperature was well over 100. They got onto me a lot about using too much power, I kept mine at 70 all year, until I proved to them that 90 degrees in your home is considered unlivable conditions.

    InsertScreenNameHere Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Army regs. Don't take into account extremes. Typical.

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    #19

    Bathroom with white toilet and two rolls of toilet paper, reflecting bizarre house rules feel. Separate toilets for guys and girls......... In a house.

    anon , freepik Report

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    #20

    When we were little (like 7-10). When i had sleep overs at my friends house, his mother would force us to take a dump every day. She heard stories about ( i dont know whats it called in english) organs f*****g up for some kids that didnt go to the bathroom enough. So each night id go to the bathroom,play in front of a mirror for a few minutes,flush and go out.

    anon Report

    Sue Denham
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How could she force you to . . .? Did she feed you laxatives?

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    #21

    In college my roommates and I had a rule of "No Lifetime" which meant the television could never be on the lifetime channel. Another roommate had a girlfriend that would stay over a lot and would sometimes change the channel to lifetime. If one of us walked through the room and saw it we just turned the TV off and said "No Lifetime", even if we were leaving. We didn't really like her and it showed, but the rule survived in every house I have lived in since then, though I'll let my girlfriend do it as long as I'm not in the room.

    Honestly, it started as a joke but snowballed into a very intense rule. When I was living with my ex years ago she had a friend over and they were watching TV and her friend changed it to lifetime and I remember my girlfriend yell "NO LIFETIME!". That was the point I realized I had won.

    anon Report

    Sue Denham
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I could be wrong but i think I have a clue as to why she's your ex. the last sentence screams "controlling".

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    #22

    I had a friend whose dad owned white leather sofas. They took precautions to keep the sofas pristine, which was understandable, but one of the rules was that you couldn't move when sat down. Either you sat down, and that was your position for the rest of the movie, or you would have to stand up and sit back down in your new position.

    I'm a fidgeter and was always forgetting this rule. If I ever shifted position my friend would grit her teeth and take a sharp breath like I just showed her a gory picture or something.

    CrashCoplee Report

    #23

    Man in plaid shirt walking a brown dog on a leash in a park, related to bizarre house rules. I've got a friend who had to walk the dog to get permission to wear his favourite jumper...

    Pontuselvis , freepik Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, you can't expect the dog to let just anyone wear his favorite jumper.

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    #24

    As a college kid who comes home for summers, I can tell they're trying to get me out of here ASAP with all the new rules I have every summer. This year: I have to ask to take showers, have to ask to use the washer and dryer even if no one is home, and I can't use the oven to cook anything.

    Going to have to say though, I guess their plan is working. I work two jobs, seven days a week, and haven't had an off day in about 27 days, just because I don't want to be at home and want to move out.

    anon Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Your own parents don't like you.

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    #25

    Concerned woman comforts a younger person wrapped in a plaid scarf, reflecting bizarre house rules scenario. My friends mom asked me to leave her house one time because she didn't allow guests over unless she knew the guests had insurance.

    Jages790 , freepik Report

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    #26

    Person in black shirt and beige pants with hands in pockets, showcasing house fashion. All through middle school, the rule at my best friend's house was "no belts are to be worn at the dinner table." This was because when we were 12-14, my best friend was in her emo stage and would wear studded belts. Apparently, the studs on her belts would rub against the back of the chairs and cause damage to the wood. In hindsight it actually makes sense, but at the time I used to think it was mad strange to have her mom double check I wasn't wearing a belt before I sat down.

    imsosickrightnoww , freepik Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Doesn't really fit as totally makes sense, as OP says

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    #27

    When I was a kid, one of my aunts had a rule where she insisted that the TV be turned to the station she she wanted to watch a full five minutes before her show started, even if that meant other people watching TV didn’t get to watch the last few minutes of their show.

    Rob Robinson Report

    Christina Born
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My dad would do this. Thought he was the only one entitled to watch TV. Even when he lived with my ex and I. Same thing. He couldn't care less that it wasn't his house or TV.

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    #28

    During college years, I used to visit my friend during summer months at his parents' house, where he lived at that time. They had two odd "house rules" I'll never forget:

    1) We couldn't open any window in the house (even the bathroom window) - ever! Even if it was far cooler outside than inside during the summer.

    2) We weren't allowed to close our bedroom doors at night, so that his parents' cat could have free access to all rooms at all times. (This made it difficult to sleep, without a breath of air from the windows, and the cat walking over us in bed while trying to sleep.).

    anon Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Perhaps it was to keep the cat from getting out? Solution-screens!

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    #29

    I knew a guy who owned a house he was renting out to a few people, he had a legit house rule of 'if it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown flush it down' for the toilet. His reasoning? "Saving money on the water bill"

    He meanwhile would take 30+ minute showers. I tried to tell him that shaving 10 minutes off a shower would save a weeks worth of 'yellow' flushing.

    Deako87 Report

    Huddo's sister
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We had that rule for most of the late 90s, early 80s because of drought, but we also were restricted to 4 minute showers. We also had buckets to collect water a*s it heated up for our shower and only that could be used to fill the cistern. It's just what you do in Australia in droughts.

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    #30

    When I did home care I ran into some real doozies.

    One would not allow me to speak during her soap.

    Another made me stand at attention while she delivered a longer blessing over her food than the time it had taken me to prepare it.

    One very sour lady made me wear makeup daily, and I was not allowed to keep my hair in braids or two side ponytails. I had to put it up in a bun or wear it down. Her house was broiling hot in the summer, and at the end of my three hours my blush and mascara were running halfway down my face.

    One fellow was a vegan and a vitamin junkie. I lost count of how many supplements he popped a day; they must have done something because he was over 90 and meaner than dirt. He religiously followed the newsletters put out by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (the buzzkills who threaten impending doom if you so much as wave hello to a French fry) and basically lived on leaves and wheat germ. I was not allowed to bring any lunch for myself that had animal products; however, he was not a fully committed vegan as he wore leather.

    Elizabeth Anne Stevens Report

    Huddo's sister
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The one thing I really didn't like about having dinner at my best friend's place was sitting through grace. My family were also Christian so we would do grace (every Sunday lunch and sporadically during the week if mum felt like it) so it wasn't that which was the problem. It was that her dad used it as a mini sermon and sometimes it went for 15minutes! I just sat through it but we had some friends that wouldn't go to dinner there because of it, which is fair enough, especially as they weren't Christian.

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    #31

    When I was younger, my best friends mom didn't allow anyone entrance to her apartment if we had white socks that weren't completely white. Any stains meant bye bye. Also, holes in the socks was instantly bye bye aswell. No socks, you guessed it. Bye bye.
    Oh. Only white socks, no other colors were accepted. She was really weird back then. Now, she's my second mother. She's not like that anymore.

    Liurias Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Were you reincarnated?

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    #32

    I had a business partner whose wife was a neatness and a cleanliness freak. Way over the top. They lived in a very large house that could be described as a mansion. No shoes were allowed inside the house. That’s not uncommon. The living room was filled with expensive furniture. Visitors were allowed to walk through the living room but no one was permitted to sit on or touch the furniture. The room was strictly for show only. The main dining room was similar. It was turned out to the ninth degree but never used. For show only. They took their meals in the breakfast nook. She didn’t cook. He would bring home fast food or have burgers and fries delivered. The kitchen featured a huge Sub Zero refrigerator that was basically empty. Just sodas and beer and some milk. They both died early deaths. Probably too much junk food.

    Jim Davis Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She caught him sat in the living room, killed him and died of apoplexy

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    #33

    I have a girl friend who like to go around her home in bra/underwear and sometimes a bikini. She also has 2 kids around 7yrs old.

    As long as there was no men around, she expected her friends to be dress down to bra/underwear. It sort like some homes when you show up, you cant wear shoes in the house, so your have to remove them. She expect her girl friends to be dress down like her.

    Second rule, this actually make sense so I was cool with it, visitor needed permission to use her bathroom. Her reason is that she did not want her kids to hold it if someone was in there. So she would ask her kids, if they were fine, then you were allowed to use the bathroom. Here you needed to plan ahead and not wait until your about to wet yourself.

    Here is the funny thing, if I knew she was coming over, I got naked and required her to be naked too!

    Hetta Jones Report

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    #34

    Modern living room with wooden walls and stylish decor, highlighting a cozy but slightly eerie atmosphere. My friend had two fully furnished living rooms.

    One for doing the usual stuff in (TV, reading etc), and one for show only. You weren't even allowed to enter it.

    idlewildgirl , freepik Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was a very common feature of respectable working class homes (in Britain, Northern England in particular) well into the latter half of the 20th century that the "front room" or parlour was reserved for special occasions only so that if the vicar popped round, for example, it would be spotless and full of all the best china, ornaments, silverware, anything else that they had that they thought would demonstrated their "we're not poor" aspirations. They didn't have another "living room" though, but mostly just a general purpose dining/kitchen/sitting room.

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    #35

    When my dad worked for Frito Lay we had a rule that saying the word "Pringles" was a swear word.

    anon Report

    KYLE
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Saying Pringles really Ruffles his feather huh?

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    #36

    My wife's mother and step-father had a rule where pizza slices would be taken in order. The step father would take the largest to start, then the mother would set the order by taking the next most-favorable piece. In a family of 4 with an 8 slice pie, when their turn came up again, they had the best ones to pick again.

    k-laz Report

    Billo66
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Man what's with these stingy, petty people. I want my kids to eat even if I don't. If I bring food home and they eat it all, good, they aren't hungry. I will find something. I'm happy I found something they like :)

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    #37

    A friend whose mom insisted that much of their house was off-limits including their all-white living room. She had set up those velvet ropes and brass poles used in theaters to guide the crowd so that no one could accidentally enter the wrong room.

    Mike Little Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did she charge for entry? The house, not the mother, before anyone else says it

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    #38

    From the ages 3-11, I had this babysitter who had... strange eating rules. She wanted all our meals to be finished completely in 30 minutes, or else we'll be in trouble. When different amounts of time passed, she'd give warnings (e.g. 10-minute warnings). Also, she hated how my brother, sister, and I talked at the table instead of eating, because she felt our talking killed time.

    anon Report

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    #39

    Can't pour a drink for yourself. Very awkward when thirsty.

    anon Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just say " person could die of thirst waiting on a cup of tea, round here..."

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    #40

    I was doing a project with a classmate at her house and on our way to her house we stopped at a store and picked up some snacks. We did our schoolwork and then just kind of played and messed around while eating those snacks. Then her mom came home and lost her absolute s**t about the snacks. It wasn't so much that we had eaten them, it was because the snacks had crumbs that had contaminated their otherwise purified home.

    My friend had to stop everything and vacuum the entire house to get every crumb of snack, then take the nearly empty vacuum bag, the empty snack bags, and the half-empty but "contaminated" bag of kitchen trash outside and ask one of the neighbors if she could put it in their garbage bin because not a crumb of that kind of food was allowed on the property in *any* form after sunset. My mom picked me up and as I was leaving they were doing some additional purification ritual and my friend was praying for forgiveness for having potentially defiled their home.

    Turns out they were 7th Day Adventist and it was against their code or whatever to have leavened foods in their house/property during a certain period of time? I don't remember the exact details, but I remember it was a pretty big thing about how every crumb had to be removed from the property ASAP.

    alexa-488 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    More religious whackadoodles.

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    #41

    A hand placed on a geometric pattern, evoking bizarre and slightly creepy house rules. Extremely nutty about the walls. Don't touch the walls or lean on them to put your shoes on. Accidentally splashing food (like a sauce) on the walls will result in a new paint job. No pictures, art, mirrors, or decorations go on the walls.

    ThisIsMyOtherOtherUN , freepik Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why would you be touching the walls, or throwing food at them?

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    #42

    At a friend's parents house everything was covered in plastic. Don't walk off the plastic walkway. Don't take plastic off furniture. If sitting on furniture sit on the edge to not wrinkle plastic.
    When using the bathroom only use certain towels. Hang them exactly the same way. I got yelled at one time because I hung one towel a tiny bit off.

    Karenswalk Report

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    #43

    College apartment with five girls, two guys and at least one couch crasher at a time. Freezer and fridge space was at a premium. So if you opened a beer/bottle of wine/bottle of hard liquor you had to either safeguard the lid with your life or plan to finish it. If you lost the lid you had to personally drink the entire bottle because there was nothing else to do with it. This got out of hand with things like tequila because people would go out of their way to find and take the lid.

    undeadgorgeous Report

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    #44

    I knew this family that would share the same bathwater as a means to cut down on their water bill. So when one person took a bath, they ALL took a bath that day. The waiting list was about 4-5 people deep. From what I understand, a lot of families do this, however, I just couldn't see myself washing off in someone else's soapy leftovers =( If that were the case, I got first dibs on getting in the bathtub first lol.

    __femme_fatale__ Report

    The Starsong Princess
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not uncommon back in the day before people had running water.

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    #45

    ~There was a pooping toilet and a urinating toilet at my grandmother's house growing up. If we pooped in the toilet that was not intended for it, it was frowned upon.

    ~Sleeping late is rude in my parents house. IF you sleep past 8, you better be exhausted and it better not be everyday.

    safescience Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Might be a plumbing issue. And I wouldn't sleep late if I was a guest. Seems rude.

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    #46

    My girlfriend's dad allows no non-family members upstairs.

    ballerbub4 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Privacy. Fair enough. Plus doesn't want teens at it.

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    #47

    Had these old friends with marriage issues. Trip and grace iirc.



    They had this wierd-a*s rule where you couldn't say the word "melon" or trip would throw you out.



    D**n near anything else you could say. But not melon.

    Darth-Pimpin Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Had the wife caught the husband in flagrante delicto with one?

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    #48

    One family had the rule of cleaning the toilet every single time you used the bathroom... P**sing included.

    GratefulSSbegonia Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people could DO with this a rule!

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    #49

    I was only allowed to watch PBS and occasionally Saturday morning cartoons, until age nine. Then my mom married my stepdad and we moved into his house where there were almost zero TV rules. It was a rude and sudden awakening to say the least.

    anon Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Surely a rude awakening is if you RESTRICT not relax the rules?

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    #50

    Not really a rule to follow, but I went to the house of a kid in my school years ago, and apparently they had this thing where you had to write your name in permanent marker on the wall if you had never visited the house before.

    EpoxyD Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You autographed the house? That's quite cool!

    #51

    I had a friend growing up whose family made her wear a bib at meals until she was like 9. She had like 10 different bibs and her family would make me choose one and wear it when I had dinner at her house.

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    #52

    Don't put keys on the table. Superstition that supposedly brings bad luck. You must be a f*****g idiot to believe that s**t.

    curlbenchsquater Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Probably because they scratch furniture. Hang them in or put in a bowl. Sensible.

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    #53

    I wasn't allowed to put extra salt on my food, had to be in bed by 8pm (all the way through middle school), and had to ride my bike to school everyday even though my best friends parents offered to take me.

    willwhit87 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bet OP had a Dad in the military

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    #54

    If you are not the parents, you are not allowed to lay down anywhere. Their kids and are only allowed to lay down in their beds and their kids/any guests were only allowed to sit or stand, this was regardless of how long you knew the family or how close you were. The parents felt like you were being rude by making yourself too comfortable in someone else's house.

    anon Report

    Max Robitzsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Please feel very much not at home here. You are a GUEST, after all."

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    #55

    When my stepdad still lived with us, he had two weirdly specific rules-

    If you need to clean up a mess, don't use kitchen roll. That's too expensive. Use the wet cloths that leave a mark.

    If you want an orange juice/lemonade drink, you can only have 20% orange juice because it will waste it. He didn't understand that some of us like it weaker, nor that not having lemonade would use up more orange juice.

    anon Report

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    #56

    Well, my niece in law got pissed because I used "her" towel to dry myself with. She acted as if I took the biggest, messiest dump ever and wiped myself with her towel.

    Growing up, when we got out of the bath, we just picked the next towel from the stack. Nobody had assigned towels. I had never heard of that being a thing that people do.

    lockedinaroom Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Disagree. We all had a colour coded towel each as a family and even now I have my towel and a guest towel.

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    #57

    My cousins can't play anything with blood or swearing but apparently Call of Duty is okay, and any kind of foul language(even c**p) gets a stern talking to from my uncle, and when my uncle gives you a stern lecture it's like getting yelled at by a drill sergeant.

    swimmerboy29 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    WAS ĥe a drill sergeant? Chimes with the CoD thing...

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    #58

    I had this one friend when I was about 12. You were not allowed to use the bathroom/toilette upstairs. You had to go to the small one downstairs because the bathroom upstairs was for family only. His mother got really angry if you forgot and used the one upstairs.
    He also had to sit at the dinnertable until everybody finished. His sister were a baby and it usually took over one hour.

    knoxdot Report

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    #59

    Family who babysat me when I was young had a rule of "no drinking during meals" and I don't just mean soda, juice or milk, no water until your meal is done. This was insane to me because we would be called in to supper/lunch after playing outside in the summer and weren't allowed to drink anything until we sat down and finished our plates. Also, this rule didn't apply to the father of the family who would often drink beer during meals.

    My great-aunt had a parlour room in which all the furniture was covered in plastic and never used, it also had a plastic walkway going through the middle (just a strip of plastic cover) which was the only path you could walk on (she would flip out if you touched carpet).

    On two seperate occasions in which I dated women who still lived with their parents, they weren't allowed to have boys/men sleep in their rooms. We could have s*x in the basement or elsewhere in the house, make noise and never receive a comment but the one time I broke this rule with on the women, I got chewed out (we had been dating for several months, I often slept over, albeit in the basement and she would even sleep with me, leaving her bedroom empty).

    Random_White_Guy_ Report

    Huddo's sister
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The no drink thing is weird. I can't eat anything without a drink, my mouth gets too dry. To the point where I have to sip some tea in between every two bites of toast.

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    #60

    Lived with a bunch of musicians. We had one rule; no singing at the table.

    It was just a silly rule because anytime you get a bunch of musicians eating yummy meals, one of them inevitably starts mindlessly singing to him/herself and it's always fun to be the first one to shout "HEY! NO SINGING AT THE TABLE!!"

    Guess you hadda be there.

    MenuBar Report

    Surly Scot
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Whenever I have a party and some idiot turns up with a guitar, I tell them they're strictly not allowed to play it. Every time, they find an area of the house to be center-stage, tell people to turn the music off, then start playing guitar and singing, turning a fun party into a dull one-person Truman show. Last time it happened I told the guy if he turned my music off in my own home again, i'd be smashing the guitar over his head and he can wear it home as a necklace. Some musicians don't understand that all the world isn't their personal f*cking stage.

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    #61

    One time, when I was a visiting a friends house, her grandmother told her that she is not allowed to wash her hands before she makes sure that there is enough soap in all of the bathrooms.

    May Baysara Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kinda makes sense if there was no soap?

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    #62

    If you are angry, frustrated or upset, and want to break something, then: (i) do not break computers, electronic equipment, anything with a screen etc, or anything that is irreplaceable, has sentimental value, or costs more than about 50 pounds, or is a personal item belonging to another person; (ii) make sure you give adequate warning to avoid unnecessary alarm, and clear the area to avoid hitting anyone; (iii) clear up after yourself. Within these rules (which were written on the refrigerator door, along with some other strange rules), you were allowed to smash, break and throw things - if you needed too, you'know, if you felt the urge.

    A bad day? "Excuse me, I'm going to throw a plate at the wall. Tabitha, mind out of the way. SMASH!!! There, that's better. Now, I'll just go fetch the dustpan and brush.".

    anon Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    By the time you've told everyone, the urge will have passed. Like counting to 10....

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    #63

    The rule in my house was that you have to change to "in-house" wears (such as pajama, or loose shirts) right after you come back home. Unless you have to leave again within 30 min. No matter what time of the day it is.

    cocosoy Report

    Glasofruix
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, i have "house clothes", comfy, and "outside clothes", not so comfy. I change pretty much the instant i get home because why the f***k would i want to sit around wearing jeans and a shirt?

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    #64

    Family on a couch, remote in hand, highlighting bizarre house rules around TV time. Not technically a house rule but I know of a family who just mutes the tv when commercials come on.. even if no one has anything to say... S**t is as awkward as possible.

    anon , pressmaster Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Eminently sensible policy IMO.

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    #65

    Boyfriend's last house had a rules list. Number 1 was "Throw away trash." 2 was "Don't park behind another car."

    The rules aren't strange, but it is strange that they had to make those rules.

    BowmanTheShowman Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How was parking a car a HOUSE rule? And taking out rubbish is fairly normal unless you are a hoarder...

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    #66

    When I was 15 I went to Spain on a school trip.
    I was staying with two friends at a Spanish family's house.

    Upon arrival, the lady showed us our rooms, and the bathroom.

    Here's the surprise: they didn't pu the TP in the toilet, but rather in a trash can near it.

    Yes, you read that correctly, there was a trash can filled with poop stained toilet paper in the bathroom.

    I admit we were kinda weirded out, but IIRC it had something to do with bad plumbing.

    crazybatteur44 Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    FFS, where are they getting these crappy posts? Loads of places around the world have sewage systems that were never designed for, and cannot cope with, toilet paper being flushed. It's completely normal to billions of people.

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    #67

    "Don't touch the walls and make sure you have socks on".

    I had a friend in high school who's mom was crazy about finger and feet prints. It was the first thing my friend told me when I walked in to her house. At that moment it became a challenge to touch the walls as much as possible for the rest of the evening.

    anon Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Irritating little sod would be banned very quickly.

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    #68

    Lived in a house that had two unique rules.

    * Party fouls result in an immediate loss of an article of clothing.

    * No drinks on the right side of the computer desk, if broken see rule 1.

    kefka5150 Report

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    #69

    Don't throw fruit at the computer.

    lapapinton Report

    #70

    Don't say Frankie... No f****n' clue why.

    Octo_Reggie Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Frank? "Ee, e were a one!" in broadest Yorkshire

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    #71

    “We don’t swim in your toilet. Please don’t pee in our pool.”

    MadelineFord Report

    G A
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I feel the OP is the one in the wrong here....

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    #72

    I know I tend to exaggerate sometimes, but this one is fact.

    If you're going to fart, do it in another room.

    We were sleeping together, already did the usual stuff, and later I farted. She told me to leave. The crazy part of this is that we were already married. I was too controlling, I guess. At any rate, she got a brand new car out of it.

    James Gilmore Report

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    #73

    My brother was a high power attorney for years at Hamlin Hamlin & McGill in New Mexico until he took a leave of absence after having some mental issues. He became, we thought, allergic to electronics and electronic waves. He cut off the electricity in his house and couldn't be around any electronic devices. He wouldn't even go outside as electronic waves were in the air. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong, but he reacted so badly to electronics I believed him.

    Every time we went to his house, we'd have to leave our phones in the car or in his mailbox. Months later, he started being able to outside and use phones when needed. He ended up f*****g me out of my own high power attorney job, though, even after I brought him food and supplies every week, so f**k him.

    anon Report

    #74

    Was at this guys house and I asked to use the restroom. He was like "go ahead, but you have to sit down to pee in this house."

    I didn't even feel like dealing with his weird rules, so I just nodded my head and went ahead and peed standing.

    nomadic_rhubarb Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why would you be so insistent on splashing your pee over somebody else's bathroom floor?

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