Dear Queenie,
I’m a tall woman, almost 5 feet 11 inches, and my brother-in-law always calls me “Gargantua.” I’m not overweight, according to my doctor, and I find this insulting. I told him so, but he still does it.
Queenie, how do I get him to stop?—Tall, not fat
Dear Tall,
A dictionary I consulted defined “Gargantua” as “a person of great size or stature and of voracious physical or intellectual appetites.” You are tall for a woman, and as you are not overweight, I will assume your appetite is of the latter variety.
You did not say how tall your brother-in-law is, but if he is shorter than you are, or at least not taller, you have the perfect comeback: When he insults you this way, just say, “Thanks, Shorty (or Shrimpy, or Stupid, if you want to be even ruder)!”
Or you can take the high road and just ignore him. Like most bullies, if he cannot get a rise out of you he probably will stop teasing you (eventually).
