Coworkers who talk about themselves non-stop...

Yes, I know this is a continuation of the "freaks you work with" thread, but here me out... I work with a woman who's basically nice (though kind of shallow and not too bright) who she stops by my desk every morning and talks (30 min+) about herself, what she did this weekend/last night, the things her mother in law does to make her mad, etc. I'm single and I suppose she assumes I have no life because she never asks me about it, she just talks and talks and talks.. Presently I just sort of smile and nod (she doesn't actually seem to want any kind of response) because even though she is sort of dippy I don't want to be rude, though when I am having a bad day/not feeling well, these monologues test my nerves in a big way. I'm sure you guys work with people like this - how do you handle them?

• "Presently" means "soon." It does not mean "at the present time." You're welcome.

  Pollyanna%20Prisspot%2C%20School%20Marm

• Yes r1, OP should have said "currently" or started the sentence with "I just sort of smile and nod....

• I have this problem too with a co-worker, but she makes the rounds and talks to at least 5 people for at least a half hour at a time. The problem is she's brilliant at what she does, so everyone just tolerates it. The best thing you can do is pick up the phone when you see her coming or start typing an email and look like you're concentrating intently and don't look at her when she starts talking. Say "wait, give me a minute to finish this" and then keep ignoring her.

• It depends on how intense they are. It's easy to ignore/brush off or simply let it in one ear and out the other if the person isn't pushy, doesn't have personal space problems or isn't complaining a lot. I haven't experienced any talkers who fit this bill, so I haven't enacted my fantasy comeback line: "Have you notice that you talk an awful lot about yourself to me, but never ask me or anyone else how they are doing? I wonder why that is." And for the stupid twat at R1: pres·ent·ly/ˈprɛz ənt li/ Show Spelled [prez-uh nt-lee] Show IPA adverb 1. in a little while; soon: They will be here presently. [bold]2. at the present time; now: He is presently out of the country.[/bold] 3. Archaic. immediately You're welcome.

• [R1] needs help. You do understand that this woman is talking at you, not to you don't you? She is using you.

• R4: Sorry, but that's a bunch of descriptivist hooey. I bet the same dictionary would say it is acceptable to use "ironic" when you mean odd/peculiar, or that one can pepper their speech with "literally" as a meaningless intensifier. Just because incorrect usage eventually evolves into mainstream speech, doesn't mean it is any less of an indication of ignorance on the part of the speaker. Good day, sir.

  PPSM

• Just say "why are you telling me this?"

• I shout "Get OUT!!" when such a person drops by my office unexpectedly. Try this, OP.

• I had a coworker like this. She would come by and talk nonstop for 20 minutes. She'd take a breath, and I'd try to turn the monologue into a dialogue ... but then she would check her watch. CHECK HER WATCH! Well, one day I got fed up and furious and gave her a piece of my mind. "You can go on and on and on about your stupid house and then I start to talk and you check your watch? What's up with that?!" She was embarrassed, walked away, and a few weeks later left work. Turns out she had cancer that was slowly killing her and she died a month later(nobody knew). Yes, I still feel badly about it.

• Drinking copious amounts of liqueurs dulls the school marm's senses. Just stay away from the Creme de Menthe so your shit isn't green tomorrow morning. From Oxford: 1 (especially North American English) at the time you are speaking or writing; now Synonym currently The crime is presently being investigated by the police. These are the courses presently available. Help In this meaning presently usually comes before the verb, adjective or noun that it refers to. 2 used to show that something happened after a short time Presently, the door opened again and three men stepped out. Help In this meaning presently usually comes at the beginning of a sentence. 3 used to show that something will happen soon Synonymshortly She'll be here presently.

  http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/presently

• OP, if you spell it "here me out," YOU are the one who's not too bright.

• I always do what Madeleine Albright does: yell "Disgusting Serbs, get out!"

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D1FaPuBUY558

• I am surrounded by these including my boss. One successful solution for me is to jump into the soliloquy and start talking about yourself. That is the last thing such people are interested in. "You had an Aunt ALice , well, my Aunt Alice, who was really my grandmother's sister by adoption. You see my great grandmother let her sister's daughter move in and raised her as her own so she was like an aunt. Anyway, my Aunt Alice had this crazy pet bird who used to say the strangest things......." You get the picture.

• r9 said "I still feel badly about it." Judge Judy makes the same grammatical mistake often.

• I love R13's solution. It's so benignly evil.

• OED to the rescue once again - yay words.

• Does she come to you desk the same time every morning? If so don't be there at that time. Go hid in the bathroom for awhile. I know it's the cowards way out but at least do it a few times a week to give yourself a break from her.

• Fart loudly and then fan your ass.

• OP here - thanks for the genuine feedback, snark and grammatical corrections (okay, so I typed "here" when I should have typed "hear"). I think whoever said "she is talking at you not to you - you are being used" pretty much hit the nail on the head, which makes me feel not so bad about being annoyed by her blathering. Thanks!

• Most people in conversation are just waiting for their own turn to speak. At least I have a blog for all that shit. Most people never shut up about themselves.

  PPSM

• But when you have a blog that you never shut up about, it's really notice of an improvement.

• notice = not much

• Oh, you have a blog, R20? I didn't know that.

• You're a clever one, aren't you, R23? Love and kisses to you!

  http://lmgtfy.com/%3Fq%3DRecovered+baptist+blog

  PPSM

• It's a common problem. I've looked for advice online and there isn't any. Just the victims of these motormouths finally getting a word in edgewise and bitching about them. It's irritating to say the least. The worst are the ones who aren't entertaining or have no ability to participate in a give and take. "Oh, you have a migraine right now?" "One time about 7 years ago I had a migraine at my sister wedding and I was the maid of honor and I was puking trying to put the flower bouquets together and I vomited on a tray of finger sandwiches and on my dress but luckily the dress was ruched and pea green so you could barely see the vomit because I'd had some of those finger sandwiches, and they were cucumber. Now normally cucumber gives me heartburn but I really wonder if it was those fingers sandwiches that gave me the migraine. My sister so was so mad, she's never forgiven since her high school boyfriend asked me to prom. I guess I was always the prettier sister and she's always had a problem with that, one time....."

  Glad%20I%27m%20not%20a%20violent%20person