The Gift of Compliments and Confusion

He pointed to his head and mouthed "Your hat is fabulous!"

I put up my hand for a high five, but he held it.

"My friend just gave it to me!"

"It's fabulous!"

"Thanks!"

His eyes swept up my body.

"Are you married?"

He's not gay? When did straight men start saying "fabulous" and complimenting women's hats?

"You're too much!" I say and walk away.

That one was surely a player.

Fabulous

Today I took the 6 train to meet a friend at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The trains were packed and there was a crush of people trying to get on the stairs to exit the station at 86th Street.

A young Latino man was directly behind me talking on his cell phone. I heard him say "There is this lady in front of me wearing a fabulous fur hat." Then this dude in baggy jeans, gold chains, and reverse baseball cap continued to make plans to meet his friends at the sporting gear store.

This is about the third time this week I've heard a straight man use the F word. When did they claim the term fabulous?