Other things a thin woman is not allowed to say: "it takes willpower to stay slim"; "of course it would be easier just to eat anything I wanted but I don't"; "yes, I'm often hungry mid-morning but I wait until lunchtime".
The reason we say this is because young adults (and yes, I was a young adult once) are often in such a rush to prove themselves to the world by getting the big job or the higher degree that they speed by the fabulous opportunities to simply explore and experiment.
If someone answers "yes" to statements like "I am often irritable," "I tend to keep to myself" and "I tend to hide my feelings from others," it's typically an indication he or she has a Type D personality.
Imagine my surprise when the FBI tapped on my car window last week and asked: "Are you this guy?" I confirmed that, yes, I was indeed him, though I am often mistaken for David Niven on account of my exquisitely mustachioed, debonair charm.
And yes, when I refuse to speculate, I'm often asked if "I can just run it by my husband".
And yes, I'm aware that Charlie Brown is often the butt of many a joke, but I always believe they like him.
That shake-up of the mind, that brainstorm (yes, I'm co-opting the term) often gives me strange ideas, vivid images, words connected bizarrely – as if someone had emptied the toy box of my mind and joined together bits of mental Lego and a Rubik's cube and produced something that no one had seen before.
I would say yes, and was often invited to join up on the spot.
Often, yes: I'm willing to bet that a frozen omelette doesn't compare with the one I whip up at home.
What is going to happen to them?" It was a theme — vote "yes" for stability — that was often heard from "yes" proponents, especially in the media.
