January 27, 2025 at 3:21 pm

Lying Co-Worker Wouldn’t Stop Talking About His Exotic Pets, So She Put Him in His Place Since She Knows A Lot About The Subject

by Matthew Gilligan

Source: Reddit/AITA/Shutterstock

Don’t you just love it when people act like experts about subjects they actually don’t know much about?

That was sarcasm, by the way, my friends…

It’s totally annoying!

And this woman felt like she had no other choice than to put her know-it-all co-worker in his place.

Read her story and see if you think she was out of line…

AITA for calling out a co-worker about his pets?

“There’s a guy I work with who gave me the ick the minute I met him.

On his first day working with me he called me “Baby Boo” before even knowing my name. So he didn’t start on a good foot with me.

Over time I’ve come up with the name “Phony Fred” for him in my head.

What a liar!

I call him Phony Fred because everything he says sounds made up to me. And it’s come to my attention that I’m not the only one who thinks he’s full of it. There’s actually a lot of us on the unit who think he’s suspect.

A few examples why: He talked on about how his wife is the love of his life and love at first sight. Then he said “She was 18 and I was in my 30’s. Oops!” He said it worked out because they’ve been together 12 years. He also says he got her pregnant on the first date.

But at another time he said he met her 7 years ago.

And more lies…

Another time two coworkers and I were talking about divorces, and I guess he thought nobody heard him but he said “And in November I won’t be married anymore.”

But it’s passed November and he’s still going on about the wife he’s been with for 12 years but met 7 years ago.

He talks about investments earning him tens of thousands, his properties in the Bahamas, etc…we all think he sounds like a finance bro.

Now he’s lying about lizards.

Anyway, the other week Phony Fred was going on about the exotic pets he has. He said he had two snakes and a skink.

Another coworker had not heard of a skink. So he said “Oh it’s a BIG lizard!”

Now, I love reptiles.

I am very familiar with their care and I am knowledgeable about various species. I have been most of my life.

I participate in my area’s herpetological society. I’m the reptile nerd of my social circle. Anyone who knows me knows this.

Apparently he doesn’t.

She decided to put him in his place.

I turned and said “Skinks usually aren’t big. What kind do you have?”

He stared at me for a second and said “… I don’t know.”

I asked him what color is the mouth.

“Blue.”

I said hat’s a blue tongued skink, they get to about 24 inches max.

He said “well…I’m not used to big snakes not lizards, but lizards are basically snakes.”

I said no they’re not basically snakes, they are different species and require different care.

He said “well they’re both amphibians!”

Here it comes…

Here’s where I may be a jerk. I said “They’re reptiles. You don’t know anything about what you’re saying and you don’t even know what you own.”

He sat down and muttered to himself.

I think he either doesn’t actually own these animals or I should be concerned for their well being because he clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing with them.

But maybe that was harsh.

I already tend to think he’s full of it so maybe I should just ignore him?”

I doubt he actually owns any pets.

Here’s how Reddit users reacted.

This reader said she’s NTA.

Source: Reddit/AITA

Another Reddit user nailed it.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This person shared their thoughts.

Source: Reddit/AITA

Another reader had a lot to say.

Source: Reddit/AITa

I bet he feels pretty stupid now.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.