She's not my wife, she's my sister!

[Anglo-Celtic]

A similar thing took place when I was on vacation. Some strangers thought that my cousin was my girlfriend, even though I just turned 15 while she was 20! That never made sense to me because I looked 12 or 13 at the time. In fact, I was bummed out when my other cousin set me up on a date with a 13-year-old girl at the beach, so maybe the guys thought that my cousin was a young cougar (shrug).

[BakersfieldChimp]

Have you ever had the problem where you have to explain to people that your sister is not your wife? I guess it's unusual these days- but my sis and I do a lot of things together. We have dinner out and movie night, get groceries. She tells me what to buy usually and I do things for her. This does feel more like married couple, but we are just close that's all


For example, the other day at the grocery store, I wasn't wearing my glasses and went over to this blondish woman and her buggy and put something in it. Then I realized it wasn't mine and said "Oh, I'm sorry". She smiled and said "Wrong wife?" I was shopping with my sister and she thought she was my wife. No, she's just my sister. Why is it wrong for a brother and sister to do things together? Even in the South, people seem to frown upon that.
I think our culture has become very perverted.

It could be worse. If a man is shopping with his wife and another customer asks if she is his sister.

[Dick]

After a certain age, people expect one to be in a relationship or married. That is why, if your hanging out with your sister (especially if your facial features for example, aren't much alike with hers) most will assume she's your partner.

I don't look much like my older brother and some people don't realize we are siblings. But there has been only one instance where we've been asked if we are together. Some years ago, we were both walking to a park, outside of the town and on the edge of the road there was a prostitute. She looked at my brother and then asked if we are together .

I got that too with my sister in the past. We don't look alike at all.

[Jansob]

You take these things too seriously. She was playing the odds that two people of your age shopping together were a married couple...most of the time she'd have been right.

Nothing wrong with it and no one is saying there's anything wrong with it. It's good that you and your sister are close and spend time together and help each other out. In the past it was perfectly normal for unmarried siblings to live together.

(Back when I was single, I met a woman at a post-conference reception and we really clicked intellectually. We spent the evening talking about all sorts of common interests. But there was no romantic spark. As I was leaving someone else said "if you're waiting for your wife, I think she's still inside." I guess we just seemed really comfortable with each other and weren't flirting...and to that woman it seemed obvious were were married.)

[PlattitüdenPaule]

No sweat; had a similar experience a few weeks ago, but while at the chartering office for transports with my mom`s cousin (who`s 20 years older than me). Receptionist friendly and seriously asked where my "wife" and I were moving, lol.

[Smaug]

I understand this must be a delicate subject in the American South.

[NSXD60]

Does your sis have your singing genes?

[Colonel Frank Grimes]

Richmondbred's adventures are wild.

[Incal]

It happens if you don't look that much like your sister.

[Petalpusher]

It was a thing a few times with my middle sister. Weirder is when people think your mom is your older sister and she gets hit on by random strangers.