How do you end a conversation that has been going on for way too long?

"Oh, look, the cat's dead."

by Rice

ROFL, Rice! Just gold! Cheers, or not, as the case maybe!

I get that joke !!!!! you are sooooo funny....love it.

I find doing this difficult. If on some evenings I have just arrived home and the phone rings, I usually say "I have just arrived home and I need to get some dinner on the move for both of us - but yeah, is everything OK, are you having a crisis" ? If the answer is "no, no problem" I expect that the caller take the hint, or put themselves in my position. I expect the caller to say "oh didn't realise you had been out - get on with the dinner and I'll ring another time". But, that never seems to happen to me, I can end up eating dinner at 9.30 - 10 pm.
Do people not have any antennae ?

If I ring someone been the hours of say 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm, I give them the opportunity of getting rid of me. I say "I'm only ringing for a chat, there's no problems this end, so if you have not yet had your meal or if you have someone over, just tell me and I'll ring another time. I think that is the best I can do to plant the seed in their head.

by fran.

Meant between the hours of

Yes, fran, I agree!
It's rare for my home fone to ring, but if does, & the timing is inconvenient to me to answer, I won't. Mobile goes to message bank.

When I 'fone a friend', my first words to them when they answer are, 'have I got you at a good time or bad time?'
That gives them an 'out', & I'll call them another time. Works well! Cheers!

Funny....you should ask this question!

Last night I had been on the phone for 2 hours and 35mins....NOT by choice.
It was one of my son's, and he had a lot to say.
I just wanted to ''go have a lay down'' after.

This is a very hard question, it all depends on 'who' it is you're talking too.

For me, it would have been rude to cut it off because he really felt he had to talk.Even though the conversation was not always positive, I stayed on the line.

I wanted too an hour past, but he had stuff to say.

I think we have to work out just 'who' is on the other end, do you want to upset them?....because there are some people who want to talk, and never stop.

Then, there are the ones that talk over you, that's always fun.

My answer is, each person has to know in their own heart ''when to pull that plug'' and

say: Sorry, I must go now.

It is that simple.

by jonaja

> Oh, jonaj, I find that SO hard to say . . . .so I get stuck for ages . . . . sometimes terrified I might nod off in the middle. Oh dear.

I know Rice.
did nod off once with my very dear friend, chatting away.
She use to call me and talk for 1-2 hrs, and I would just listen.
Well that's really all she needed at the time :)

[email protected] :-)

I just stop speaking.

by Bryony Harrison

It depends upon what time it is. I might say I have to get dinner. I could say that one of the kids have just called over and I would like to talk to them. I could say that I'm tired and want to go to bed. I could say that I need to go to the toilet, and after a really long conversation, is likely to be true.

by Lluxi

Sorry, I need to go to the loo and hang up right away

by helga

I tell the person that I have something that I need to do and its actually the case.

by dwatk

If at a Westfield S/C, I just say, 'sorry, i've got to go, as I'm running out of free parking time'.

If at home, 'sorry, but I've got to go'!

Works well, & it's not fibbing!

by donjo

I am going to start the ball rolling.
[email protected]

My thanks, Rice! Now, as in Boy Scouts' motto, Be Prepared! Lol!

Let the landslide begin!!!!!

I give really vague answers to their questions and pretend that I have to go.

by Jawnin

I tell the truth. Firstly I take over the conversation and without a break, I finish my sentence and move right into "I'll have to get going now but we can catch up again another time, bye". I say it naturally, wait for them to say bye and hang up. It helps to work in a call centre and have learned call control.

by wotsy

Oh! wotsy, 'call control'!.....................Love it!

Anyway!

by Vee