Secret Twin of Spouse

[CuriousInIL]

If your spouse had a secret identical twin and the twin switched for your spouse, how quickly do you think you would find out: (1) if your spouse was not helping the twin and (2) if your spouse was helping to try to fool you?

 

[Redguard]

1. If my spouse was not helping the twin, I'd find out immediately. Mrs. Redguard has some very distinctive behaviours and expressions. I could very easily make an SNL character out of her.

2. If my spouse was helping, I'd still find out. But to what degree is she being helped anyway?

 

[CuriousInIL]

My answer to my question is that it would be much much harder to me to find this out now if my spouse was helping than it used to be. DW used to have a photographic-type memory so that I would have been suspicious at any memory slip. Over the last few years, however, that has not been true so that a coached twin would now have a much better chance--or maybe it really is her twin????

If she was being helped, I suspect that--especially given our schedules--it would be at least days if not weeks before I would "know." I might suspect something a bit sooner.

If she was not being helped but had a good idea of our daily habits, etc., I suspect I would figure it out in a day.

 

[CuriousInIL]

1. If my spouse was not helping the twin, I'd find out immediately. Mrs. Redguard has some very distinctive behaviours and expressions. I could very easily make an SNL character out of her.

2. If my spouse was helping, I'd still find out. But to what degree is she being helped anyway?

The idea is helped to the maximum possible extent in order to try to fool you.

So how fast is immediately? And how fast the other way?
Minutes?
Hours?
Days?
Longer?

 

[gracepaints]

Immediately, either way. It's a smell thing.

 

[fuzzymel]

I think I could work it out pretty quickly. The cats would probably let me know if I didn't.

 

[MoodyBlue]

I am an identical twin, and I can tell you that my wife would know something was wrong, P.D.Q.

 

[Redguard]

The idea is helped to the maximum possible extent in order to try to fool you.

So how fast is immediately? And how fast the other way?
Minutes?
Hours?
Days?
Longer?

Minutes. And since Grace has already, I'll also use the "smell thing" as my reason.

 

[CuriousInIL]

How much is the "smell thing" actually unique to a person and how much to their DNA plus soaps etc. for lack of a better description? I would think that an idnetical twin with identical habits would be very close in smell.
On the other hand, I have a terrible smeller--to me a wet dog and a hot dog smell the same--not much at all.

 

[immersedingrace]

How much is the "smell thing" actually unique to a person and how much to their DNA plus soaps etc. for lack of a better description? I would think that an idnetical twin with identical habits would be very close in smell.
On the other hand, I have a terrible smeller--to me a wet dog and a hot dog smell the same--not much at all.

I think I would figure it out PDQ as well because my hubby is quite quirky.

I always thought turkey tastes like what a wet dog smells like....and No, I never tasted a wet dog!

 

[ImperialPhantom]

I wouldn't be fooled for two seconds. I read people, and even when two people look exactly alike, there are some VERY obvious ways for keen observers to tell the two apart right away, especially if one twin is your spouse.

 

[CuriousInIL]

I wouldn't be fooled for two seconds. I read people, and even when two people look exactly alike, there are some VERY obvious ways for keen observers to tell the two apart right away, especially if one twin is your spouse.

Do tell.

 

[Rebekka]

What does PDQ mean?

If my husband was helping his twin of course it would take longer to find out, but I would find out pretty soon, also because of smell. (Assuming that twins don't smell the same. I don't know.) My husband and I know each other extremely well, so even with help, the twin could not have the same conversation with me as my husband would.

Also, the cats would notice.

Oh, and my husband has some scars and other physical things that I assume his identical twin wouldn't have, so as soon as he undressed I'd know.

 

[MoodyBlue]

What does PDQ mean?

If my husband was helping his twin of course it would take longer to find out, but I would find out pretty soon, also because of smell. (Assuming that twins don't smell the same. I don't know.) My husband and I know each other extremely well, so even with help, the twin could not have the same conversation with me as my husband would.

Also, the cats would notice.

Oh, and my husband has some scars and other physical things that I assume his identical twin wouldn't have, so as soon as he undressed I'd know.

"P.D.Q." means "pretty darn quick" (the polite version). My dog certainly knows the difference between me and my twin brother, so perhaps the comments about smell are not off base. Identical twins have many attributes in common, but I think it would be very difficult to fool your spouse for even a moment.

 

[Redguard]

I know it's not the most Christian movie, but have any of you guys ever watched Face/Off?

 

[Rebekka]

"P.D.Q." means "pretty darn quick" (the polite version). My dog certainly knows the difference between me and my twin brother, so perhaps the comments about smell are not off base. Identical twins have many attributes in common, but I think it would be very difficult to fool your spouse for even a moment.

Thanks for the explanation! Abbreviations are always tricky for non-native speakers of English.

Maybe this is too personal - but does your twin brother have the exact same hair pattern as you, not just on your head but on other parts of the body as well (e.g. chest)?

 

[CuriousInIL]

My dog certainly knows the difference between me and my twin brother, so perhaps the comments about smell are not off base. Identical twins have many attributes in common, but I think it would be very difficult to fool your spouse for even a moment.

Perhaps I am the odd-one-out here then because I have no doubt that it would fool me for days if not weeks.

 

[MoodyBlue]

Thanks for the explanation! Abbreviations are always tricky for non-native speakers of English.

Maybe this is too personal - but does your twin brother have the exact same hair pattern as you, not just on your head but on other parts of the body as well (e.g. chest)?

I have a bit more chest hair, but everything else (including the bald spot on the top of our heads) is the same.

 

[invisiblebabe]

If he wasn't helping, immediately. If he was, probably a few minutes. We have too many inside jokes for him to remember to tell his imaginary twin every single one of them, so as soon as his twin got confused I'd know

 

[CuriousInIL]

If he wasn't helping, immediately. If he was, probably a few minutes. We have too many inside jokes for him to remember to tell his imaginary twin every single one of them, so as soon as his twin got confused I'd know

That may just be a "young thing."

As for me and my DW, I would jsut chalk that up to one of us having a midlife (aka senior) moment. While we are not yet "officially" seniors, our memories went senior a few years ago--if I remember correctly.