Word things so you’re not actually asking a question, but counting on me to just jump in as if I can always intuit what the hell it is you want to know.

For example, I say “I don’t know anything about that, so when you find out let me know.”

So you say, “Oh, we had assumed you knew something more about it.”

What you really mean to say is, “We had thought you knew something. Can you please give me X?”

I know you’re going to feel stupid, because I can then say, “I just said I didn’t know anything about X.” But really, if you’re going to ask a question, make it a question and not a period. If you think a question’s answer might be embarrassing, don’t ask me. But for fuck’s sake, don’t just let it hang out there.

That’s trying to appeal to my sense of decency and trying to manipulate me into doing something, or doing some work to find out something you don’t want to do, or whatever. If you have such a request, make it, don’t attempt to manipulate me.