The other day, when asked during an interview what sort of person annoyed me I said a nosy person which was a hypocritical thing for me to say considering that I am a writer. And what do writers do? They stick their noses into everything!
Which begs the question: Where is the line between nosiness and curiosity or is there one? Here is an example of the what I mean:
Two women have been living next door to each other for a dozen years. They are friendly but not necessarily friends. We’ll call them Mrs Green and Mrs. Yellow. One day a strange car shows up in Mrs. Yellow’s driveway and stays for three whole days. Mrs. Green is curious. She imagines all sorts of scenarios.
Finally one night Mrs. Green bumps into Mrs. Yellow at their mailboxes and says: “I noticed there’s a blue car sitting in your driveway. Is everything okay? Did you get a new car”
To which Mrs. Yellow responds: “My nephew is staying with me for a while.”
At this point Mrs Green, if she were merely curious, could say something like: “How nice. I hope you have a lovely time together.”
Mrs. Yellow is then free to share that her nephew is relocating or that her nephew is getting over a bad breakup or that her nephew is an escaped convict but she doesn’t. She merely smiles and says: “Thanks.”
However if Mrs. Green continues by asking: “How old is he? Is he a registered sex offender? Why is there a dent in the side of his car?” She is being nosy. Although perhaps there is a better word. What would you say?
Of your unspoken word you are the master; of your spoken word the servant; and of your written word the slave – Quaker proverb
Writing is easy all you have to do is cross out the wrong words. – Mark Twain
Saying nothing in particular 
Interested or snoopy/nosy? I think you have your know the person to be able to distinguish. To me, nosy doesn’t know when to stop asking, wants to know just to know or to be able to tell others. The type of question can also give a hint. Mrs. Green’s question/possible questions that you shared qualify as nosy to me. 😁
You’re right. Some people are naturally curious and don’t mean to pry. It wasn’t well thought out response on my part. I was thinking of the last person who annoyed me by being a big too inquisitive (she was a retired health inspector for the state!)
Some people are just annoying about it and you don’t really feel like they’re interested, but just gathering information to disseminate somewhere else.
I’m an intensely curious person but faced with your scenario would probably just ask, “New car?” I would accept any explanation given without follow up questions. Of course I would want to know. EVERYTHING! But I also believe in minding my own business.
I would to … but sometimes people don’t want to share what they’re going through and so it’s a kindness to give them some space. I know people who insist you open up about everything. They insist they’re being helpful. So neither curious or nosy really describes them.
— what if they’re all wrong words?
Isolation breeds psychosis.
A village cares about its villagers.
The suburbs are a prison, homes its cells.
I hate people.
Individuals, on the other hand…
It is true that what we don’t know about our neighbors we imagine or assume – it’s that way in the city and the country. My example is not the best one. I was really talking about someone who can’t let “I don’t really want to talk about it” end a conversation subject. They imagine themselves therapists instead of friends.
Excellent point, Jan. I agree!
Gaston is a beauty to be remembered.
Gaston was a love in every way. He was very nosy but could be counted on to keep what he knew to himself!
We had a truly nosy neighbor when we lived in the country. Somehow another neighbor and we figured out that he could hear what we were saying in our homes. We pulled a trick on him. Vince came in from checking the mail.
I asked in a loud voice, “Did that check for $200,000 come?”
He answered in a loud voice, “It did.”
About ten minutes later we got a phone call from the nosy neighbor. “Did you check your mail today?”
So weird. I’d rather have had Gaston for a neighbor although our neighbor’s wife was and still is super nice and so were his dogs and cats.
That’s really strange! I wonder if he was a former spy or detective. Perhaps a paid assassin? I hear they always have nice wives and pets. (As a cover you know!)
Not sure about writers being nosy. My daughters would say I have such a memory, that I can remember tiny details and put them in a story.
Be good.
PS. And Gaston was quite lovely.
Without getting noticed, mind you, so that doesn’t count.
(I love that M. Twain!)