My trip to the bike shop:

Me: I'd like to buy some brake cables with barrel nipples please
Bike Shop Youth: You mean the big fat round ones?
Me: Yes, like I said, barrel nipples
BSY: For a mountain bike you mean?
Me: A hybrid, but yes flat handle bars, so I need barrel nipples, that's what they're called isn't it?{thinks: like I said 3 times now ffs}

BSY quite clearly knows 'Fat Gurls in normal clothes' can't possibly know that they are talking about when it comes to bike parts and only 'Fit blerks in lycra' can be trusted to know their nipples. It's not like I was making it perfectly clear what I wanted using the correct technical terms, was it?

BSY eventually produced the required cables. We move to round 2.

Me: And I'd like some outer cable, too, please
BSY: How much?
Me: errr umm for 2 front brakes and 1 back {thinks: curses curses I should've measured them now he's got me}
BSY: Do you know if your cable outer goes all the way along or are there gaps in it?
Me: {thinks: course I bloody know!}
Me: There are cable stops, yes {thinks: ner ner ner ner ner, I know my bike terms hah!}
BSY produces some cable outer, notices it's the wrong kind, puts it back and gets right kind, /me suppresses snigger.
Me: is it teflon lined?
BSY: dunno umm I'll ask someone
Me: {tries not to look too smug>

there are 3 bike shops hereabouts, I went to the one I happened to be riding past today, which is not the one we usually use. I won't be in a hurry to go back there, either. And it will be right at the bottom of the list when I do get some money to spend on a proper bike, too. Bunch of feckin sexist bike snobs.