Do you work?

I bet no male is ever asked that question. I wonder what exactly it means.

It could mean, where does your money come from and how much comes your way? Or, what is your current speciality for which you receive money? Or do you go out of the house every 8am and stay away until 6pm every weekday evening, ie where exactly do you go between these standard hours? Or with whom do you share jokes and office rituals, are they this sort of person or that sort of person? Or, do you deserve status respect and what sort shall I accord you?

As you can see, I do not like answering this question. I quickly reply with 'I am at home.' Then the conversation moves on, bypassing work related discussion, to more happy topics.

A long time ago I used to ask all sorts of questions when I met someone. It would be a form of grilling to find their weak spots. So now I can spot when someone else is trying to examine me and I aim to derail the process!