I Lick My Cheese: And Other Real Notes from the Roommate Frontlines

by Oonagh O'Hagan

Like the bestsellers PostSecret and Found , I Lick My Cheese appeals to the voyeur in all of us and presents uncensored evidence from everyday lives. Presenting four-color reproductions of all kinds of notes between roommates along with her own witty commentary, Oonagh O’Hagan humorously reveals the ridiculous experiences, twisted battles, and petty desperation of people who have to live together. From the bedroom to the living room and all the filthy kitchens and bathrooms in between, every imaginable trial is on display bongs accidentally left out for visiting grandparents, panty-sniffing creeps, ham theft, and things stored in refrigerators that really, really shouldn’t be.
 
Originally published in the U.K., where it was a big bestseller, I Lick My Cheese has been revised and Americanized to be the ultimate support-group-in-a-book for those suffering from enforced cohabitation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Comedy

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2007

About the author

Oonagh O'Hagan is a graduate of the MA in Fashion at St Martins, where she is a tutor, and works as a freelance designer and art director. She has worked for a variety of companies including Louis Vuitton and Burberry, and had her work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is okay; everyone else seems to find it way more hilarious thatn me. while it is true that some of the notes make you want to meet the authors of them and kind of find out just what the hell is wrong weith them, its overall pretty tame (read: english). im curious to see some less restrained redblooded new york roommate notes, but maybe people round my neck of the woods dont bother writing notes, we just get punchy...

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books that are compilations of found notes, but there was one thing about I Lick My Cheese... that I could live without: the author's commentary and/or humorous speculation as to the story behind the notes.

If you were to compare I Lick My Cheese... to Frank Warren's PostSecret books, you'd see what I mean. Frank Warren doesn't explain the postcards he publishes, but instead leaves them open to interpretation by the reader.

Oonagh O'Hagan prefers to write a little blurb about each note. In some cases - such as those notes whose recipient has provided her with the back-story for the note - the commentary can be very effective. However, some of the "humorous" speculations as to the notes' hidden meanings fall flat. Some of her commentary about the notes begin with this speculation only to end with the real story (see page 206). Why not just get to the point?

Because O'Hagan sets this precedent of adding her two cents after each note, you then have the comment (on page 213) "No explanation needed." This reminds me of a high school English teacher's advice to me many years ago: If something is self-explanatory, respect your reader's ability to figure it out for him- or herself. He also told me that if you have to begin a sentence with "Needless to say...", don't say it.

I kind of wish that teacher of mine had edited this book.

[sarahh · Rating 2 out of 5]

im sorry sue the best thing about this book is the cover

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another silly book I happened to find at the dollar store, so why not give it a try? Some parts of it were funny, some parts of it were 'meh'.
My one gripe was that some of the notes were difficult to read (some really bad penmanship), and having the note transcribed underneath would have been helpful to the reader. Anyone that has had roommates (the good, the bad and/or the ugly) would probably get some laughs from this book.

The website that this book stemmed from (www.roommatesanonymous.com) seems to be gone, but it appears there are plenty of other sites available that are similar.


CAT POO!

[Deepa Nirmal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining book that made me reflect on my own (thankfully limited) experience with roommates. The author’s commentary doesn’t add much, sadly.

I found this in the library’s “Speedy Reads” display, and it is fun to flip through.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover note "I lick my cheese" is the best note in the book. I like the concept, but I think a funnier group of notes could have been found.
Enter your notes at www.roommatesanonymous.com

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be more a perusal book. I couldn't bring myself to sit down and read through it page by page. Overall its mildly amusing, but read it or don't--your life isn't going to change much.

[Macks Soto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was ok, could have been funnier and too long for my taste.

[Karla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the "author" to be judgemental and annoying. The things she wrote weren't funny and didn't put most of the notes into context.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Brits are famously bad at confronting people and notorious for pussy-footing around a problem rather than coming straight to the point and telling people they’re annoying us. For many people, the idea of looking someone in the eye and telling them “Your behaviour is unacceptable” is about as likely as wrapping themselves in bacon and wrestling with a lion. But resentments build up, tempers get frayed and then your average Brit does something drastic – gets out the Post-it note and leaves a strongly worded reprimand. And if you’re looking for something that’s guaranteed to wind up the most mild-mannered of passive Brit, then look no further than flat sharing. As the author tells us “It’s not for the fainthearted”.

In just under 250 pages and with a total of 120 facsimiles of the ‘notes’ she’s collected, some of them clearly balled up and binned then rescued and photographed, O’Hagan offers a fast track to the dark underbelly of life with people you thought you liked but can no longer bear. “I hate you more than life itself” was one of my favourites – succinctly cutting to the nub of the matter without any need to dress up the problem. Some of the notes are funny, some sad, and rather a lot suggesting a need for psychiatric help. A few are friendly, many apologetic but most of them offer cautionary tales about confrontation.

The notes are split into four chapters grouped by the rooms they refer to. “I pay the rent, what do you do?” offers notes from the Living Room. “You stink like a big fat stinker” has notes from the bathroom. “I lick my cheese” has scary food and kitchen related threats, whilst “Why is my bed damp” refers to bedroom (and relationship) stuff. Personally, I loved the kitchen ones – anyone who’s ever shared with someone who puts their name on their food or leaves baked beans under cling film until they grow fur will know what I mean.

Some of the notes are self-explanatory – “Whatever you do, NEVER let the bailiffs in” is pretty clear. Others need pages of explanation – “Stop butt flicking in my garden” is a classic that’s all the more scary when written in capitals. I actually thought it said something much more scary than ‘flicking’ and was relieved that it related to people chucking their cigarette ends into their neighbour’s garden. Some are extremely obtuse such as “You know that I know that you know that I know you took it” (Life is surely too short to work out something like that)

It’s not only dealing with your flat mates that stinks – their friends and family can be a challenge too. One note is written on a packet of stamps and tells the recipient “Here’s a stamp. Write to you your mum, she keeps calling”. Then there’s the thorny issue of people’s brothers/cousins/best friends moving into the living room and annexing the couch or – even worse – moving the boyfriend in without consulting the other inhabitants. “Your brother is really lovely but how long is he going to be staying in our living room?” asks one frustrated flatmate very politely.

Division of chores is always a fertile battleground for flatmates. Someone will always martyr themselves for the moral high ground, generally failing to notice that nobody’s giving them any competition for that position. “The washing-up you didn’t do is in your bed,” writes one frustrated domestic goddess. Personally, I think a few years of filth in your student days probably prepares you for any germs that later life might every throw at you – a sort of inoculation on a par with mums taking their kids round to other people’s houses to get them to catch measles or mumps

Some of the note writers are geniuses. “I can’t believe there’s no butter” and “Has anyone seen the kitchen?” both had me in stitches. My husband got really really fed up with me reading this book. “Listen to this one ………..and this one……….and this one”. It’s a wonder I didn’t find him sitting on the sofa with a Post It on his forehead saying “Don’t mistake me for someone who’s actually interested”

By holding a mirror up to our less attractive habits – both the ones that have been criticised and the habit of writing notes – Oonagh O’Hagan alerts us to things we might have done or been tempted to do. Perhaps after reading this, the next time you feel the urge to leave a note on a colleague’s coffee cup that’s growing penicillin or to put an old envelope through your neighbour’s door to thank him for letting his cat use your flower bed as a toilet, a quick recollection of what you thought of the writers of the notes in ‘I Lick My Cheese’ might just stop you making a complete fool of yourself.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with my personal favourite Post It which I found stuck to the bathroom wall of the house where one of my friends lived with a bunch of filthy rugby players. It was left by a girl what one of the boys had brought home and said simply “A few words of advice Kevin. Twenty minutes of begging does NOT constitute foreplay”.

[Nickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not go searching for this book. I stumbled acrossed it while at the library. Seeing as how I had some time to kill, I figured I would check this out for a day. I was sadly disappointed. This was "wrote" by a British author, so some of the jokes may not have been as funny to me (being an American). I really enjoy the random streams of Roommate Notes that get posted online, but these were no where near as hilarious. I know humor is subjective, but I was extremely underwhelmed and cannot even recall one spectacular note. I thought some of the notes would have been rewrote in a slightly darker ink or in a slightly less sloppy manner, but again I was mistaken. The notes appear to be photocopies of the original, so some are very blurry while others are completely impossible to read based on the handwriting. I understand maintaining the graphics and passion the note was written in, but I would have appreciated a bit more effort on helping the audience be able to read the "joke". While some of the author's commentary included the backstory of the note which is unique and not part of the internet posts, most of her personal writing was explaining why she thought it would be funny. Which became really irritating. We either get the joke or we don't. No one wants someone explaining how it is suppose to be funny when it actually wasn't.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained a great many funny notes that had me laughing for a good long time, however there were also many that I did not find funny at all. They were very "meh", and I found myself wondering why they were included. While I'm on that subject, some of the authors commentaries were very funny - she included some of her own experiences and funny stories of flat-sharing, which added a little bit extra to the book, but again, I feel that some of the commentaries were added just to pad the book out.
However, with that being said, I do think this book would make a very amusing gift for someone with a good sense of humour. I recommend picking this book up if you see it in a charity shop or on sale in a store, however, I don't really recommend paying full price (£9.99) unless you are desperate for a gift for someone.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very funny book appeals to the voyeur in all of us and presents uncensored evidence from everyday lives. The pages contain reproductions of all sorts of notes between roommates along with the authors comments. The notes run the gamut from angry, downright hostile, and irate to silly and sweet. Living with roommates, as many of us learned at some point, is not for the faint of heart. "From the bedroom to the living room and all the filthy kitchens and bathrooms in between, every imaginable trial is on display here: bongs accidentally left out for visiting grandparents, panty-sniffing creeps, ham theft, and things stored in refrigerators that really, really shouldn't be." A quick and silly read.

[Lucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book makes an interesting and often very surprising read. It reminded me how lucky I am with my flatmats at dorms and also that I was right to feel uncomfortable in my previous flat. But there were two things that I did no like very much - first, the notes are handwritten and often very hard to read. The writer apparently encoded all of them so it would be nice to add a transcription to the illegible ones. And then there are the writer's comments about the notes - sometimes they werevery helpful because they offered an explanation, sometimes they were funny, but too often to me they were just irritating. I am afraid that if the writer and me would happen to live together, we would not be the best of friends.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read full of notes people leave for their room mates and some back ground so you can appreciate them.
Its a quick read, like single afternoon quick read, but while the idea is a good one I think a little more story on each note could have pushed this book from amusing into the funny category.
It is a good eye opener for people who dont share a living space as to the kinds of things that can go wrong when living with others but over all unless you need something you can read in five minute bursts as you wait in the car it gets a bit monotonous.
Some strong language and a few places where the writing really shows its British back ground.

[Keera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of these sorts of books (such as Found, Mortified, and Post Secret). I got this for Christmas and finished it in a few hours. I really enjoyed it. It's light and funny. As someone who had to move out on her first roommate, I can completely appreciate where the writers of these notes are coming from. However, some of the words stumped me because I believe their British terms, but the author's notes explained the situation well. So if you're not at all familiar with British slang and don't have the patience to decipher it, look elsewhere, otherwise I highly recommend it.

[Whitney Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's something about reading strangers' notes to each other that I really enjoy (that sounds super weird). But the snapshot into people's lives (most often without context) that is very interesting and amusing. This book was sort of like Passive-Aggressive Notes, which I also enjoy.

It was okay, not great. Nothing to write home about, so if found notes isn't already something that interests you, this wouldn't really be the place to start. (For that, I recommend passiveaggressivenotes.com)

CONTENT: There is some swearing and references to more adult topics in some of the notes.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The funniest thing about this book is the title. After that, it leaves a lot to be desired.

This is a compilation of (actual hand-written) passive-aggressive notes to roommates. Some of them are quite funny, but most are just so-so. There is an author comment on each note, which drags the book down. Then there are the notes that have handwriting that is illegible. It makes it hard to enjoy the humor when you don't know what is written.

I had high hopes for this book, but it was a fail.

[Godzilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lively, quick read which transported me back to my years of college and house sharing. Some great notes, some weird notes and some painfully familiar notes. I've had my share of anally retentive housemates obssessing over trivia, but my own personal nadir was a house mate who ate a pizza and drank a bottle of wine, leaving a note offering to replace them at a later date. Leaving me hungry and facing a trek to the off licence.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hilarious collection of notes left by roomates. Each page consists of a note left and the author either makes comment on the note or explains the situation. I haven't laughed so hard since I read Shit my Dad Says. I really enjoyed the imagination some people have and the excuses people use for their roomates. I loved it!
Although the book seems long, it's quite a fast read, I finished it in an hour.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing that kept this one from a 5-star rating is the fact that I don't find gross to be synonymous with funny. Gross is just gross.

But other than the gross ones, which wasn't even half of them, this was hilarious. I think anyone who has had to share space with another person for more than a day can appreciate this.

Also, some people are psycho, but that was hilarious in this context, too.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Lick My Cheese and Other Notes: From the Frontline of Flatsharing is an easy-to-read, amusing book. It's a compilation of notes, written by people who share flats, covering a variety of subjects. A few of the notes made me laugh out loud, but the biggest plus point for me was the fact that it didn't require much concentration!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually really like these types of books..
I didn't find that many of the notes funny or interesting and a huge amount were incredibly hard to read (partly because of bad handwriting and sometimes because it was photocopied blurry!) and those that were funny or interesting were slightly ruined by the huge amount of text that accompanied it and 'funny' remarks.
I prefer to read this sort of book where it is simple note after note after note and we're left to form our own opinions.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could totally relate to this book. Having flat-shared with 7 other people, notes were continuously left around the place, increasingly ruder and angrier as the year went by.
Whilst other people didn't enjoy the authors notes, I did. It broke up a book which can be flicked through, or time to read the explanations or thoughts behind the notes.

A throughly good read, especially if you have ever been in that position.

[Fourborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title "I Lick My Cheese" made me pick up this book. If you have ever had a roommate you'll immediately understand. This is a collection of notes left by real roommates to each other. The author added commentary about who, what, why etc...,I thought it would be a lot more humorous, but I only had two laugh out loud moments (my measure of humor). It was a light read, good for a read fix if you are addicted to reading and need to read now and finish it quickly.

[Mercedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mehehe. I couldn’t help giggling out loud whilst reading this. It’s a great present for anybody who’s faced or is thinking of facing flat sharing. Read it before, during, and after the experience. In hindsight there are many of these notes that I could relate to and several that I was glad I couldn’t! The only thing I didn’t like was that quite a few of the more self-explanatory notes had comments from the author that added little to the read and would have stood stronger alone.

[Delight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amusing collection of real notes left my roommates. After finishing this quick read, I was happy and relieved that those days are over for me (although my roommmates were great, I like my space!). These notes go to prove that if you're looking for a roommate, careful screening is a must!

[Petya · Rating 2 out of 5]

most of the actual notes are really funny - written on all kinds of materials, discussing crazy flat-sharing situations - some we've all been in, some surreally bizarre :)
sadly, the author's comments exceed the amount of note content and are far from amusing. the book would have been a hoot if it were only a collection of notes with much fewer comments. meh.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is funny, but there are many Europeon slang terms, flat, bum, bloke...that are a little hard to understand at first and then the writing on the notes themselves is so poor that you find yourself squinting to see if you can read it. Funny, but seriuosly don't buy it, swap it or find it at the library, laugh for a few minutes and then give it back.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book . That may be because I could relate to quite a lot of the notes throughout .
I must admit I skipped over some of the explanations as they were simply the authors thoughts rather than the actual back-story to the note .
No doubt I will find myself flicking through this on a semi-regular basis .