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The situation is;
One of your friends/colleagues suddenly appears from your behind and says "Boo!" You are so surprised.
What is typical words to say to him/her when you want him/her to stop it but want to deliver the words friendly?
I come up with "You startled me!" and "Don't scare me!" Could you tell me alternative words for them?
I do this often. They tell me
- Don't do that!
- Stop it!
- Quit it!
among other things. Each is usually preceded by
Oh my god
I think it depends on how you say it, not so much what you say. If you say it in a nice, playful manner, then that is how it will come off. If you say it sternly then that is how it will come off.
You could call him/her cheeky. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines it as, 'slightly rude or showing no respect, but often in a funny way.'
You could say something like:
Oi, cheeky, don't scare me.
You could also say the words in a friendly or playful way.
You could tell your friend
Please don't do that, you really scared me.
Do you want to give me a heart attack?
Don't scare me like that!
However, if you do have the presence of mind and don't look too startled, you can just say "Boo!" back to your friend in a calm tone of voice, it will probably annoy your friend to no end.
