Phrasing

This guy who lives right around the corner from us always tries to bum cigarettes, no matter how many times we tell him we don't smoke, but today he's changed tactics.

"Can you lend me a dollar for some food?" he asks.

A few blocks later, I realize what's been bothering me, and say, "That was sort of a weird way to ask, right?"

"How do you think he would have reacted if we'd said, 'Man, you owe me from the last dollar I lent you!'" Katie agrees.