Lynne Kiesling
Let me just state for the record that Alex's telling his wife that he'll appreciate the peace and quiet of an empty house is not a function of gender (or, at least not solely). I have been know to make similarly tactless (to use Tim Worstall's word) remarks to the KP Spouse, who is an incredibly patient soul. And perhaps economists are a bit lacking in tact ...
I believe that, given the audience is his wife, what Alex lacks is not tact, but survival instinct.
...but, not all economists are also cute and charming.
Isn't he the guy who claims that potential economics PhDs need GRE quantitative scores of greater than 800?
Anybody who has a math score that high is like Rainman.
Noo....us, lacking in tact? What are you, nuts?
And the KP Spouse, being both an incredibly patient soul and the Imp of the Perverse made flesh, is I suspect more amused than anything by, er, directness.