when good comments/questions go bad

[radiantquest]

Date: 2/23/2010 1:57:43 PM
Author: Haven
I had to come back because I just realized I didn''t share my best story in this thread.

Shortly after I was first hired at my former school I found myself with one other teacher in the copy room. He was this really good looking, young guy, and I knew that he had a reputation for being hilarious.
I introduced myself, to which he replied ''Nice to meet you, I''m Serry _______.'' So, I then said ''Serry, that''s a really interesting name. Where does it come from?''
His reply: ''Oh, I have eleven siblings and all our names rhyme--Serry, Lerry, Teri, Meri, Beri, Kerry . . . '' and he proceeded to rattle of twelve rhyming names very quickly.
Well, I (naturally) thought he was joking so I busted out in a huge, full-throated guffaw, and said ''That''s hilarious. I love it.''
His response:

''Um, no really, I have eleven siblings and all of our names rhyme. The girls'' names end in ''eri'' and the guys'' names end in ''erry''.
My response: ''Oh, um . . .

. . . I''m so sorry. I thought you were joking.''
Him: ''Well, nice to meet you.''

So I not only managed to laugh in his face, but I then tried to make up for it by saying ''I thought you were joking''!?!?!

AAAAAAAAAH! It was awful. I told my department the story at lunch and they relentlessly brought it up for the following three years whenever they felt the need for a good laugh.

After that, whenever I ran into Serry in school I would just blush, bow my head, and shuffle on. Humiliating.

My mothers best friend in high school was named Melinda. She was one of a bunch and all ended in inda. Belinda, Verinda, and there were several that didnt even sound like a name.

 

[Girlrocks]

Date: 2/23/2010 8:53:16 PM
Author: Vancity
I was participating in a focus group for a well known local restaurant chain. When I 1st entered the room, I noticed I was the only woman present. Not a problem. I''m at ease anywhere.

Everyone starts to introduce themselves, and says a few words about the restaurant....

Attention turns to me, and I announce how much I l*love* their BBQ ribs, followed by a very robust:

''I can eat most men under the table!''

A hush fell over the room, quickly followed by uproarious laughter. Turns out the CEO was behind the one-way mirror. He comes out after the session, and hands me a gift certificate for $250, and says he hasn''t laughed that hard in 20 years.

...and that is story of how I made a room full of grown men cry

OMG-I am serious...this and the sniffing the mitt...I am CRYING I am laughing so hard!!!

 

[somethingshiny]

Vancity! Hilarious!!

I thought of a couple of my own verbal short comings. I worked with my best friend for many years. While we were trying to carry a Christmas tree up the stairs she kept shouting "just grab it, grab it" because it kept leaning so badly. Finally, I figured out how to stabilize the tree and yelled, "Now that I know where to put my hands I can keep it up!" Most of the office heard this.


Another time someone brought in an dessert. It had a yummy cream cheese icing but I wasn''t sure about what was under it. So, my best friend says (in front of the 3 dr''s we work for and about 5 co workers) "You stick your finger in the top and I''ll eat the bottom." SO, I immediately stuck out my index finger and said "okay."

 

[bee*]

I can only remember one-I worked in an insurance company and I had to call around people who hadn''t renewed just to see if they were going to. I rang and asked for a lady and the man on the phone said that she wasn''t there. I asked what time did he think she''d be there at so I could get in touch with her and there was silence and then he said she''s dead. I felt so bad.

 

[Delster]

Oh bee that must have been awful! But you weren''t to know...

 

[oddoneout]

Date: 2/23/2010 7:02:02 PM
Author: whitby_2773
about 20 years ago (clearly i''m not over this) i was at the hairdresser with my best friend. my hair was just finished, having been cut and styled. wendy''s was still being dried and another stationary hair dryer was also going, so there was plenty of noise in the salon. the hairdresser walked away from me and wendy was making admiring comments about my hair.


i was very pleased with how it had come out, so i nodded and said...



''yes...'' (at this point both wendy''s hair dryer turns off and so does the other dryer, so salon is dead silent)


''...i think it''s the best blow job i''ve ever had!''


(blow DRY job, whitby...blow DRY job!)


i was hugely embarrassed, but i thought wendy was going to choke on her own tongue, she was laughing so hard.

I''m sorry but that is really hilarious.

 

[oddoneout]

Date: 2/23/2010 8:53:16 PM
Author: Vancity
I was participating in a focus group for a well known local restaurant chain. When I 1st entered the room, I noticed I was the only woman present. Not a problem. I''m at ease anywhere.


Everyone starts to introduce themselves, and says a few words about the restaurant....


Attention turns to me, and I announce how much I l*love* their BBQ ribs, followed by a very robust:


''I can eat most men under the table!''



A hush fell over the room, quickly followed by uproarious laughter. Turns out the CEO was behind the one-way mirror. He comes out after the session, and hands me a gift certificate for $250, and says he hasn''t laughed that hard in 20 years.


...and that is story of how I made a room full of grown men cry

So I guess the embarassment was worth it if you got a gift card.

 

[Haven]

Date: 2/23/2010 8:53:16 PM
Author: Vancity
I was participating in a focus group for a well known local restaurant chain. When I 1st entered the room, I noticed I was the only woman present. Not a problem. I'm at ease anywhere.

Everyone starts to introduce themselves, and says a few words about the restaurant....

Attention turns to me, and I announce how much I l*love* their BBQ ribs, followed by a very robust:

'I can eat most men under the table!'

A hush fell over the room, quickly followed by uproarious laughter. Turns out the CEO was behind the one-way mirror. He comes out after the session, and hands me a gift certificate for $250, and says he hasn't laughed that hard in 20 years.
...and that is story of how I made a room full of grown men cry

This.is.HILARIOUS!!!!

I love this story.

I once said something similar but not nearly as funny. At least, I didn't think it was that funny, and I definitely wasn't given any gift cards for saying it.
I think I've shared this on PS before.

This is from my high school teaching days. I was modeling how to give an original oratory to a class of sophomores, and so I delivered a speech *about* giving speeches. Clever, right? Well, as we all know, timing is very important during oration, and I made a fatal mistake that day. The line was: Today I am going to share tips on how to give good oral presentations . . .
*except*
I paused.
Between "oral" and "presentations."
The result, of course, was that I told a room full of 16 year olds that "Today I am going to share tips on how to give good oral . . . "

It was awful. Uproarious laughter doesn't even begin to describe the response to that line.

Needless to say, I revised my word choice for my next speech demo.

 

[bee*]

Date: 2/24/2010 9:45:15 AM
Author: Delster
Oh bee that must have been awful! But you weren''t to know...

Yep it was definitely a foot in mouth moment but the guy was pretty nice about it. Awkward though!!

 

[Gayletmom]

Date: 2/23/2010 11:36:24 PM
Author: Girlrocks

Date: 2/23/2010 8:53:16 PM

Author: Vancity

I was participating in a focus group for a well known local restaurant chain. When I 1st entered the room, I noticed I was the only woman present. Not a problem. I''m at ease anywhere.


Everyone starts to introduce themselves, and says a few words about the restaurant....


Attention turns to me, and I announce how much I l*love* their BBQ ribs, followed by a very robust:


''I can eat most men under the table!''



A hush fell over the room, quickly followed by uproarious laughter. Turns out the CEO was behind the one-way mirror. He comes out after the session, and hands me a gift certificate for $250, and says he hasn''t laughed that hard in 20 years.


...and that is story of how I made a room full of grown men cry

OMG-I am serious...this and the sniffing the mitt...I am CRYING I am laughing so hard!!!

I''m laughing out loud and my 14 year old son, who is in the next room, says "what''s so funny, mom?" "Oh nothing, honey, just some silly stuff on the internet". I can''t exactly report that I am cracking up about sniffing mitts and eating men under the table!

A foot-in-mouth that I witnessed many years ago that has stuck with me: My friend Adrienne and I were visiting at a young couple''s house. We were all in our mid-twenties, trying to set up household and these new friends had this gorgeous, gracious, old New Orleans house overflowing with antique furniture and objets d''art from all over the world. Adrienne was just a bit too curious and complimented the home and decor before asking "how did you manage to assemble such beautiful antiques and unusual collections at such a young age?" The husband replied "my parents both died two years ago, within 8 months of each other". Adrienne was so flustered that she blurted out "oh, how lucky for you". She then stammered and stuttered around trying to apologize. It was so awful that I feel embarrassed for her, even now!

 

[Strawdermangrl]

Date: 2/22/2010 10:50:09 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I asked an acquaintance when she was ''due'' and she told me she wasn''t exepcting--only ''fat''. (she used those words). No amount of apologizing could help that foot in mouth.

cheers--Sharon

I was shopping at Ann Taylor the other day and the lady behind counter was ADORABLE, tiny with this basketball belly. She looked like 7 months,tops, just all belly. I asked her when she was due, she responded "oh, I already had him" I was like "Congratulations!! Pretty recent?" Her response registered all over my face, I am sure. "No, he is almost a year old".

Foot.Mouth.Done. I was like, "oh, yeah. Fun age" Fun age? Really? Pretty much stammering at that point, only thing that would have made that moment more unbearable would have been if my CC would have been declined.

 

[charbie]

Date: 2/24/2010 9:31:58 AM
Author: bee*
I can only remember one-I worked in an insurance company and I had to call around people who hadn''t renewed just to see if they were going to. I rang and asked for a lady and the man on the phone said that she wasn''t there. I asked what time did he think she''d be there at so I could get in touch with her and there was silence and then he said she''s dead. I felt so bad.

Yeah...try doing lead-based calls when you work for a nursing home. You get lots of, "oh they died" responses. I ruin days all the time.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 2/25/2010 9:06:24 AM
Author: Strawdermangrl

Date: 2/22/2010 10:50:09 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I asked an acquaintance when she was ''due'' and she told me she wasn''t exepcting--only ''fat''. (she used those words). No amount of apologizing could help that foot in mouth.

cheers--Sharon

I was shopping at Ann Taylor the other day and the lady behind counter was ADORABLE, tiny with this basketball belly. She looked like 7 months,tops, just all belly. I asked her when she was due, she responded ''oh, I already had him'' I was like ''Congratulations!! Pretty recent?'' Her response registered all over my face, I am sure. ''No, he is almost a year old''.

Foot.Mouth.Done. I was like, ''oh, yeah. Fun age'' Fun age? Really? Pretty much stammering at that point, only thing that would have made that moment more unbearable would have been if my CC would have been declined.

LOL, Renee! Fun age . . .

I have had one or two "when are you due?" blunders myself. But, to my credit, one of them was at the OB/GYN''s office and the other occured at a Ben & Jerry''s.

Looking back, I probably shouldn''t have said anything to the woman at Ben & Jerry''s. . .

 

[Strawdermangrl]

Date: 2/25/2010 9:44:00 AM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 2/25/2010 9:06:24 AM
Author: Strawdermangrl

Date: 2/22/2010 10:50:09 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I asked an acquaintance when she was ''due'' and she told me she wasn''t exepcting--only ''fat''. (she used those words). No amount of apologizing could help that foot in mouth.

cheers--Sharon

I was shopping at Ann Taylor the other day and the lady behind counter was ADORABLE, tiny with this basketball belly. She looked like 7 months,tops, just all belly. I asked her when she was due, she responded ''oh, I already had him'' I was like ''Congratulations!! Pretty recent?'' Her response registered all over my face, I am sure. ''No, he is almost a year old''.

Foot.Mouth.Done. I was like, ''oh, yeah. Fun age'' Fun age? Really? Pretty much stammering at that point, only thing that would have made that moment more unbearable would have been if my CC would have been declined.

LOL, Renee! Fun age . . .

I have had one or two ''when are you due?'' blunders myself. But, to my credit, one of them was at the OB/GYN''s office and the other occured at a Ben & Jerry''s.

Looking back, I probably shouldn''t have said anything to the woman at Ben & Jerry''s. . .

BWAHAHAHAHA...Ben and Jerrys. Priceless.