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We’ve all been there. You can feel it as the words are coming out of your mouth that you’ve made a terrible mistake. You misread the situation. You made a Freudian slip. And now, you’re desperately wishing that you could go back in time or become invisible.
As painful as these moments are, they’re also inevitable. And something that might make them a little easier to swallow is bonding with others who are just as socially awkward. TikTok users have recently been recalling their most uncomfortable moments when they completely misread social cues. From making inappropriate comments in doctors' offices to turning job interviews into nightmares for everyone involved, these stories might give you serious second-hand embarrassment, pandas. But we hope you’ll find them amusing too, so be sure to upvote the ones that make you smile!
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#1
Was waiting to use the bathroom on a flight and the captain was stood next to me and asked ‘’are you off on your holidays” and I responded “yes we’re heading to Antigua” like he wasn’t flying the god damn plane
That’s all I yam 12 hours ago
Yep. Know the feeling when the auto response kicks in and it's not appropriate for that one situation.
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#3
My boss called me over and said “are you available right now” and I apologised profusely and explained that no, I had a boyfriend. He looked BAFFLED and said “I wanted to know if you could run to the shops and get a bag of ice…”
#4
I threw my bra on stage at a punk show and the singer went on a rant of how disrespectful that was 😭 till this day I have nightmares about it
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
I wouldn't want someone's recently-worn jahooblies-holder either, especially knowing how infrequently most of us wash our bras :p
#5
Meeting the neighbours for the first time and the neighbour was explaining he has a teenage daughter with cerebral palsy. My dad misheard him and trying to relate said “yeah I have a daughter, she’s pretty ballsy too”
#6
I was getting blood drawn and i heard him say “make a face” so I laughed and like scrunched up my face…turns out he said “make a fist” .. so he could find a vein
Sara Frazer 11 hours ago
I'm sure the phlebotomist has mentioned this somewhere on Reddit in a wholesome way. Bet that made his day
#7
I went to the cinema it was a late showing so it was just me and my partner there in the whole cinema and we used to randomly chase each other so I saw someone walking up the stairs it was dark and they started running faster I ran faster I then look to my right to see my partner laughing their head off I was chasing a random cinema worker
#8
Someone I know got hit by a train, and later died. I went to the funeral and said “omg I look like I’ve been hit by a bus” and it still lives rent free in my head every day 😩
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago (edited)
A young man riding a motorcycle was struck and kílled right outside my family business's office. His family set up a small memorial near where it happened, and over time I got to know his family and ex-gf pretty well. They invited me to his memorial. On the one-year anniversary, I went to the "remembrance" gathering his family had, to pay my respects. I was in a very bad place in life at that point (deep suícidal ideation) and when the guy's mom gave me a hug and asked how I was doing, I said "I'm not déad yet!" That was almost a year ago and I am still cringing to this day.
#9
When a cute woman was waving at me very aggressively through her front house window as I was walking down the sidewalk. I stopped to smile and wave back. Suddenly she stopped waving and gave me a dirty look. I quickly realized she was washing her windows. 🤦
#10
I was in a meeting with my head of department in my corporate job, discussing a project with a tight deadline. I said “we are really touching cloth with this project” … I didn’t realise what this actually meant, I had thought it meant we are running out of time. We had to end the meeting as everyone couldn’t keep it together from laughing so much
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
Had to look it up as I'm a colonial XD " 'Touching cloth' is informal British slang meaning that someone urgently and desperately needs the toilet and is on the verge of a bathroom emergency." I suppose that could still mean you are "running out of time" XD
#11
Someone I liked at work asked me if I was free on Saturday evening.. I thought he was going to ask me out so I said yes! He then asked me to cover his shift
#12
When I worked as a waitress a old lady came out of the toilet and asked me to help her with her zip and I got on my knees and tried to pull her flies up and she looked me dead in the eye and went “no love, my coat” 🥲
#13
when i worked giving people covid vaccines a man came in with one arm and i asked if he was left or right handed... he replied "well for a lack of options i guess im a lefty" mortified
#14
went for a job interview, they asked how flexible I was. told them I used to do gymnastics and trampolining
#15
Said “hope to see you again soon” to a cancer patient when they were discharged for good from oncology because their cancer had been treated efficiently. I was on placement and got a write up for it 🙃
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
I feel conflicted that OP got written up for this. On one hand, I understand why, but on the other hand, a lot of us are conditioned from earliest childhood to utter banal pleasantries at the start and end of conversations and interactions with other people, especially if that other person is a stranger/client/customer/etc. (At least, we Americans are conditioned to do that, lol. I know not every culture has such a strong small-talk/conversation tendency.)
#16
My fricking mouth will automatically copy people’s accents without my permission. It’s mortifying.
Roxy222uk 4 hours ago
This is a well known phenomenon. It appears to be a subconscious attempt to fit in with someone else and help them feel at home. It’s easily distinguishable from the stupid mocking way some people react when they hear an accent they’re not used to. Once for a job I hung out for a few weeks with a Welsh girl and I couldn’t get over how many people (let’s be honest, men) on hearing her accent laughed and did cod Welsh back at her. It really brought home what other people live with on the daily that we don’t know about. How she never ståbbed anyone I’ll never know.
#17
First day on the job my new manager went to shake my hand and I handed him my jacket 😭😭
Sara Frazer 11 hours ago
💀 I have never ever handed someone my jacket unless they offered, what kind of "I have butlers" mentality is this
#18
No lie a girl I know at a job interviewed was asked what she would bring to the job she said.. ‘my coat, my lunch, my bag?’ HAHAHAHA.
Sara Frazer 11 hours ago
Well, if they didn't specify what kind of flexibility, that's on them! (Me, so painfully socially awkward I keep thinking of ways to defend these poor people because of my second-hand embarrassment lol...)
#19
I was at a local op shop and I didn't have enough cash on me so I said to the lady serving me "I need to go to the atm I'll be back soon". Then a lady behind me in the line asked me "how short are you?" I said "5'4" and walked away. Wasn't until I left the shop and got home later that I realised she wasn't asking about my height.
That’s all I yam 11 hours ago (edited)
Yep, syntactic ambiguity. Occasionally happens to all of us.
#20
Sat in the hairdresser’s chair, thought she asked me “when’s your party”…thought, odd, not having one, started banging on about being someone that isn’t fussed and prefers having low-key bday celebrations. 10 mins in she says “so down the middle yeah?” OH PARTING RIGHT GOTCHA, it’s been 8 years it still keeps me up at night
#21
Someone asked if I could roll my ‘r’s I misheard it as rolling my eyes and kept rolling my eyes at the poor man as exaggeratedly as possible when he repeated the question
#23
I worked at a coffee shop and I heard someone say that "espresso gives me the runs." I thought that meant that it made you run all over the place because of the caffeine. I would tell customers and other employees that coffee gave me the runs and that I liked it since it made me work faster
#24
Not really a social cue thing but I work in healthcare and I was actively looking for a patients second shoe for a WHILE and he just watched me search for it. Meanwhile one of his legs had JUST been AMPUTATED. Worst day of my life 😭😭
#25
Not the same buuut, In a job interview he asked what animal I would be and why I said on the spot a giraffe because I look down on people🙃 In my head I meant to say people look upto me… I didn’t get the job
#26
I was walking home listening to music and people started running past me. For some reason I thought something terrible had happened and started running with them. I accidentally joined a running club 🫠🙈
WindySwede 11 hours ago
I guess you can se with clothing and facial expressions if they are terrified or just exhausted in running clothes?
#27
I waitresses at a club and a guy gave me a $50.00 to get him coke… I said sir, coke is only $2.50! 🤦🏼♀️
#28
My aunt was stressing about her kids running around, and I said “it’s okay, nobody’s dying.” We were at a funeral. Her HUSBANDS FUNERAL.
#29
A woman from work visited me in hospital after I had my first baby. She asked if she could have a cuddle. I was rather surprised but I put baby down and held out my arms. She looked at me and said ‘I meant can I hold your baby’ 🫣😂
#30
I once put change in a homeless woman's cup at a bus station. turns out she wasn't homeless and the cup had coffee in it
#31
I was in a boutique shop and saw a pretty sandal so I tried it on and walked to in front of a mirror to see better. When I asked the shopkeeper if I could have the other shoe to really get a feel for the look of the shoe, a customer quietly walked up to me and told me I had actually taken off around the shop wearing her personal shoe from home while she was trying on shoes that were actually for sale 🥲
Sara Frazer 11 hours ago
Do you just, pick up a lone sandal off the floor..?? Most times the shoes for sale are on shelves/displays
#32
Coworker opened a bag of crisps and offered them, she pulled one out I just casually ate it off her hand?! Why 😩
#33
Not my story my husband. At the end of a conversation, his boss held his fist out for a fist bump. My husband grabbed his fist and opened it up, thinking he had a sweet in his hand or something 😂😂
#34
I was getting injections in my very lower back and the doctor was cleaning the area, and actually wiped like in my cheeks and I blurted out ‘wow thought you’d buy me dinner first’ and he just looked
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
I'd imagine most doctors would get a chuckle out of that unless they were really strait-laced XD
#35
Someone told me they had recently lost their dog, I asked if they had put up missing posters… the dog had died
#36
I worked in a call centre and got off the bus and instead of thank you SHOUTED ' Hi can I help'
#37
Sat in the hairdressers chair 9 months pregnant, she asked if I knew what I was having, I said balayage 😔
nottheactualphoto 4 hours ago
Same mirror image, and again why. Belayage is when you tie something off... I think?
#38
I went to pick up parcel from a newsagent containing some workout leggings - she asked what’s the name? I thought she meant the brand so I said ‘Sweaty Betty’ she was like oook. It says Jo on here though…. 🫠
Binky Melnik 7 hours ago
😆 The poor clerk, having to wait on Sweaty Betty! 😆 I’m sooo grateful mine were Danskin.
#39
Asked a blind lady would she like a receipt and she replied “well no, I can’t see it”
#40
1st day at a new job. Boss showing me around. 'and here's our gym' 'Seriously?! Oooh can I see?' Me breaking my neck looking into the break room while saying 'great idea for mental & physical health. Love that!' As Jim the employee walked out 🥸🥸🥸
#41
I went for a run, there was a cyclist who put his arm out to signal turning right.. I thought he wanted a high five😅😳
WindySwede 11 hours ago
"There where some crazy person hitting my hand and then running after me!"
#42
When I was pregnant with my son I had a scare and my dad ran me to hospital and they said “is this dad?” And I said yeah because I thought they meant my dad and not the babies and then she asked how long we’d been together 💀🤣
#43
a lady came in my shop and tried on 3 dresses, she came out and was almost crying. she said im just so big, id love to change it, it's getting me down, I said don't cry there's things can be done. a gastric band. she said what?? im talking about being big chested 🤯
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
You can absolutely get a breást reduction, and if they're large enough, it may even be covered by medical insurance, as giant jahoobies can cause pain and back issues and other medical problems!
#44
At the dentist the other day, went to move my head back to the headrest after rinsing, rested my head on the dentist and not the head rest. MORTIFIED.
Binky Melnik 7 hours ago (edited)
Where can people still spit? We can’t do it anymore in the US, and I’m unsure why, but spritzing my mouth and then suctioning it isn’t nearly enough to get the bits out, and I hate it! (The last dentist I saw, a GORGEOUS Persian-Caucasian mix, took my breath way, and I told him I hadn’t heard what he’d said because I got lost in his eyes (they were BLUE!) and he told me his mother thinks his brother is handsomer, and would I like to see a photo of him? I nearly jumped on him to grab his phone to see someone even better-looking, and it turned out to be a rabbit. Very funny, mom. (Not funny at all.) (Don’t tease old women about secksy things then show us pets; we might bite you with our dentures, or wallop you with our canes.)
#45
My coworker was telling me about her ex, I asked why they broke up. She said he was sick. I said ‘sick in the head?’ and laughed, she said ‘no, cancer.’ 🫡
Sara Frazer 11 hours ago
So, she broke up with him because he had cancer?? Or is that a weird way of saying they were separated because he left this earthly realm?? If it's the first option that's fúcked up
#46
bless my mum she's not great at understanding accents, the lady serving us ice-cream said cup or cone? but mum heard Capricorn? and very enthusiastically responded yes I am a Capricorn! 👀👀
#47
I was sat waiting for an interview and read the interviewers name so facebook stalked him but he called me in as I was looking. To my horror mid interview he glanced at his phone and looked at me and asked had I shared something on Facebook. I said no and continued. As soon as I got out I checked my phone and I’d shared his profile picture 😳.
#48
I walked into a tattoo shop once and asked 'do you do tattoos?' instead of 'do you do walk-ins?' This was almost 10 years ago and I'll never forget it
#49
My mums friend had an important business meeting with about ten people. In his head he wanted to say “thanks Pat.” But he stood up and said “fat pat.” 🤣
Binky Melnik 7 hours ago
Ah, he’s; there’s no fixing this one. I really hope Pat was as thin as a reed.
#50
A car honked me today and I thought it was someone I knew so I smiled and waved, then I realised they were just telling me to get out of the way 😞
#51
driving instructor asked me if I went out much "round here" I proceeded to tell her about the pubs and night life. then realised she meant the roads
#52
Told my nail tech at the salon I go to “your amazing and everyone always asks for you , you should make your own salon !” She said “this is my salon and my staff” 😭😭🤣🤣
#53
At the airport with my partner, waiting for our suitcases. And I said ‘you know which one’s mine because it looks like it’s about to explode’ 🙃
#54
I went for a job interview and we walked past the staff room and she said sorry can you smell noodles and I said yes and started to spell noodles like N O O D L E S I thought she said spell
#55
Was at the opticians and needed my new glasses tightening. So I just leaned forward towards the optician and he was like “Oh.. just take them off and pass me them” 🫠
Binky Melnik 7 hours ago
I’m laughing imagining the optician tightening my glasses while I’m wearing them! “How’s that? A little more?”
#56
Didn’t realise this guy had a stutter and he introduced himself to me and stuttered his name (I thought he was just nervous) so I thought to kill the awkwardness of him stuttering I shook his hand and stuttered my own name the same way and let’s just say the gasps were loud
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago (edited)
I feel like even the most socially awkward critter out there would know that that would come out as mocking and not ice-breaking XD
#57
Flight attendant here, operated an overnight duty with two pilots I’d never met, the captain called me up to the flight deck, turned around, smiled and said ‘would I be pushing the friendship if I asked for a coffee?’ I completely misread his vibe and replied ‘oh that’s sweet but I have a boyfriend’. Dude literally just wanted a coffee. I’ve never wished to be ejected from an aircraft more in my life.
#58
In a job interview they asked me "what cartoon character would you describe yourself as" and every thought I've ever had left my head and I said "Pippi Longstocking, because I get things done."
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What do you think ?
Kathy Brooke 3 hours ago
A lot of these reflect the dangers of "phatic" speech - the talking we do to connect with people without actually saying anything. Much of it is done with stock phrases, and it's easy to accidentally use the wrong one.
Beak Hookage 5 hours ago
Family member informed me my sick grandmother was "on her way out". I looked blankly at him and said "uh, where is she going?" (Rest in peace, Grandma).
Kathy Brooke 3 hours ago
A lot of these reflect the dangers of "phatic" speech - the talking we do to connect with people without actually saying anything. Much of it is done with stock phrases, and it's easy to accidentally use the wrong one.
Beak Hookage 5 hours ago
Family member informed me my sick grandmother was "on her way out". I looked blankly at him and said "uh, where is she going?" (Rest in peace, Grandma).
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