We all put our foot in our mouth sometimes. It's just an inevitable part of life.
Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
This experience is so common and can be so funny that it's not surprising that when TikTok user trippi_lil_hippi asked people to tell her "about a time [they] seriously misread social cues and made it weird," over 3 million people watched the video, and over 37,000 people commented.
So here are 21 times people's brains went on a brief vacation and left them to fend for themselves:
1. "The guy at Starbucks took my order, and I guess my brain was thinking he was going to ask, 'Anything else?' So when he said, 'Have a nice day,' I said, 'No.' He said, 'Ok, no pressure.' I wanted to die."
2. "I was in a chocolate store, and it looked like the woman working there was putting out free samples on the counter, so I took one. She was actually preparing a customer's order. They both stared at me, horrified, while I stood there chewing."
3. "One time I was out yard sale shopping, and I went up to this one garage sale and started looking. Turns out this woman was just CLEANING HER GARAGE. THERE WAS NO SALE. I WALKED INTO A WOMAN'S GARAGE TO SHOP."
4. "I thought the bartender said, 'You look nice!' So I said 'Aw, thanks!' and did a little twirl. She repeated herself and said, 'Would you like ice?' with a scoop in hand and everything."
5. "My husband said, 'Whatever tosses your salad' in a work meeting because he thought it meant the same thing as 'whatever floats your boat.'"
6. "I was buying a bottle of wine and a can of ravioli when the cashier asked, 'Birthday?' and I said, 'No, it’s not my birthday, just a rough day.' Then I realized she needed my birthday date for the purchase."
7. "The first and last time I ever spoke in court, I called the judge 'your majesty' by accident instead of 'your honor.'"
8. "A guy introduced himself as 'Pita,' so I called him Pita. This lasted for about a week, after which I realized he just had a Boston accent."
9. "I had just moved to NYC. A group of tourists stopped me on the sidewalk and asked for directions to the subway. I gave them directions to a Subway sandwich shop around the corner."
10. "I thought my neighbor was my DoorDash driver, and I grabbed her bag from her hands."
11. "One time in high school, my principal announced we’d have Monday off from school, which happened to be my birthday. I jumped up and cheered…before he commented that a teacher passed away overnight and her funeral would be held that day."
12. "I was hiking and passing a man who said, 'Good morning!' I opened my mouth to say it back, but an aggressive burp came out right as we passed each other. I just kept going."
13. "I could never figure out why my coworker, Adele, seemed so bothered by me. After she quit, I learned that her name is Emily."
14. "The iconic Lucy Liu popped out of a store in front of me. She was super excited, waving and saying hello. I waved back, equally excited…turns out her friend was right behind me."
15. "I'm an actress and was on set. I approached a guy, pointed at his outfit, and said, 'Isn’t it crazy what wardrobe puts us in sometimes? This outfit is ridiculous!' And he goes, 'These are my clothes.'"
16. "I was taking an Uber to the airport, and the driver asked, 'American?' I proceeded to say my nationality and entire backstory around it for him to then say, 'Nice, but American Airlines or...?'"
17. "I saw a guy trip and fall on the sidewalk and rushed forward to help him. I was thinking, 'I hope they’re alright' and 'Did they get hurt?' at the same time. I kneeled down, locked eyes, and said, 'I hope you’re hurt.'"
18. "I was working in a theatre selling ice cream with no card machine. A man asked if I had a card machine, and instead of saying 'I’m afraid not,' I looked him dead in the eye and said, 'I am not afraid.'"
19. "I had a phone interview for a job I really wanted, and when she said, 'Tell me about yourself,' I panicked and said, 'I'm a girl,' and we sat silently for what felt like five minutes. My brain just froze. I didn't get the job."
20. "I got into an elevator with a woman who told me what button to press. I hesitated so badly that I said, 'Sorry, I’m blind.' She looked mortified, pressed the button, and I had to stare off as if I were really blind."
21. And finally, "A waiter at a fancy seafood restaurant cut my steak for me and had it on the fork. He was handing me the fork, but I leaned over and took the bite like he was feeding me. The silence was deafening."
There you have it, 21 times people had delightfully embarrassing little slip-ups. Have you ever had a similar experience of your own? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.