What misunderstandings have you allowed someone to labour under because you were too polite to correct them?

[wellthisisembarassing]

I'll start.

In my lounge is a photo from when the dc were tiny and they met Belle and the Beast at Disneyland.

The dc are all dressed up next to the characters. When my friend saw the picture she started to exclaim at how amazing we looked and especially ME, how stunningly beautiful and different I looked.

But of course it wasn't me, it was a Disney princess actress.

I was going to correct her but she got so into gushing about how well turned out I am in that photo compared to normal I thought I'd spare her embarrassment, so now I hide that photo whenever she comes round

That my name is Alice. It isn't.

My first boss thought I was about five years younger than I was and that I was some sort of wunderkind.

I was too nervous and junior to ever correct him.

A guy on the next street waves at dh everytime dh passes on his motorbike. We have no clue who he is but dh waves back everytime! We think one day the guy waved in error and because dh waved back the guy must feel compelled to continue pretending he knows dh

A neighbour used to call dh Brian. Nothing like dh's name. I did correct him loads but he continued with Brian. First Xmas card from him to Brian and my name. Then a few years later it became Xmas card to Brian and Geraldine. My name's nothing like Geraldine

I did a parachute solo jump. The instructor spent the day calling me Amanda. I'm not called Amanda or anything like it. Was too intimidated by him ( was early 20's then)

My ex DH (shudder) looked a bit like that chap off the early days of either X Factor or Britain's Got Talent - the one with longish greying hair, a beard and "Medallion man" image.

We once got cornered in our local Iceland by a most persistent female "fan" who was convinced he was said Z list celeb incognito and no amount of good natured correction would convince her. In the end Ex DH squiggled on her receipt and we bolted. Ex DH upped his grooming game considerably after that......

Neighbour thought we were Brian and Tina, as did all his family... When he sadly died we sent a wreath from Brian and Tina.

We are John and Nancy and spent 3 years of the 8 we lived next door correcting him, before giving up.

My neighbour calls me Maggie.

She sends me Xmas cards every year "To Maggie"

Its been 12 years and im far too British to correct her now. I've accepted my name is Maggie

My neighbour calls my DP a name similar to his but not his and our dog a completely different name I always dread she’s asked to describe us if we ever go missing as the only name she would get right would be mine ! She’s 87 and hard of hearing so I don’t have the bottle to correct her .

I was a mature student at uni and another student was convinced I was struggling with the lab reports and kept giving me well meaning if rather patronising advice. I kept quiet because I didn't want to embarrass her - it was a mistake because I ran into her when the results were posted - and I got a first to her third.

I was going to a friend's wedding in a touristy place — very expensive, and very difficult to find anywhere. In the end, in desperation, a male friend and I decided to share, and booked a twin room at a hotel.

We'd driven up together, the traffic was awful and we were much later than expected. They'd accidentally double booked the room "but don't worry, we've found somewhere for you" lots of smiles etc. I thought it was a bit weird, but was very tired so just pleased they'd sorted it.

They'd given us the bridal suite. We didn't want to look ungrateful, so put the bolster down the middle of the bed and got on with it! It wouldn't have been so bad, but your breakfast tables corresponded to your room, so everything was set up as if we were a couple.

My friend didn't want to ring his girlfriend while we were there in case the hotel staff thought he was two-timing me.

Went on a work meal out for someone's birthday, I threw up in work the following afternoon.

Work colleague sympathised "oh did you have the goat cheese too? I've been feeling dicky all day"

I'd not had the goat cheese I was pregnant but not yet telling people so I didn't correct her.

So far so fair enough...

Except she then went round telling everyone we should never go to that restaurant again

I managed to counteract later but felt guilty for years!

These are so fabulously awkward

Absolutely loads. I'm so bad at correcting people because it just seems mortifying. Even if it isn't.

One I remember was when old family friends were asking me about my sister being at Cambridge University. near where they lived. I'd said I'd visited a lot. They asked how long it took me to get there. How beautiful it was. Which was my favourite college. Which pubs had I visited etc etc. I chatted away for a long time about it all.

But my sister was at Oxford University! Why didn't I just correct them immediately when their first question mentioned Cambridge? I'd never been to Cambridge!

I think I have to take the prize for wussiness at not correcting someone. I worked in a nursery back in 2015 - all the children called me 'Miss Pretzels' apart from one boy who got it into his head my name was 'Smith'. He didn't even bother with the 'Miss' - he'd just call 'Smith!' and I would answer. That was a 3 year old I was too polite to correct.

One day he overheard another child calling me 'Miss Pretzels' - he stared at them like they were insane

During an introductory session at work I was paired with someone from another office. We had to chat about our lives and then the other person would tell the whole group about what they'd learned about you. We'd spoken about pets and I said I had 4 or 5 guinea pigs - he introduced me as the girl who had 45 guinea pigs. This amazing amount of guinea pigs prompted several people to stop him talking so I could explain exactly where they all lived, how I took care of them etc. I didn't want him to feel daft so carried on the charade, making up all sorts of crap to explain my life as the guinea pig lady.
Years later I was still being asked about them and having to lie about the latest 5 that 'died' and how I was so distraught about their deaths that I couldn't possibly replace them.
I was friends with the lad for several years and never could bring myself to tell him the truth.

Not me but when I started work at my last job I discovered after a while that everyone thought that my male colleague, who I shared an office with, was gay and single. I actually went to the gym every week with his wife of almost 40 years. They didn't believe me. He also has no idea why nobody ever asked him about his private life, his marriage wasn't a secret or anything.

My neighbour has a dog with a name like Sarah and a daughter called something along the lines of Trixie. I thought for ages that Trixie was the dog until I asked if Sarah was looking forward to starting school.

@catfeets 😂 that is hilarious!

I'm a teacher and so have my first and middle name on my Facebook... I am ALWAYS getting called my middle name! I don't bother saying anything now I just answer!

It happens on Facebook when my name us there in black and white and often in real life too by about 6 different people (one who isn't even on Facebook!),

I must just look like a "Louise" instead of a "Deborah" (not my names).

I also feel embarrassed about not being able to drive so I often just say "oh my husband has the car" when people ask where I've parked... although I did once pretend I drove and a conversation about which direction I'd travelled and what a pain the lights were...

@catfeets

During an introductory session at work I was paired with someone from another office. We had to chat about our lives and then the other person would tell the whole group about what they'd learned about you. We'd spoken about pets and I said I had 4 or 5 guinea pigs - he introduced me as the girl who had 45 guinea pigs. This amazing amount of guinea pigs prompted several people to stop him talking so I could explain exactly where they all lived, how I took care of them etc. I didn't want him to feel daft so carried on the charade, making up all sorts of crap to explain my life as the guinea pig lady. Years later I was still being asked about them and having to lie about the latest 5 that 'died' and how I was so distraught about their deaths that I couldn't possibly replace them. I was friends with the lad for several years and never could bring myself to tell him the truth.

@catfeets This has made my YEAR 😂

I got totally confused at my first (and numerous following) Slimming World meetings, I became convinced the the consultants husband was called Elvis.. it made sense to me coz she talked about him all the time and about his busy week, what SW meals he'd enjoyed etc... All well and good until I met her husband and realised that Elvis is her dog!! Husband's name is nowhere near Elvis

I’m a twin and have been mistaken for my sister many times but a couple of good ones:

• party at my sister’s newish house. A friend of her DH (who I’d also met a few times) started complementing me on all the recent redecorating and home improvements and asking me how I liked the area etc. I played along hoping I could gently correct him when he paused for breath. Then my DH reappeared from the loo and gave me a big kiss (on the cheek, but still) ... his face ... then my sister came in and the penny dropped. Poor guy!

• once had an entire conversation with someone who I gathered must have been one of my sister’s university tutors. She had stopped me in the street of the city DS studied in, a few years after we graduated. I answered her questions as if I was my DS. Too embarrassed to explain to her and she was so nice!

at the guinea pigs

I was at a theme park in Hong Kong and left my early adult DD stood on her own to go to the toilet. As I was walking back I saw a Chinese teen approach DD to pose in a selfie with her. In seconds there was a queue of half a dozen teenagers patiently waiting to take their own selfie with DD. More kept joinIng the queue and it took 15 minutes to get through them all.

To this day we have no idea who they thought she was.

My nans old neighbour bless her said to me once "do you remember the time when your mum fell over when she was pregnant to you" I was baffled but then smiled and said oh yes. My mum did have a bad fall though and was taken to hospital when she was pregnant to me. Apparently she was bruised from top back to bottom.