What have you said to embarrass yourself?

[Whatafanny]

DB just asked if I knew that the saying was 'for all INTENTS and purposes' as he's being saying 'for all INTENSIVE purposes' 🤣

Got me thinking about the time I embarrassed myself at work. I was 21, PA to the CEO of an investment management company and had been tasked with buying new furniture for the reception area of the office. I had 101 things to do (most of them his personal stuff rather than work related) and was struggling to prioritise everything. I'd had the brochures delivered and they'd been sitting there for about a week. He asked me one day if I picked out desks yet, I said no I hadn't got round to it yet and he said, 'can you have a look in earnest?' My reply was, 'which one's that?' 🫣 I'd never heard that expression and thought he was referring to one of the brochures 🤣

That was almost 20 years ago and I can still see the wry smile on his face 😳

What faux pas have you made?

A long time ago but I still think about it and cringe every few months. I sat opposite a man in the office, I was new and inexperienced, he was much older and very confident dealing with clients. He had a way of dealing with people on the phone that was very professional, but very authoritative and impressive and always worked for him. I was paying attention to his methods for weeks, and finally when I had a really difficult call to make I picked up the phone and said “Hello, this is Joe Bloggs, who am I speaking to”. I could see “Joe Bloggs” face peep over his computer at me with a confused look, the person on the other end of the phone just said “wot” at this woman using a clearly male name. I hung up and went to the bathrooms for an hour hyperventilating. I returned to my desk and we never ever spoke about it.

At guide camp when I was about 11 we were waiting for something when a person walked by with their old English Sheep dog. "Oh look, it's a durex dog." I said very loudly. My leader and the other guides cracked up. I didn't even know what I'd said until they explained to me.

I was picking up children from a cub sleepover. My ‘big’ boss at the time was also at pick up, vaguely recognised me and struck up conversation. He asked about my children and I chose to say ‘I have one Young Leader, 2 cubs and A LITTLE BEAVER’

@Riverboatcaptain did you get the outcome you wanted out the call?

I recently met the head of a charity who I very much admire. He was charming and courteous and we talked about his latest project. He’s in his late 70s and he made a comment alluding to being able to finish the project before he dies and for some reason, god knows why, I replied cheerfully, ‘better crack on with it then!’

He glossed over it very politely.

@Mumdiva99 I hung up before they even knew who I really was. The next day I asked someone else to deal with it as I was too ashamed to call them back in case they recognised me as Joe Bloggs from the other day

🤣🦫

I thanked a woman for coming to her own child's birthday party, which she had organised, as I was trying to corral my DC away. She looked a bit and I did thankfully realise what I'd said and correct myself! Still feel a prat, though.

After a car accident when i was in my late teens, they car got repaired and was delivered back to me at home.

After looking at the car all nice and fixed, i noticed the back plate was yellow and the front was white…..

What a stupid idiot someone was at that garage to have put odd number colour plates on. My mum agreed.

So i rang up the repair garage and explained that the car had two different number plates on and it needed sorting.

There was a silence and a reply of.. ‘’Is this a wind up”

”No, of course it isnt a bloody wind up!”

So he then proceeded to tell me to walk down my street and look at everyone else car…

So i did whilst he was on the phone. Then the penny dropped.

Also with the same car…

i bought from a private sale, tried to insure it but it kept coming up as a different car.

Rang DVLA, explained the problem who told me they needed to investigate this and i was not to drive this car under any circumstances as there was obviously some illegal activity going.

I remember being in a state, it was my first car and now i was being told this.

So i rang the guy who sold me the car and left him an angry voicemail (he never contacted me back)

I then rang DVLA again asking how long their investigation would take etc, told it would take weeks etc. So i was in a panic again. They told me to go outside and double check the reg. I told them i knew what the reg was, i wasnt bloody stupid!

So they asked me to please go outside and read to them exactly what it said.

So i did…..

i thought it was V533 at the beginning. It was actually V553…..

They then confirmed that my car was actually registered as it should be with the correct reg plate on….

Honestly …… 😳

@AAHelpfulHand that's brilliant 🤣