What’s the most awkward thing you've accidentally overheard and had to pretend you didn’t?

Frangela · 04/02/2025 14:42

I struggle to believe anyone in their 20s with access to the internet and other people in 2025 doesn’t know what a blow job is.

Gloriainextremis · 04/02/2025 14:53

One place I worked had a long L-shaped corridor, along one wall of which was a row of archive filing cabinets. I was doing some filing one day and I heard two of the company Directors talking as they walked along towards me, unseen around the corner. One of them was telling the other how he had to wear an industrial strength supportive jockstrap all the time due to some old injury, and how it was chafing rather a lot. I hightailed it out of there as fast as I could.😂

CucumberBagel · 04/02/2025 14:55

Frangela · 04/02/2025 14:42

I struggle to believe anyone in their 20s with access to the internet and other people in 2025 doesn’t know what a blow job is.

Exactly. This gem has been going round since the 90s. Writing an article, OP?

Original poster

DiddlesandDoodles · 04/02/2025 22:33

CucumberBagel · 04/02/2025 14:55

Exactly. This gem has been going round since the 90s. Writing an article, OP?

Show quote history

Nope! Just a girl living on the country side of Australia going into the city for a coffee while!

I was shocked too but only someone inexperienced wouldn't know what to do i guess!

OP posts:

gamerchick · 04/02/2025 22:36

Tbf I had a friend who thought the same. But we were both 17 and there was no internet then.

IrisM22 · 04/02/2025 22:42

Not quite the same, as I saw it rather than heard it, but years ago I was in London for the weekend and was walking past the London Eye when I saw two colleagues walking towards me hand in hand. I didn't work directly with them, just in the same building, so didn't know them very well. I walked right past them and the whole time tried to make eye contact to say hello, thinking nothing of it. One of them looked right at me but didn't react and I wasn't sure if she'd registered it was me (we live hundreds of miles away from London). Anyway, when I got home I mentioned to one of my close colleagues that I'd seen them and that I hadn't realised they were a couple. Turns out they are both married, but not to each other. It was really awkward seeing them both again as I really didn't know whether or not they knew I had seen them or not.

NorthernGirl1981 · 04/02/2025 22:52

I heard my sister having sex with our best friend’s fiancée. They thought I was asleep 🙄

BeaLola · 04/02/2025 23:06

Similar to IrisM22 - I was in London one Friday evening on my way home pretty late having met a friend for the day when I saw one of my neighbours on the train station concourse - I weaved my way round to him to say hello when I realised he wasn't alone and was holding hands with a lady who wasn't his wife,suffice to say he wasn't getting the sane train home as me.

Next morning popping out I saw his wife and little boy - they were off out to the park leaving Daddy at home because he'd got home so late from London in the early hours after having to do lots of overtime .... I swear I looked guilty as she said this to me

ThePolarBearWhoLostHisCrown · 05/02/2025 00:42

Not me, but my friend/colleague overheard an Interim Manager conspiring with my subordinate to get rid of me - so the Interim could become permanent and my subordinate promoted into my role. I couldn't believe they could be so nasty but my guard was up. Then there it was, suddenly they both were picking through my work and accusing me of all sorts of errors I'd supposedly made. I went straight to my boss, told her what I had been told even though it was second hand and bless her heart, she believed me. She knew I was a good and honest worker. The Interim was out within the week. My subordinate did eventually get promoted due to a restructure but I never trusted her again, even though she did pally up to me after.

mondaytosunday · 05/02/2025 01:09

@BeaLola weren't you tempted to go up to him and say 'oh hi John! I was just on the phone to your wife Mary...'

HazelSavedMe · 05/02/2025 07:41

In the Spring of 1999 I was a very emotionally immature person in a fairly new job and prone to talking about a crush/obsession I had on a particular bloke at the time rather than behave and converse more like an adult. I also massively lacked confidence. So just setting the context for the conversation I overheard.

I was in a junior role at the time so I’d been sent to the post office to deposit something. Just for context - our offices were just across the road to the town centre/shopping centre of an average sized UK town.

For context our office wasn’t in a modern office block but a converted large old Victorian-type house close to the town centre.

The thing is - I’d come back into our workplace from my walk to the post office and gone to a room in the ‘upstairs’ part of our office building iyswim. I was about to exit the room and go downstairs when I heard some of my colleagues downstairs clearly talking about me and one of them said:

”Where is she? She knows where to go, doesn’t she?” - they obviously thought I hadn’t come back from the post office - they hadn’t heard me come back in and go upstairs.

But then they went on to say more personal things about me

one said :

”Is she an only child?”

another one said (in a pitying tone):

“… and her parents were quite elderly”

(Then - just to give context I was due to move to another office soon in a nearby city):

I then heard one of the women say something like she hoped I’d get on better in the new office. Another one said I’d worked there before (which I had). Another woman said:

”Not for very long though.”

I was ABSOLUTELY mortified. I wasn’t going to confront them - and I felt I couldn’t go downstairs because if I did they’d know I knew they’d been talking about me..I literally didn’t know what to do for the best. Although I concede I was very immature the time, I was absolutely wounded hearing them talk about me like this.

I have in the intervening 26 years since this scenario took place from time to time fantasised about confronting the women about their comments.

Original poster

DiddlesandDoodles · 05/02/2025 12:32

HazelSavedMe · 05/02/2025 07:41

In the Spring of 1999 I was a very emotionally immature person in a fairly new job and prone to talking about a crush/obsession I had on a particular bloke at the time rather than behave and converse more like an adult. I also massively lacked confidence. So just setting the context for the conversation I overheard.

I was in a junior role at the time so I’d been sent to the post office to deposit something. Just for context - our offices were just across the road to the town centre/shopping centre of an average sized UK town.

For context our office wasn’t in a modern office block but a converted large old Victorian-type house close to the town centre.

The thing is - I’d come back into our workplace from my walk to the post office and gone to a room in the ‘upstairs’ part of our office building iyswim. I was about to exit the room and go downstairs when I heard some of my colleagues downstairs clearly talking about me and one of them said:

”Where is she? She knows where to go, doesn’t she?” - they obviously thought I hadn’t come back from the post office - they hadn’t heard me come back in and go upstairs.

But then they went on to say more personal things about me

one said :

”Is she an only child?”

another one said (in a pitying tone):

“… and her parents were quite elderly”

(Then - just to give context I was due to move to another office soon in a nearby city):

I then heard one of the women say something like she hoped I’d get on better in the new office. Another one said I’d worked there before (which I had). Another woman said:

”Not for very long though.”

I was ABSOLUTELY mortified. I wasn’t going to confront them - and I felt I couldn’t go downstairs because if I did they’d know I knew they’d been talking about me..I literally didn’t know what to do for the best. Although I concede I was very immature the time, I was absolutely wounded hearing them talk about me like this.

I have in the intervening 26 years since this scenario took place from time to time fantasised about confronting the women about their comments.

This made me think of when I worked at the Woolies supermarket here, I was a shelf packer at night and never got on with the staff there but was cordial with them.
They all took their 30 minute break together and I just pottered around packing shelves until I was ready. Well one night I went up about 5 minutes after they did.
There's a long hall way to the lunch room. So you would know someone was there unless you got up and looked around the corner.
Anyway they were discussing what I put on make up, making fun of the way I walk ( there was someone clearly mocking me as they all laughed and I don't even walk funny i think its coz I don't hunch over like they do), how they find me awkward...
Imagine their surprise when I walked in. Now awkward me lasted another year before I moved on! They were all at least 10 years younger than me so I obviously don't have anything in common with them and didn't go clubbing or drinking so that made me an easy target.

OP posts:

IfItWasUpToMeIWould · 21/02/2025 15:21

Frangela · 04/02/2025 14:42

I struggle to believe anyone in their 20s with access to the internet and other people in 2025 doesn’t know what a blow job is.

Agree, I think the post was BS

turkeyboots · 21/02/2025 15:25

My colleagues credit card number. He thought he was alone and repeatedly yelled it at the poor person on the other end.
Sadly I'm very bad at remembering numbers or else I would have been tempted to go shopping on him.

hopeishere · 21/02/2025 15:50

I'm don't think what they were saying @HazelSavedMe about you was that outrageous?

Petitchat · 03/06/2025 04:35

hopeishere · 21/02/2025 15:50

I'm don't think what they were saying @HazelSavedMe about you was that outrageous?

No, I don't either.
But I think sometimes it's just the shock of hearing other people talking about you, when you had no idea they were doing so.

Illegally18 · 01/08/2025 15:08

hopeishere · 21/02/2025 15:50

I'm don't think what they were saying @HazelSavedMe about you was that outrageous?

I agree, there's nothing offensive about it all.

Notmyreality · 01/08/2025 15:13

HazelSavedMe · 05/02/2025 07:41

In the Spring of 1999 I was a very emotionally immature person in a fairly new job and prone to talking about a crush/obsession I had on a particular bloke at the time rather than behave and converse more like an adult. I also massively lacked confidence. So just setting the context for the conversation I overheard.

I was in a junior role at the time so I’d been sent to the post office to deposit something. Just for context - our offices were just across the road to the town centre/shopping centre of an average sized UK town.

For context our office wasn’t in a modern office block but a converted large old Victorian-type house close to the town centre.

The thing is - I’d come back into our workplace from my walk to the post office and gone to a room in the ‘upstairs’ part of our office building iyswim. I was about to exit the room and go downstairs when I heard some of my colleagues downstairs clearly talking about me and one of them said:

”Where is she? She knows where to go, doesn’t she?” - they obviously thought I hadn’t come back from the post office - they hadn’t heard me come back in and go upstairs.

But then they went on to say more personal things about me

one said :

”Is she an only child?”

another one said (in a pitying tone):

“… and her parents were quite elderly”

(Then - just to give context I was due to move to another office soon in a nearby city):

I then heard one of the women say something like she hoped I’d get on better in the new office. Another one said I’d worked there before (which I had). Another woman said:

”Not for very long though.”

I was ABSOLUTELY mortified. I wasn’t going to confront them - and I felt I couldn’t go downstairs because if I did they’d know I knew they’d been talking about me..I literally didn’t know what to do for the best. Although I concede I was very immature the time, I was absolutely wounded hearing them talk about me like this.

I have in the intervening 26 years since this scenario took place from time to time fantasised about confronting the women about their comments.

That’s a lot of context.

Dolpher · 16/09/2025 01:41

I didn’t overhear this, but I actually had it said to me right in front of my girlfriend at the time I met this girl at a party once and she came up to me and my girlfriend and introduced herself to me and then she had the audacity to say I have a feeling that the two of us would end up in bed together one day