Things that you still cringe about...despite the fact that it was decades ago with people you no longer know..

[JandLandG]

This came into my head as a fun/silly/light-hearted idea to chat about bc I reasonably regularly do this...

I thought I'd start things off with a typical example...but now I can't bloody think of one!

I'll be back...but for now...anyone fancy sharing...?

About ten years ago, I was a support worker in an NHS community step-down house for detained patients.

We used to have 24 hour staffing, so we'd all do our share of sleep overs.
One morning I had slept in a bit and was rushing to get dressed when the next staff was arriving for handover (male).

We were in the little office / staff sleep room and I was chatting away to him. Then, I just happened to look down and there was yesterday's worn knickers right there on the floor in the middle of us.
It was a surreal moment, neither of our eyes went down to the floor duringthe rest of the conversation but we both knew...

He got up and went outside for a cigarette and I jumped up and scrambled to throw my knickers in my sleep in bag!

Arrived in America on holiday & knew about the tipping culture. At a fast food joint the cashier handed me a paper cup and I just looked at her, put change in it then walked away. It was only when I realised I had nothing to get my drink in it clicked that she had been trying to hand me the cup. I literally cringe every time I think about it!

This is very funny! Not sure, but maybe a habit of, say, kissing you bf/mum/Nana whatever and muscle memory just kicked in...

Similarly, I had a little spell in work years ago when the kids were young - occasionally if someone did something for me, instead of saying thank you, I'd go "Good Boy!"

Erm, oops, sorry!

Funny when domestic habits appear in the outside world...

Yr 10 at school at the end of term just before Xmas. I was a really awkward teen and all the cool boys were waving mistletoe around and talking about Christmas snogs.

We'd been allowed to watch a film in English class instead of doing work, so we're all herded into the video room and a massive TV wheeled in. Afterwards some of the lads helped move the TV back to the cupboard and one of them dropped their pencil case which I picked up. As we filed out of the room he snuck up behind me and whispered in my ear 'can I have my Christmas kiss?'. I was delighted to be asked, I turned round immediately and planted a kiss on his lips.... he looked absolutely shell shocked and everyonewas looking at me.... and then said he said "thanks... can I have my pencil case now?" and I realised I'd misheard him the first time. I just wanted to die on the spot!

Awwww....AC!

Funny...but very sweet....

Bet he was secretly delighted...a lucky lad!

Another receiving line at a wedding one….

I got to one of the women in the bridal party and said “oh you must be the bridegroom’s Mum”?

She replied “no,I’m his sister”!

Obviously I died and didn’t know wtf to say and told her that I loved her outfit. And I was stuck in the very slow moving line so just had to wait it out. Awkward

But how well did you know the Alsatian? Did he take you out for dinner first, or at least offer you some of his...bone? 😂🤭

To be fair though, if the dad had to ask if you were wearing any or not, you must have done a good job!

This happened more than 28 years ago. My friend offered to take my 3 year old to a park . I assumed it was local. I think she said she would do a picnic. It was getting late and I couldn't understand where she was . Dropped him off and said he had a lovely time . I think it was years later that I realised she had taken him to a theme park . I never offered any money at all for rides , etc. and I know that they did not have much money . Felt so bad.

I bloody love this! 🤣

In my mind lacrosse and polo are the same thing too. I honestly have no idea what lacrosse even is.

Trying to drop my child off at someone's house a week early fully dressed up for a fancy dress party was pretty cringe.
Especially when I had to face them again for the real party the next week.

This has made really tickled me 😂it’s just the kind of thing I would do, god love you 😃

I know this probably won’t ease the cringe for you but I just wanted to say the dad sounds like a complete prick and he is the one who should be cringing years later for being such an arsehole to a young woman (although of course he won’t be as people like him never do 😣)

Work dinner with several senior people from my office and senior people from Very Important Client. Im quite senior but was still the most junior person there

It was a fairly fancy place. Expensive but smart casual and very difficult to get a booking at. They served the food on a Chinese style spinny table of delicious shared bowls.

We massively over ordered and there was loads left. I couldn't bear to see it go to waste and I knew DH would have loved to try the food... so I asked them to package up the leftovers as a takeway.

Couple of senior partners shot me some furtive looks when I asked and when it was delivered back to the table and I realised I'd probably committed some dreadful faux pas.

I still don't know if I did but I'm puce with shame at the thought of it.

In Rome with a friend. Near the Protestant cemetery where John Keats is buried, is a small pyramid memorial. I made a slightly crude joke about his future memorial. I'll never forget the silence and he's been dead nearly two decades. Ghastly.

Well let's face it how many there actually knew!

At work (police). I was reviewing some body worn video footage at my desk with headphones on and a colleague tapped to me to let me know Sam, the superintendent was here to say hello. I stopped the footage, removed my headphones and turned to greet him with the words, "Its a good job I wasn't watching porn!"
He gave me a bewildered look and expertly moved the conversation on to more appropriate matters.
After he'd left, my colleagues and I cracked up. I do not know why this came out of my mouth. I was only in that department temporarily, but he did offer me a permanent job even after that.

One cannot explain the shame and hilarity when in a toddler singing group, one forgets the "shhh, shhh, shhh" bit of sleeping bunnies and comes in with a loud and rousing, "wake up bunnies!" at the "shhh" bit.
So embarrassing and I was so enthusiastic.

I was a contractor on a 6 month contract with a plan to leave the country when my role finished. I worked in head office for a company. They held a meeting for everyone in the office to make a big announcement. Essentially the company was f*d, the massive project that was in progress was being canned and everyone was losing their jobs. There were 2 toy cars in the room that for some strange reason my boss picked up
and was lifting them like weights doing bicep curls with them. I lost it and got the giggles at what he was doing during such an important announcement, and could not stop. I kept looking at one woman and she kept setting me off.

20 years later I am still mortified. I really don’t why why I got the giggles and it was so inappropriate when people were being told they were losing their jobs. They must have all thought I was a horrendous person.

I nearly did this with a lady who had just finished interviewing me. Luckily I stopped myself! I did actually get the job. Turns out Her kids were late teens and she went to the gym a lot and was most definitely not pregnant. Good thing I kept my mouth shut!

I broke into a loud and hearty round of applause at my children's "Parents' Assembly", when the headmaster exhorted us all to "Put our hands together"...which died horribly when he started intoning "Our Father in Heaven..."

When I first met my DH’s parents they drove me an hour home, that was a long way for them as they were older and didn’t know the area I lived in. I didn’t realise that I should have invited them in.
They are both dead now, but I still cringe about it sometimes.

I did the awful when are you due to a lovely lady.
We had been pregnant and due weeks apart in 1997 and a couple of years later I saw her and even pated her tummy asking when she was due. Poor lady said I'm not pregnant it's from the last one still. I was mortified.
Then recently I asked this very lady's husband how his good lady wife was and he said I don't know she left me at Christmas. I was once again mortified.

@JandLandG

Seeing your words "corkers of cringe" made me laugh. Tempted to name change to that 😁

My current favourite thread!

I am middle aged so have too many to recall them all but as a 17 year old working as a hotel room maid I did the usual knock first wait a few seconds then enter the room to clean etc. The occupant was checking out that day and I thought he had. No sign of luggage.
I stripped the bed then looked around. Spied the complimentary biscuits next to the kettle and thought right I'll have those. Ripped open the pack and stuffed a whole one in my mouth. I heard a noise and the occupant appeared from the bathroom and just stared at me munching away on the custard cream with the pack in my hand ready for the second one. . Cringe cringe and more cringe. Car headlights moment for me while he gave me a filthy and pitiful glare then left the room.

There are more but I need time to recover before spilling more.

Yes, I thought it was Hermyown until the films came out.