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Original poster

Embarrassing moment 😳

370 replies

ConnieHeart · 11/05/2026 20:45

Went to a wedding yesterday of OH's nephew. Lots of his distant family in attendance that we hadn't seen for ages. As we were leaving I said goodbye to my SIL's BIL. I wasn't sure exactly how to do it as I don't know him very well so I put my hand out & he shook it(!) & I kind of leaned in for a hug (as I'd hugged his wife goodbye) but it didn't quite work out as he's really tall & I ended up just putting my cheek on the jacket of his lapel and just staying there for a few seconds as I didn't really know how to finish the very awkward move. I then stood back up straight and mumbled "goodbye". There should be a rulebook for how to say goodbye to people you like but don't know very well 🤣

OP posts:
XelaM · 12/05/2026 10:50

ShakyBake · 11/05/2026 21:44

Once offered to push an old women down a steep slope (wheelchair) as her husband was struggling and both rubber handles came off and I couldn't catch her despite running and she smashed into a removals van.

This has to win 😂

Sidebeforeself · 12/05/2026 10:51

NotPrimrose · 12/05/2026 07:46

Years ago I had a partner who was a bit of a do-gooder; her heart was in the right place but she really overdid it.

I was driving us through a local town when, across the road, she spotted a blind man that she knew well who was about to cross a side road. He really didn't need any help (white cane, physically fit and a quiet street) but she insisted that I stop the car so that she could rush across and help him.

For some reason she barely spoke when she got to the man - she just grabbed his arm, which took him by surprise, and spun him round as she'd decided he was facing in the wrong direction. As a result they both lost their balance and I watched as they pirouetted round, and round, and round, finally falling off the edge of the kerb and landing flat out on the road, still clinging onto each other. I then had to dash over to get them both upright! The blind man said, "I wasn't even going that way!"

I always thought that was an urban myth!

Goditsmemargaret · 12/05/2026 10:55

Not me but I witnessed this. I went with my boss to meet a potential new client - CEO of a startup who grilled us relentlessly. We were both relieved as it came to an end and stood up to shake hands.

The would-be client was a really broad man, I didn't fully appreciate it until we were standing face to face. He said goodbye to us both; boss was standing to my right burly man facing us. I saw the burly man lean across between us to get his umbrella then in sort of slow motion not understanding what I was seeing I saw an arm appear around him and my boss face appear over his shoulder for a moment like a child. Then they both sprang back.

It was absolutely hilarious, I slagged boss about it mercilessly for months. He had thought burly man was going in for a hug.

ilovepixie · 12/05/2026 10:58

Was in a swimming pool with a wave function. The waves pushed me along and I mounted a middle aged man’s back! I couldn’t get off and the look of horror on his face when he turned to look at me!

Sidebeforeself · 12/05/2026 10:58

Told mine on here before.

Once in my lunchtime I was in the queue in Boots. This was back when sandwiches came in hard plastic triangular containers. The store was really busy so we were in a long queue and people had to keep asking us to move to get to the refrigerators. Unfortunately as I moved backwards, the man behind me moved forwards .He had his hands full of sandwiches and the corner of one went under my bra strap (through my tshirt) This only came to light as we separated . Poor man had to explain as he darednt retrieve it himself.

XelaM · 12/05/2026 11:00

Ok... this is one is so embarrassing that I have literally only ever told my best friend. I'm even ashamed to admit it to family and I still cringe in my head 😬 on a regular basis about it.

I was at a large legal conference in Madrid a few years ago attended by the King and Queen of Spain and the President of Portugal. At the beginning of the conference, a select few were invited to meet the King and Queen and the President of Portugal (I wasn't meant to be one of the invited select few but I somehow managed to sneak myself into that queue... as if that wasn't embarrassing enough...) I then mixed up the King of Spain and addressed Portugal's President as "Your Majesty" to their complete bewilderment. I literally don't know what went on in my head 🤣🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

ilovepixie · 12/05/2026 11:01

Another one! I’d been shopping and returning to my car the key didn’t work. I also heard a child screaming. It was the wrong car with a child in the back thinking she was being kidnapped! I had to wait until the mother came back to explain I wasn’t trying to steal her child or car!

Crosorbled · 12/05/2026 11:06

I was greeting a friend who had rather large boobs . I tripped and ended up accidentally grabbing her boob to steady myself . Luckily she saw the funny side .

Idontcareforthat · 12/05/2026 11:14

I once went to say goodbye to a friend and her husband at a meet up of antenatal friends. Said goodbye to my friend, then said ‘Bye you’ to her baby. For some reason the husband (who I barely knew) thought I was talking to him and said ‘Bye you’ back to me, and as I was reaching out to stroke baby’s cheek, he grabbed my fingers in a really awkward two-handed handshake. It was 20 years ago and I still feel uncomfortable about it 😁.

User33538216 · 12/05/2026 11:15

SurreySenMum26 · 11/05/2026 23:52

I was looking around secondary schools for eldest son when a man approached me and dh and started chatting. I couldn't place him, so presumed he knew dh. Then dh wondered off. Still unable to place him, the conversation turned to work. I was just about to remark that it's a small world, I work in IT too, when it dawned on me he sat behind me in the office.

Tbf he wasn't in his suit nor at work so I my brain couldn't cope. I was so close to saying " I work there too!" He must have thought, wow, she's a bit weird outside of her work persona. I had spent the last month working with him 1:1 on a project!

I’ve done this - more than once! I think I have that facial recognition problem some people have. I was chatting to someone at his place of work (didn’t know he worked there!) and I knew I knew his face, but couldn’t quite place him, and he was talking about my family so I knew he knew me, but he said something that made the connection - he was my neighbour! Someone I’ve know since I was 11 - so for 30 years 😂😂.

I also have this with our HR manager every time she visits the office. She walks in the door and I always ask her “hi, how I can I help?” 😂

Pricelessadvice · 12/05/2026 11:15

ilovepixie · 12/05/2026 10:58

Was in a swimming pool with a wave function. The waves pushed me along and I mounted a middle aged man’s back! I couldn’t get off and the look of horror on his face when he turned to look at me!

I just spat my coffee out 😂

XelaM · 12/05/2026 11:18

ilovepixie · 12/05/2026 10:58

Was in a swimming pool with a wave function. The waves pushed me along and I mounted a middle aged man’s back! I couldn’t get off and the look of horror on his face when he turned to look at me!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

User33538216 · 12/05/2026 11:20

MyCrushWithEyeliner · 12/05/2026 01:56

When I was in my early twenties I asked the ice-cream man for a 69 🙈

Someone I was out for dinner with asked the waiter for a “stiffie” when of course she meant sticky toffee pudding 😂

TheBewleySisters · 12/05/2026 11:27

The big boss of the company came for a three day visit to see how we were all doing. She invited me to join her for dinner one evening, I chose a nice local restaurant and drove to her hotel to pick her up. We had a very pleasant evening, discussed business and really got on well. I drove her back to her hotel. As she was getting out of the car she leaned over to give me a hug. I was a bit taken aback but put my hand round her head (she was facing me) and she had the softest curls I'd ever felt. My hand lingered a bit just feeling how lovely her soft hair was. She got out and I drove away, beetroot red in the face the whole way home. I'd basically fondled her hair. Blushing right now.

Django1988 · 12/05/2026 11:28

Years ago my husband and I did skiing lessons at Chill factore in Manchester. There was an older man there doing it alone while his wife watched.

I was last to come down the slope and for some reason forgot how to stop and was heading for our group who were waiting at the bottom. I shouted for them to move out of the way but the older man was slow to react and I ended up ploughing in to him and we both ended up hitting the barrier 🙈

Haven’t been skiing since!

User33538216 · 12/05/2026 11:31

Iwiicit · 12/05/2026 07:20

This reminds me of the time I asked where the Durex paint was in B and Q.

Show quote history

A friend of mine once asked for a “tetanus bite” instead of “terabyte” when asking someone in PC World about storage 😂

Same friend also once answered the phone at work to a French lady. My friend (English) then spoke back to the lady in English, but using a French accent!

Dollymylove · 12/05/2026 11:35

TheGoddessFrigg · 12/05/2026 08:24

I once went to the Swan theatre at Stratford, which has these weird galleried seats. I was playing about with this large ring I had, when it fell off and went down the back of the trousers of the man in front!
He was more embarrassed than I was but me and my mother practically needed oxygen by that point...

This one is up there with the wheelchair handles 🤣🤣🤣

ohyesido · 12/05/2026 11:37

Don’t worry, I once kissed my SIL’s BF on the neck when he suddenly turned his head when I was trying to kiss him goodbye in the cheek. (My DH family are the sort who insist that everyone must hug and kiss goodbye)

Needhelp101 · 12/05/2026 11:39

Linenspots · 12/05/2026 09:38

On the first day of my new job, nerves had kept me awake until the small hours the night before.

Part of the 'settling in' programme was a meeting with the leadership team followed by a buffet lunch. When lunch was done, and seizing a lull in the chat around the table, I opened my mouth to say thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome, and instead a massive yawn came out.

I was so mortified, I tried to lightheartedly brush it off by boldly announcing "I'm so sorry, I should have warned you about my necrophilia at the interviews".

Cue a silence that seemed to go on for an hour and horrified faces all around the table. It wasn't until a stoney-faced HR director quietly asked "Is narcolepsy the word you were looking for?" that realisation hit.....

🤣🤣🤣🤣

DaisyChain505 · 12/05/2026 11:45

I hugged the man working in Tesco who I had stopped to ask where a certain item was. He put his arms out to give me directions and I thought he was asking for a hug so just went for it without thinking 🤣

Onmytod24 · 12/05/2026 11:50

Disturbia81 · 11/05/2026 20:46

I once kissed my ex FILs ear the first time I met him 😂

Love that. I kissed my new BIL on the neck as a first greeting.

Crumbelina · 12/05/2026 11:56

ShakyBake · 11/05/2026 21:44

Once offered to push an old women down a steep slope (wheelchair) as her husband was struggling and both rubber handles came off and I couldn't catch her despite running and she smashed into a removals van.

I woke up at 5am this morning, (stressful day ahead). I read this under the duvet and snorted/shook so much I woke my poor DH up.

And the petrol station one with the "Ooooooooo" and cash waving. Just fabulous. 😅

icouldholditwithacobweb · 12/05/2026 12:09

My dad came to pick me up from a house I was living in at the time. He called me and said "I'm outside!"

I ran down the stairs, out the front door, opened the car door and got in. Turned to say hi to my dad, and a complete stranger was sitting in the driver's seat, staring at me in horror.

My dad was parked round the SIDE of my house, not outside the front door, and was baffled both as to why I'd expected him to be outside the front door and why I hadn't known it wasn't his car I was getting into.

Zimunya · 12/05/2026 12:17

This thread is an absolute joy. Thank you to everyone.

Was in the supermarket and bought some avocados. DH's nephew, who was staying with us at the time, said he couldn't eat them as they made him constipated. Sometime later I saw some tinned prunes, and flung them into the trolley, saying confidently, "Here - these will make you poo" just before looking up into the horrified face of the owner of the trolley, who was a complete stranger!

Mumandcarer80 · 12/05/2026 12:21

One winter we had really thick slippery ice. I nearly went A over T. So somehow ended up on my hands and knees to get past the worst of it. I was with some friends they were taking the P and I was laughing that much making it harder to get back up.😂😂😂Did manage to eventually. Harry Hill was doing You’ve been framed at the time. So this bloke shouted across the street you should have got a video and sent it into you’ve been framed.😂😂😂

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