Could someone explain what I did wrong here?

[wildblowingleaves]

I was talking to a colleague earlier about a work experience student in another department and couldn't remember their name. As I was talking someone from that department came over and I said "ooh, hello - what is the name of that new chap in your department?"

The people I was with shrieked, gasped, laughed and look horrified and were all - "I can't BELIEVE you did that!"

Erm, what did I do?

You know you have to ask then now. For us

Why would they be trying to make you look stupid?

Maybe the WE chap is the boss's son or someone you should know?

Could they have thought you said 'Jap'? Because that's the only similar sounding word I can think of that would elicit that response.

You need to ask. You should have done, and got an answer, at the time.

Oh dear DoJo, I hope you're not right.

OP, is the work experience student Japanese?

Not work experience but actually the ceo? undercover boss?

I really doubt they thought I said anything other than what I said. The "horror" seemed to come from asking at all. The w/e student is no one we "should" know. Tweasels, making me look stupid is a regular pastime at work unfortunately.

No the work experience student is not Japanese.

Or a chav

Or a sap

Or a rap(per)

He does not yap

Or crap ...

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Your colleagues sound like twats.

Is it that they think you fancy him and were asking with an ulterior motive??

Don't fret about it and over think it wild.

Maybe you have unwittingly said something that has been misheard or misinterpreted- but it is unwitting and it seems that there's been no major fallout and no one seems to have been hurt.

I wouldn't worry

Is the person you asked for his name secretly having an affair with him?

I think - think (as a guess) the laughter and so on was because the person walked over because of something else. I guess they just thought it totally inappropriate that I asked a friendly question

Perhaps they thought you fancied him?

If you feel people are making you look stupid purposefully at work,you should approach your supervisor/personnel dept/union rep to talk about it if it is upsetting you like this wild.

I am sorry this is happening to you,and you shouldn't have to put up with it.

Do you have any of their numbers? Email? I need to know now!

I noticed that they said "I can't believe you did that" and not "I can't believe you said that", so it sounds to me as if it was not so much what you asked that was the thing that shocked or horrified them, but something else. Like who you asked or when you asked or something.

The only thing I can think of is that in asking the way you did, it was an admission to his departmental colleague that you were all talking about the work experience chap. I'm also clutching at straws though.

As they said "I can't believe you did that", it implies that you 'did' rather than 'said' something.

Is he Prince William?

I heard he is considering which way to focus his career now. I suppose work experience would be one way to explore his options.

Very thanks, unfortunately it is an on-going thing. I really want another job but am pregnant.

Do they prefer to talk in a conspiratorial way and feel you showed them up by your openness?

Are you perhaps an American and prone to bursts of friendliness?

There's nowt so weird as folk.

DH says - and I quote - 'well, some people are just idiots though aren't they'.

He seems to think this is a reasonable answer for you.

I think it was someone a bit senior, he was maybe busy, and you interrupted to ask WE chaps name?

Straw clutching is my middle name.

Well, the strange thing is, I am the senior person to them (both the person who came over and the colleagues I was talking to.) I don't mean that in an inflated ego sense but it makes the behaviour odder.

Also - just defending my manners! - I didn't interrupt! The colleague from the other department came over and I said hello then asked my question as I had just literally been saying "oh I can't remember that man's name."