So It’s late at night when your brain reminds you of those awkward moments from your past...
Back at my first year at university it was a girl in my halls birthday and she was having a gathering of about 30ish people in one of the communal kitchens and I knew say about 5 of them. I arrived and had a few drinks, the music is playing loud and at some point noticed a girl on her own in the corner who happened to wearing a jacket I also owned.
So to make conversation I said something along the lines of “nice jacket, I have the same one”. I realise now she must have completely misheard me and she gave me a very odd look and said “err yes it’s mine”. A bit confused by the response I said “oh I just meant I have the same one, it’s from Zara right?”. Backing away slightly she laughed nervously and replied “haha no no it’s definitely mine, I don’t know Zara”. It’s pretty awkward now so I try to explain I meant Zara ‘the shop’, it doesn’t matter, let’s talk about something else, but she’s only getting more confused.
Suddenly her tone changes, she smiles at me sweetly and slowly says “ohhh I don’t know ‘Zara de-shop’ she must be your friend, is she looking after you tonight?”. In my awkward 18 year old way of trying not to embarrass her and the ridiculousness of the situation I stupidly grin as I think of a way to extract myself from the conversation. She takes this as a yes and continues “Isn’t it great you have such inclusive friends, are you living here by yourself?”. Arghh, feeling too far down the line to correct her and fearing someone I know may overhear, I quickly excuse myself to the bathroom and scuttle back to my room. None of my hall friends ever mentioned it and I never saw the girl again!
It plays over in my mind every now and again how a simple mishearing resulted in someone thinking I had a learning disability and talking to me like a child! She was (admittedly inadvertently) incredibly patronising even so, although I’m sure her intentions were good.
I do wonder if at some point in the next few years she walked past Zara and the penny dropped! I do giggle at the thought of her in a shopping centre having a complete Oh. My. God. moment.
Tell me mumsnet, have you ever had similar awkward miss understanding, or maybe you had a weird conversation about Zara many years ago.
Mumsnet classics
Excruciatingly awkward misunderstandings
kpnutts · 17/05/2020 00:32
I’m a TA and often children buy flowers or gifts for their teacher and sometimes TAs too. Unfortunately young children don’t know the etiquette of not giving presents to everyone apart from one person.The amount of times a child has walked up to me with flowers and I’ve put my hands out and thanked them only for them to say “No, where’s Mrs Smith?” 
Years ago I had a new manager who was really quiet, didn’t feel the need to chat whilst working and was quite comfortable with silence. I’m not. This particular day we were redoing some displays, just me and him and I’m chatting away feeling awkward and I manage to start talking about football and ask him who he supports, one word reply of Arsenal (we’re way way up north BTW) so I ask him where does that come from? (Meaning is it a family thing or did you used to live in London etc) he gives me the most withering look and says “London”
When I was younger I used to have a Saturday job in the market and there was a lovely lady who worked on the stall opposite, I knew her for 3 years or so. Anyway she gave her stall up but started working on the market outside for someone else. You have to walk past this new stall to get to the shopping centre from where I park so as I moved into my own home at about 22 I started seeing her quite regularly and she’d shout “hi Emma, are you ok?” I’d reply and we’d have a little conversation and off I’d go. I had my son at 28 so when he was about three and walking past with me one day and at the “why” stage he started asking me “mummy, why does that lady call you Emma?” She looked perplexed and I’m moving him on quickly as my name isn’t Emma and she’d already been calling it me for 9years at this point.
LorelaiVictoriaGilmore you've reminded me of one!
I was a TA at the same primary school my kids went to. My eldest daughter made a really good friend there and like you do i chatted to her parents at play date drop offs ect. I knew the child's surname name was Russel. It was a small village school.
One day (this is years ago and i can't remember why) i asked the mum what her husband's name was (meaning his first name) and she told me 'Russel'.
''Oh!'' i say ''How unusual!'' ha ha ''Russel Russel! - just like autumn leaves!'' and off i merrily went.
WHY i made a joke about his name i really Do.Not.Know. I'm usually very socially aware.
And the dad's first name wasn't Russel anyway. It was Tom or something. I found that out by accident about a day after my excruciating display of crass twattery with the mum.
You know when you just want to disappear into a hole? I had to SEE these people for years to come ...
New job. Supervisor a bit 'over enthusiastic and more than a bit weird.
He (finally!) leaves me with a new workmate who asks what I think of everything so far. Comment new supervisor is lovely but a bit...'oh Jamie (not real name!)? He's my brother'. Glad I hadn't commented on another slimy sleazeball staff member. That was her boyfriend!
It’s reminded me of another one of mine. A few years back a friend offered us the use of a holiday home for a very reasonable price. It was her parents so we didn’t actually know the owners. We had a lovely week but when we got back, I realised I’d lost a really nice, fairly new pair of shorts. It was the start of summer and I really needed them so I text my friend to ask if they had turned up at the holiday home. A few days later she rang to say yes they’d been found under the bed and that her dad was working near me and would drop them off at my place of work. I was really pleased obviously. Her kind dad left a bag at reception and when I opened it, there was also a pair of my knickers that had been found under the bed!!!!! Worse still.......worn ones!!!!!
At the Christmas party last year, a colleague asked what I was doing for Christmas. It was loud with the music and late on in the night so lots of loud chatter. I told him I was going to my fiancé's parents.
Oh, that'll be exciting, he said. I looked a bit 
bevause it wasn't that exciting.
I've always wanted to go to the South or France, he said.
Instead of being a normal person and saying haha no, my fiancé's parents, I just went along with it.... And he asked me specifically where I was going. Geography is not my strong point so I muttered something like, oh I'm not sure I haven't been involved in organising it.
I have successfully avoided him since then but had to have a teams call with him the other day and he said "how was the South of France? Where did you end up going? What was the weather like?"
So I just said yes it was lovely thank you, anyway.....
One of my first jobs involved taking switchboard calls. We had a stationery supplier and the rep was a Mr Larder, whom we jokingly referred to as 'Mr Pantry' between ourselves. God it was laugh a minute in that office.
He called one day with a query on their account. I had to pass the call to my colleague just across the office so I put him on hold and called out to her 'Mr Pantry for you' and transferred the call. She picked up and said, 'Hello Mr Patrick. How can I help?'
D'ya think he guessed?
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About a week after I started a new job, it was my birthday. I hadn't told anyone so I was really surprised when they put a bunch of flowers, some wine and a card on my desk. I was on the middle of a call so I couldn't say thank you - I just smiled, mouthed thank you and left them on display on my desk.
About an hour later someone asked if I was going to sign Diane's birthday card and could I please pass it on because it needed to get right around the office & placed one her desk before she returned from her meeting.
@crosser62
You probably got into the telling of it too well! 
My DH is a builder and was up on the scaffold once with this massive bloke who was telling him all about an incident when he had to deal with someone who'd try to nick his tools.
He was showing DH exactly how he'd shouted at the guy and grabbed him by the ear and threatened him. Getting right into it. Shouting at DH and holding DH's ear as well (gently - but you wouldn't know that from a distance) ....
- ''and i said ''DON'T TOUCH MY FUCKING TOOLS AGAIN Y'WANKER. d'y'know what i mean Laiste's Husband?''
DH was aware of the whole site gradually stopping and turning to watch this going on up there on the scaffold. The bloke was so loud! It looked like DH and this bloke were about to have a fight and they're both big guys. DH was trying to laugh loudly every now and again at what this bloke was saying to show everyone looking that they weren't having a row - lol. The story wasn't funny so big bloke was getting really confused. Awkward.
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