21 People Who Misread Social Cues And Made Things So Much Weirder
I’d like to be the kind of person who forgets an awkward interaction five minutes after it happens. Instead, I’ll remember something I said to a cashier in 2014 while I’m trying to fall asleep.
TikTok user @trippi_lil_hippi asked people to share “a time you seriously misread social cues and made it weird,” and the replies delivered. The post drew millions of views and tens of thousands of comments, which is comforting. There are a lot of us out here doing our best and making a normal conversation worse.
These are some of the funniest responses to the original post. Consider them reassurance that whatever embarrassing thing you’re still thinking about, somebody else has probably done something worse.
1. Accidentally Accepting Tableside Feeding
“A waiter at a fancy seafood restaurant cut my steak for me and had it on the fork. He was handing me the fork, but I leaned over and took the bite like he was feeding me. The silence was deafening.”
— rllylilly
2. Shopping At A Garage Sale That Wasn’t A Garage Sale
“One time I was out yard sale shopping, and I went up to this one garage sale and started looking. Turns out this woman was just CLEANING HER GARAGE. THERE WAS NO SALE. I WALKED INTO A WOMAN’S GARAGE TO SHOP.”
— carrie.yarber
3. Offering The Exact Opposite Of Comfort
“I saw a guy trip and fall on the sidewalk and rushed forward to help him. I was thinking, ‘I hope they’re alright’ and ‘Did they get hurt?’ at the same time. I kneeled down, locked eyes, and said, ‘I hope you’re hurt.’”
— lovereetks
4. Mistaking A Question For A Compliment
“I thought the bartender said, ‘You look nice!’ So I said, ‘Aw, thanks!’ and did a little twirl. She repeated herself and said, ‘Would you like ice?’ with a scoop in hand and everything.”
— roskillysofficial
5. Helping Yourself To Someone Else’s Chocolate
“I was in a chocolate store, and it looked like the woman working there was putting out free samples on the counter, so I took one. She was actually preparing a customer’s order. They both stared at me, horrified, while I stood there chewing.”
— psychiatricnp
6. Taking An Airport Question Personally
“I was taking an Uber to the airport, and the driver asked, ‘American?’ I proceeded to say my nationality and entire backstory around it for him to then say, ‘Nice, but American Airlines or…?’”
— tracy_darling
7. Declining A Nice Day
“The guy at Starbucks took my order, and I guess my brain was thinking he was going to ask, ‘Anything else?’ So when he said, ‘Have a nice day,’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘OK, no pressure.’ I wanted to die.”
— fosterpupz
8. Making A Bold Announcement About Card Payments
“I was working in a theatre selling ice cream with no card machine. A man asked if I had a card machine, and instead of saying, ‘I’m afraid not,’ I looked him dead in the eye and said, ‘I am not afraid.’”
— meganshmegan_
9. Misunderstanding A Boston Accent For An Entire Week
“A guy introduced himself as ‘Pita,’ so I called him Pita. This lasted for about a week, after which I realized he just had a Boston accent.”
— rylymusicofficial
10. Critiquing A Costume That Wasn’t A Costume
“I’m an actress and was on set. I approached a guy, pointed at his outfit, and said, ‘Isn’t it crazy what wardrobe puts us in sometimes? This outfit is ridiculous!’ And he goes, ‘These are my clothes.’”
— czarina_really
11. Giving A Cashier More Information Than She Needed
“I was buying a bottle of wine and a can of ravioli when the cashier asked, ‘Birthday?’ and I said, ‘No, it’s not my birthday, just a rough day.’ Then I realized she needed my birth date for the purchase.”
— viva.in.nature
12. Bringing The Wrong Expression Into A Work Meeting
“My husband said, ‘Whatever tosses your salad’ in a work meeting because he thought it meant the same thing as ‘whatever floats your boat.’”
— jessicanlinn
13. Learning A Coworker’s Name A Little Too Late
“I could never figure out why my coworker, Adele, seemed so bothered by me. After she quit, I learned that her name is Emily.”
— scootchthebeagle
14. Freezing At The First Interview Question
“I had a phone interview for a job I really wanted, and when she said, ‘Tell me about yourself,’ I panicked and said, ‘I’m a girl,’ and we sat silently for what felt like five minutes. My brain just froze. I didn’t get the job.”
— myrandapasenelli4
15. Giving The Judge An Unexpected Promotion
“The first and last time I ever spoke in court, I called the judge ‘your majesty’ by accident instead of ‘your honor.’”
— rv0629
16. Grabbing A Delivery That Wasn’t A Delivery
“I thought my neighbor was my DoorDash driver, and I grabbed her bag from her hands.”
— kismethell
17. Sending Tourists To A Very Different Subway
“I had just moved to NYC. A group of tourists stopped me on the sidewalk and asked for directions to the subway. I gave them directions to a Subway sandwich shop around the corner.”
— appleuser7754496
18. Committing To An Unnecessary Elevator Excuse
“I got into an elevator with a woman who told me what button to press. I hesitated so badly that I said, ‘Sorry, I’m blind.’ She looked mortified, pressed the button, and I had to stare off as if I were really blind.”
— maeteor
19. Returning A Celebrity’s Greeting To Someone Else
“The iconic Lucy Liu popped out of a store in front of me. She was super excited, waving and saying hello. I waved back, equally excited…turns out her friend was right behind me.”
— spiritually.sarah
20. Letting A Burp Handle The Introductions
“I was hiking and passing a man who said, ‘Good morning!’ I opened my mouth to say it back, but an aggressive burp came out right as we passed each other. I just kept going.”
— bekbee
21. Celebrating Before Hearing The Whole Announcement
“One time in high school, my principal announced we’d have Monday off from school, which happened to be my birthday. I jumped up and cheered…before he commented that a teacher passed away overnight and her funeral would be held that day.”
— military.doc