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What is your worst verbal faux-pas??

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kingsrings:
Something you said that was really, really stupid, embarrassing, or offensive, when you didn't intend to be.

My worst was when I was on a car trip with my then-BF. We were both local actors, and were using the long car trip to hone our singing skills. He put the accompanient tape in the player, and off we took turns singing. At one point when it was his turn, his voice sounded so odd and funny that I thought that he must be just kidding around or doing a character voice for exaggeration purposes. He finished and asked what I thought. I told him that I could better critique his voice if he sang normally and wasn't just goofing off. Well, he wasn't goofing off. I was so mortified by my unintentional offense that I was speechless. Months later, both of us were with another group of people talking about singing in local musicals. He told the whole group that he couldn't do musicals because when he sang, people thought that he was joking. Ouch. I did a deep hurt on that one.


Another time I was working the counter at Round Table Pizza. I hadn't had a chance to look at the bar area yet and see that one of the beer taps was marked off with an 'out' sign as it was empty. A group came in and ordered pizza and beer. When I asked what kind of beer, one of the guys wisecracked that he wanted 'out' beer. Since I hadn't seen the bar area yet, I was confused and told him, "Sir, we don't serve a beer with the name of out". I just thought maybe he was referring to an odd-named beer type. The group didn't say anything, they were probably too busy thinking how dumb I was and cracking plenty of jokes later about the dumb waitress who served them.

Cyndi:
In a world where people read between the lines of what is said, I make so many faux pas. Usually when I say something I mean just the words I say, nothing more, nothing less.

I think the most embarrassing blunder was a time I was talking to an Asian guy working at MacDonald's. It was during the time my mom was having radiation treatment after a lumpectomy and couldn't drive. So my dad would drive himself and I to Mickey D's and I'd get the food. Anyhow, I finally asked the guy "So what nationality are you exactly? I'm trying to figure it out, but you all look the same." Then I backpedaled and said, "I mean...I didn't mean that in a bad way. I just can't tell by looking where you're from."

Fortunately he laughed it off and told me he was Korean.

But ughhhhhh sometimes I say something bluntly with no intended offense and then don't realize why it made someone angry until way later.

Bijou:

--- Quote from: kingsrings on January 24, 2007, 02:11:03 PM ---Something you said that was really, really stupid, embarrassing, or offensive, when you didn't intend to be.

My worst was when I was on a car trip with my then-BF. We were both local actors, and were using the long car trip to hone our singing skills. He put the accompanient tape in the player, and off we took turns singing. At one point when it was his turn, his voice sounded so odd and funny that I thought that he must be just kidding around or doing a character voice for exaggeration purposes. He finished and asked what I thought. I told him that I could better critique his voice if he sang normally and wasn't just goofing off. Well, he wasn't goofing off. I was so mortified by my unintentional offense that I was speechless. Months later, both of us were with another group of people talking about singing in local musicals. He told the whole group that he couldn't do musicals because when he sang, people thought that he was joking. Ouch. I did a deep hurt on that one.


Another time I was working the counter at Round Table Pizza. I hadn't had a chance to look at the bar area yet and see that one of the beer taps was marked off with an 'out' sign as it was empty. A group came in and ordered pizza and beer. When I asked what kind of beer, one of the guys wisecracked that he wanted 'out' beer. Since I hadn't seen the bar area yet, I was confused and told him, "Sir, we don't serve a beer with the name of out". I just thought maybe he was referring to an odd-named beer type. The group didn't say anything, they were probably too busy thinking how dumb I was and cracking plenty of jokes later about the dumb waitress who served them.

--- End quote ---
I used to think I had a stigmatism, but the A is connected and I have an astigmatism.  Stigmatism actually means normal eyesight.

CutebutPsycho:
One time a girlfriend of mine helped me move. It was a long distance move (approx 50 km) so I bought her a tank of gas and some dinner. When I was getting pizza ready for dinner, I asked her if she wanted a beer. She said no thanks, water is fine because she didn't want to drink and drive. So I gave her her water and we finished up dinner. After the pizza was gone we were going to unload the rest of the stuff from the truck, and then hang out for a while. We finished unloading the truck and I said to her "would you like a bottle of water for the road?"

She looked stricken and I realized what I said and had to backpedal... "I didn't mean you should go... just that you didn't want beer because you had to drive... CRAP sorry Michelle..." Oooooops  :-[ She had been so nice to help me and I (accidentally) insulted her!

Lexophile:
I was having dinner with the family of a soon-to-be bride. They were very old-fashioned and didn't know that she was living with him before they were married ... until she made some wisecrack about one of his quirks and I blurted out, "Well, you're living with him for crying out loud!"

The other one was a bilingual mix-up. I was living in Costa Rica on a class trip and asked my host mom for a towel because i wanted to take a shower. THe word I was taught was "toalla." My host mom handed me a maxi pad.

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