# Your most bizarre brain fart

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 22, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685 "2004-10-22T21:37:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/1 "2004-10-22T21:37:25Z")

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We all have moments where we simply go blank on something that’s ordinarily not hard to remember. I don’t episode. I forgot how to spell “ **of**.”

There I was, writing up a paper for my English homework, and I needed to write “of.” Can’t think of how to spell it. Is it “uv”? Maybe “ov”? I wasn’t even sure what letter it started with, so I ended up grabbing a random book (instead of the dictionary) and scanning a random paragraph until I spotted it.

It was the strangest thing.

What’s your weirdest brain fart?

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**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/2 "2004-10-22T21:49:10Z")

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Yesterday I was writing an essay on Coleridge’s poem “Christabel.”

My sentence looked similiar to this: _In “Christabel,” Geraldine is a demon disguised as a beautiful woman who seduces…_.

I had a moment of panic. Who did she seduce? What was her name? Why couldn’t I remember it? Did it start with an M? Would I have to look it up.

After a few seconds of panic, I remembered that the poem “Christabel” is indeed about Christabel.

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**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/3 "2004-10-22T21:51:10Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I don’t episode.

Gracious. That was meant to say, “I don’t know what causes these, but I do remember my weirdest episode.”

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**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/4 "2004-10-22T21:56:18Z")

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I forgot how to count during the Chicago marathon. I guess it was because I was really tired, but as I crossed the 18th mile, I stopped running. Why? Because I was furious. I had 13 more miles to go! I mean, 26.2 minus 18 is 13, right? It’s not? Oh…

I calmed down a bit when I saw a sign announcing, “Only 8 more miles!!” But, man, for about 10 minutes there, I was nearly hysterical. I was muttering under my breath, “Goddammit. Damn. When is this stupid thing going to end? I’m going to be running forever. Forever. I hate this marathon. I hate running. I want some coffee. I’m hungry and cold and I want to go to bed. _grumble, grumble, grumble…_ 8 more miles? Oh, thank God!”

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**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/5 "2004-10-22T22:06:47Z")

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One time at the ATM I just spontaneously forgot my PIN number. I mean, I was reaching to push the buttons, and then all of the sudden 😕

Bewildered, I decided to just go home, figuring I’d just get frustrated trying to remember it unsuccessfully (and I was in DIRE need to use the ATM). Sure enough, while half asleep at 2 AM that night, I bolted upright in bed with the PIN number flashing in my brain like a giant neon sign 😛

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**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/6 "2004-10-22T22:08:00Z")

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sorry, meant to say, I wasn’t in dire need to use the ATM. Also, I was too embarassed to go in the bank and tell them I just spontaneously forgot my PIN number :smack:

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**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/7 "2004-10-22T22:12:03Z")

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During my first pregnancy, I held up many a checkout line while trying to remember what to write on the signature line of my check (debit cards were not as common at the time. And even if they had been, I’d have sat there wondering how to swipe the thing!). I’d just stand there stupidly with my pen poised, wondering what I wanted to write, and finally would remember, “Oh, my NAME goes here!! DUH!!!”

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**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/8 "2004-10-22T22:15:39Z")

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Her: Hi, what’s your name?  
Me: Scott, nice to meet you.  
Her: I’m Kelly, nice to meet you too. So, what do you do, Scott?  
Me: I work for…errr…ummm…I’m sorry, did I say my name was Scott? Umm…actually, it’s Paul. I have no idea where “Scott” came from. :o

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**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/9 "2004-10-22T22:30:33Z")

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I used to work at a factory, and I piled boxes and tallied them. I worked with other tally-people, including one girl who I was great friends with, but she just wasn’t very… bright. She’s a real sweetheart, though. I think she rubbed off on me one day, however… she got a part board one day, which means she had to finish it off, and write on her paperwork how much she piled on it. Well, they were small boxes, 26 to a tier. The type we did required us to pile them 11 high, making 286 per board. Easy enough. Well, her part board had exactly ten tiers on it, so she had to finish it off by putting one more tier on it. She looks over at me, and asks me what 10x26 is. Funny enough, right?

I looked at her blankly. We both _reached for our calculators_. We both got the answer at about the same time. We looked at each other and said the answer at the same time “260!” We paused, looked at each other, and both had the same reaction: we just raised one hand in a “oh, go on with you” gesture and kind of smiled down at our calculators, both of us giving that half-assed “silly me” laugh. That’s when I finally clued in and yelled “WTF!” (the real words, not the letters). And started laughing. My _God_, Stasia, WTF, indeed! :smack:

About as good as the time I asked my friend what 10% of $100. She asked me “Are you _serious_?” I muttered that I’d have her $10 in the morning.

Or when my father asked me how many times 25 went into 100, and I insisted it _had_ to be five times. Finally he asked me how many quarters were in a dollar, and I thought “Oh…my… _Gawd_.”

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**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/10 "2004-10-22T22:41:14Z")

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Mine happened when I was learning to drive and was at a red light. The light changed and I was a loss for what to do as I was turning. My mother was in the car with me and I freaked out saying, “Mom, what do I do? It’s the color that means go!” Ummmmm…green, maybe? I was and still am a dork.

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**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/11 "2004-10-22T22:46:49Z")

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**Beadalin** , I do the same thing all the time…when I’m really concentrating on something I’ll completely forget how to spell simple words. On a relatively unrelated note, I’m sometimes struck by why in the _world_ some words mean what they do. Like “money.” I’ll be writing something about money and all of a sudden I’ll think “why on earth is it called ‘money’? Dollars and cents have nothing to do with the word ‘money’”! There’s no rational or logical basis for this decision of mine that dollars shouldn’t be called “money,” but darn it, it just doesn’t make sense to me!

Last Wednesday someone asked me if I wanted free tickets to an early screening of _Meet the Fokkers_ (I think that was the movie) on Thursday. I said no because I was going to see a play that night.

Of course, the play was actually Wednesday night. I didn’t even realize I had erred until a few minutes later. I _knew_ when the play was, it just slipped my mind for a moment…

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/12 "2004-10-22T23:02:34Z")

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Couple-few weeks ago, somebody asked me how old I was, and I honestly had no idea. I had to think of the year of my birth and do the math in my head.

(And “I don’t episode” cracked my ass _right_ up.)

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**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/13 "2004-10-22T23:09:46Z")

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People ask me for the date, I check my watch. And it’s not one of those fancy digital watches with the date on it, either.  
Once at school I finished an exam and handed in my paper to the prof at the front of the room. She looked at the first page for a very long time, and then looked up at me with a funny expression. I was confused, till she asked “Antigen doesn’t take 2 g’s, does it?” :smack:

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**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/14 "2004-10-22T23:12:23Z")

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I had a brief moment the other day when I thought my foot was on the brake pedal but it was on the accelerator. Now I understand how those horrible accidents happen.

Once I couldn’t remember how to spell “sure.” The closest thing I could come up with was “sher.”

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**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/15 "2004-10-22T23:17:01Z")

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“And he threatened to take my camera away, too.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“No, no, I’m completely… Uhh… You know… That word… The one that means… You know, that you’re… Umm… Uhh… Umm… Starts with, uhh… Serious! I’m completely serious.”

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**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/16 "2004-10-22T23:18:57Z")

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I had a vehicle that had a gas camp on the driver’s side. I pulled up to the pump. Got out. Walked to the hose handle and realized the cap was on the other side. I had driven this vehicle for more than a year. I got back in, started up, pulled forward far enough to U turn it. Pulled up. Stopped. Got out. Walked around to the pump. And thought what tha hell is wrong with me. :smack:

I have also gone inside. Paid for gas. Walked out. Drive away. Look at the gas gauge. :smack: Only once. Thank goodness.

One morning I was running a little late. I wanted to throw my garbage in the dumpster so I got the bag out of the can. My keys are not where they usually are. I walk around everywhere looking. Looking. Looking. I am not wanting to put the bag down because I am in a hurry. I looked everywhere I could think of. Now I am almost in a panic. I am thinking I am now going to be seriously late. Finally, I put the bag of trash down. The keys were in my freaking hand! I drive to work wondering if I am losing my mind or what. 😕

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**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/17 "2004-10-22T23:20:16Z")

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One night, after a fairly busy shift, I went home and promptly forgot how to unlock my front door. I tried a couple of times but never could get the bolt lock open so I had to go around back of my house to get in. Fortunately it only happened that once. Made me feel right dumb.

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**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/18 "2004-10-22T23:23:37Z")

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> [@bluethree](#):
>
> Once I couldn’t remember how to spell “sure.” The closest thing I could come up with was “sher.”

That reminds me… I stumbled on an odd word while reading and couldn’t figure it out. I sounded it out over and over and it just sounded weird. Doing. Doing. What the heck does doing mean?

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**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/19 "2004-10-22T23:24:00Z")

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Tell me to call my office: No problem.  
Ask me my office number: Uh!?

:eek: :eek: 😃

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-bizarre-brain-fart/270685/20 "2004-10-23T00:02:38Z")

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Every forget your dates name at a Christmas Party? Someone you have known off and on for 2 years (friend of a friend)?

I had a brain fart when I was introducing her to someone.

I was introducing her to a guy at work that I barely new. I was very proud to remember his name.

I REMEMBERED HIS NAME. I was very proud of myself.

And then, I tried to introduce my date…

And this is… Ummm. Ummm…

To top it off, we picked a table sort of late. No one else ended up sitting with us. We didn’t get seconds. Long drive home.

To make it worse, I never understood how to pronounce her last name. A very beatiful Italian name. Grugnale is how I think it was spelled. I asked her on the way to the party - “How do you pronounce your last name? Is it GRUG-NULL?”. The way I pronounced her last name is very similar to the sound a cat makes when it kicks up a hair ball.

Ha. Pronounced “Grew-nal-ee”. Silent G. :smack:

Oh.

First and last date.

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