# Your worst social faux-pas **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 8, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314 "2007-02-08T04:22:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/81 "2007-02-12T16:10:47Z")
[QUOTE=Lakai] …My worst social faux-pas was when I was around 7 years old. I don’t remember how, but I somehow heard of the N-word and made a mental note to ask my Mom what it meant. Unfortunately I was reminded when a few black people walked by me and Mom on our way home and I decided to ask right then. I hate getting flash backs of that memory. [/QUOTE] I did a variation of that at the same age. I was in tee-ball practice and we were playing some variation of the game of H-O-R-S-E (where you get a letter if you miss a catch, or something like that). Anyway, one of the other little kids got his third letter and I loudly yelled out, “Hey, you’re a HOR now! Ha ha.” Now I had no idea that “HOR” had a homophone that was not too nice, nor did I have any idea what that word meant. I got benched for the rest of the practice, and had no idea why the coach was so mad at me. When my mom came to pick me up from practice, she asked me why I was on the bench. I told her, “All I did was call this other kid a HOR!” I actually expected her to defend me. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/82 "2007-02-12T17:24:00Z")
If I had to go though all of them I coulnd’t do it without a bottle of prozac…or cyanide. So I just go for one from when I was 6 or so. My first time at stay-away camp. My first time with alot of…well…black people. Just weren’t any in my kindergarten. Met a kid (black) hit it off. Ran into another black kid. Started up a conversation based on or former conversation. Different kid. I was doing the “they all look alike thing” :o The worst thing was the other kid knew it. Sent me a stare that by all rights should have burned a hole right through me. I slumped off feeling like I’d burned a kindergarten sized cross in her yard. Sorry kid. I’ve learned better. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_loop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5ac83/32.png) [@Rex\_loop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_loop)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/83 "2016-01-22T00:01:25Z")
Oh my god, I just did the same thing, except I’m 22, WAY old enough to know better. I’m a very shy person and I have trouble making friends. There’s a girl in one of my classes who I’ve been trying to build up a friendship with, and it’s been going well until today. She came in the classroom and sat next to me, in the seat of another girl who usually sits there. Without really looking at her, I greeted her and struck up a conversation based on the assumption that she was the other girl who usually sits next to me. They are both Chinese (I’m white), and I’m sure she thinks I didn’t bother to tell them apart when in reality it’s my nervousness and shyness preventing me from looking people in the face when I talk to them 😛 I’m still not quite sure how I could have been so stupid, since I’ve know the first girl for a full semester and I only met the other one two days ago. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/84 "2016-01-22T00:19:46Z")
That’s almost as embarrassing as making your first post on a message board to a nine year old zombie thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/85 "2016-01-22T00:33:45Z")
Nm, zombie. Feel ashamed, **Rex\_loop**! 😉 Double ETA: I just realized 2007 was 9 years ago. I feel . . . old. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/86 "2016-01-22T01:38:11Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > When I first started working at this job, I had some interactions with a coworker but did not know her well. About 3 weeks later, she resigned her position. People mentioned her leaving, but no details were given. When she mentioned her last day to me, I brightly said, “Oh, are you leaving us for bigger and better things?!” > > She graciously smiled and said, “Something like that.” > > Now, it is to my coworkers’ credit that no one had gossiped and told me…but at the same time _no one told me_ that she was dying of cancer. > > :smack: Oh God, your story makes me burn with hot shame . . . 20+ years ago I worked with a woman, “Donna,” whose mother was dying of a particularly horrible brain cancer. My co-workers circulated a “Thinking of You” card to express support and care for Donna; I didn’t look at the front of the card and blithely signed “Happy, happy birthday! Don’t get too drunk tonight!” and drew a little winky-smiley face. I was the last signee and handed it to her. Urghhh. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/87 "2016-01-22T02:54:37Z")
> [@Elza\_B](#): > > When I was about 10, my parents had a good friend who we saw a lot. One weekend, he was over for dinner, and I was really into telling very bad jokes. So I turned to him and said “Hey, Gene! How do you get a one-armed idiot out of a tree?” (Actually, I had used a not-so-nice ethnic slur…not proud of that…) > > He very nicely smiled, and said “How?” > > “Wave!” > > Meanwhile, my parents looked absolutely horrified. Mortified. > > I forgot that Gene’s right arm was missing below the elbow. > > I still feel horrible when I think about that now. > > E. Believe it or not (and I don’t blame you if you don’t), I told this exact joke to a man whose daughter had her arm amputated shortly after birth. And I knew this to be true. And I was much older than 10. Here is one I missed committing by a whisker: Years ago I worked for a hospice. I would see the patients periodically. One man, named George, came in one day. I came very close to saying, “Hey, George! I thought you had died!” mmm ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/88 "2016-01-22T03:11:35Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > That’s almost as embarrassing as making your first post on a message board to a nine year old zombie thread. 😉 …Or realizing that when most of this was written, that girl he’s been lusting after…? She was only eleven… Ghost Bumper- _You [Pedophile](https://ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/sounds/de/0/pedophile.mp3) You!_😛 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/89 "2016-01-22T03:17:16Z")
At a former job I vented to a coworker about another coworker and accidentally included the one I was complaining about on the email. That one is \*not \*funny. I didn’t say anything too terrible - I really cared for and respected this person and she was just frustrating me but I got called into the bosses office and we had to hash it out and it ended with me in tears. I’ve shared this one before: when I met my former (English) boyfriend, he dubbed one of my cats “The Minge”. I was not familiar with the term - I thoughy he was referring to the way she always howled and whined. One Sunday we went to a popular British restaurant so he could introduce me to all his British friends. I got to talking to a couple about their cat, who was a stray they’d taken in. I too had an adopted stray and, being so excited that we had something in common, I SQUEALED \*loudly \*" Oh, that’s how I got my minge!" (minge is a very filthy term for. . . unsavory lady bits). ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/90 "2016-01-22T03:42:07Z")
Shortly after Desert Storm broke out, I went to get my hair cut at Fantastic Sam’s. The stylist took a phone call and was speaking some language I didn’t recognize; for some reason I was eager to make chit-chat, so I asked her what language it was. She smiled and said, “Farsi. You know Iraq?” Me: “Yeah, I’ve heard of Iraq. Didn’t we bomb the crap out of them a few days ago?” …I don’t make small talk with barbers anymore. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/91 "2016-01-22T03:45:44Z")
I remember being a very young boy. I had made a new female friend. My dad and mom was giving us a ride home from school. On the way home, I asked my new female friend if she would like to spend the night… Everyone in the car laughed (including my new friend). I had no idea at the time what was so funny. Boy did I feel dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/92 "2016-01-22T03:53:02Z")
Let’s see, it’s been nine years since[I first posted to this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8240998&postcount=42) Yup, still the most cringeworthy moment of my life. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/93 "2016-01-22T04:20:47Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Back when I was young and very unworldly, my best friend asked me to be the best man at his wedding. “Sure,” I said, thinking that all I had to do was stand next to him during the ceremony. Hey, I can relate to that one. I can’t tell you how many weddings I’ve been in or attended where I didn’t bring a gift. I thought my presence was plenty sufficient. (I know, right). Multitudes of other faux-pases I could count. Getting waaaay too drunk for circumstances. Actually that’s the only one I can count. There are probably others that proceed from that. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/94 "2016-01-22T05:17:30Z")
I’m not sure how I missed this zombie the first time around. Did anyone else notice the ratio of banned to current members? It might be an all time high for a thread… Me, no faux pas, nosiree Bob, not me. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/95 "2016-01-22T05:34:33Z")
I checked the list of people who have posted to this thread and I’m not on it, although I don’t know how I could have passed it up the first time. Also, there are at least two people in the world who, if they read this, will know who I am. Please don’t give me away. Anyway, many years ago a co-worker invited me and a bunch of other co-workers to a party at his apartment. Being socially challenged, I drank too much (to make up for not talking to anyone, I guess). I soon began to feel queasy, and I couldn’t get into the one bathroom. I went outside where it was cooler, and I felt just enough better that I couldn’t be sick but I was still nauseated. After a while I had to go back inside because it was too cold. I started feeling dizzy and sicker. Like a sick cat I went into someplace where no-one else was (the closet in the bedroom where the coats were) and (only half-conscious) left a small-ish surprise for our host in the middle of the closet floor. I then staggered to the bed and passed out on top of the coats. That would be bad but not epic. What made it memorable was that my boss, who came in later looking for her coat, was the first one to find my little surprise by stepping in it. Of course, if I hadn’t been passed out on the bed they would not have been able to tell who was the culprit, but there I was in all my limp glory. I think everyone had a better sense of humor about it than I did, including the host and my boss. People did not throw this incident in my face more than once or twice in 30 years since then. I’m not sure how I have deserved their forbearance. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/96 "2016-01-22T16:49:45Z")
I was at a party and several of us, including the hostess were having a conversation about people who like to collect things. I made a remark about the type of things people collect and how I don’t understand why people (especially women) would collect those ugly ass Precious Moments figurines. They are not hard to find, aren’t worth much and whoever likes them has the worst taste I’ve ever heard of. Strangely no one nodded with agreement and the conversation came to a stop. I excused myself to go to the bathroom. What do I see in the bathroom? Several shelves with Precious Moments figurines proudly on display. I wanted to flush myself down the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/97 "2016-01-22T16:59:34Z")
> [@dada2fish](#): > > I was at a party and several of us, including the hostess were having a conversation about people who like to collect things. > > I made a remark about the type of things people collect and how I don’t understand why people (especially women) would collect those ugly ass Precious Moments figurines. They are not hard to find, aren’t worth much and whoever likes them has the worst taste I’ve ever heard of. Strangely no one nodded with agreement and the conversation came to a stop. > > I excused myself to go to the bathroom. What do I see in the bathroom? Several shelves with Precious Moments figurines proudly on display. > > **I wanted to flush myself down the toilet**. Great post/ username combo. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/98 "2016-01-22T17:21:02Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Shortly after Desert Storm broke out, I went to get my hair cut at Fantastic Sam’s. The stylist took a phone call and was speaking some language I didn’t recognize; for some reason I was eager to make chit-chat, so I asked her what language it was. > > She smiled and said, “Farsi. You know Iraq?” > > Me: “Yeah, I’ve heard of Iraq. Didn’t we bomb the crap out of them a few days ago?” > …I don’t make small talk with barbers anymore. :smack: Farsi, or Persian, is what they speak in Iran so you were good. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/99 "2016-01-22T17:29:53Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I can’t even believe I’m admitting this. It’s awful, just AWFUL. > > When I was in fourth grade my best friend revealed to me that she had been raped by her brother (he’s in prison for it.) I had no idea really what the hell that meant. I mean I knew what it MEANT, but I didn’t understand the emotional context at all. So even though I was sworn to secrecy, I told a friend, someone I didn’t even really know that well. At the time, I went to a different school than she did, so I figured my acquaintance and my best friend would never meet. > > Cue my tenth birthday party. A room full of girls and I introduce my acquaintance to my best friend. At which point my acquaintance blares, “OOOH! IS SHE YOUR FRIEND WHO WAS RAPED???” Mortified, I said no, it was someone else, but the acquaintance just wouldn’t shut up about it, loudly insisting it had to be her in front of everyone at the party. > > The thing that stunned me is, my best friend was never mad at me. She never said a word to me about it. At the time it mystified me, but now that I have the dubious honor of having experienced similar horrors, I know exactly why she wasn’t angry. She wasn’t angry because she was too humiliated. > > Jesus. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself. Hey! I forgive you and if I can forgive you, I think you should be able to forgive yourself. If I was to tell you my biggest social faux pas, you wouldn’t believe it! I can’t tell you because it is just so embarassing. I will give you a few factoids and see if you can fill in the blanks for yourself: . New Years Eve . 17 years old . 24 ounces of vodka (I figured I could drink it all at home and save a lot money by not paying for drinks at a club). . The clock strikes midnight to choruses of “Happy New Year” resounding through the club. . I was seated at a very long table together with about 30 strangers. . When the clock struck 12 … . vomit everywhere on and around the table - I mean projective vomitting. - **I mean explosive projectile vomiting!** . horrified looks of terror on the faces of all these strangers in their fancy clothes forever ruined by vomit . to this day, I’m amazed no one killed me. I don’t know why they didn’t. Sometimes, I wish they would have. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314/100 "2016-01-22T17:46:07Z")
Years ago I rented a place from an older woman who lived up the road with her son, who was my age (40 or so). I stopped at her house a few days after xmas to pay January’s rent. Her son answered the door dressed to the nines in a nice suit. I’d never seen him in anything but jeans. So, I complimented his outfit, really going overboard, and asked if he was heading out to strut his stuff at a holiday party. He replied, “I guess you haven’t heard, my mom died”. I handed him the money, mumbled something and split. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-social-faux-pas/391314.md?page=6)