When You Found Out About......
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TV ClubHouse: Archives: 2003 January: When You Found Out About......

Whoami

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 12:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, I wasn't sure what to title this thread. If anyone has a better suggestion, please submit, and we can ask a Mod to change it.

My idea....Tell us a story of when you (or a friend or family member) found out about a "commonly known" thing that was embarrassing.

For instance, my stories surround Rocky Mountain Oysters, what they are, and people's reactions once they found out what they are...

Story 1: My neighbor asked a waiter if thier Rocky Mountain Oysters were fresh. She was thinking of real oysters, and where they were caught, and how fresh they would be, seeing they would have to be flown inland from the sea. Her husband wanted to crawl under the table, he was so embarrased (especially since it was a fancy restraunt).

Story 2: My mom once asked a waiter what Rocky Mountain Oysters were. He told her, "Honey, that's the difference between a bull and a steer."

Story 3: A group of us were at a restraunt. Someone mentioned they had Rocky Mountain Oysters on the menu. Of course some of us were like, "eeww, no way." And others were giggling about it. One young man didn't know what they were. So, a person sitting by him whispered in his ear....it was so funny to watch his face. First his eyes widened, then his face got beet red. He looked around the table and sputtered, "I knew that." Yea, right! LOL

Ddr1135

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 01:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I had a friend when I was much younger who, shall I say, was a little weak in the brain area. We were both in our 20's when:

We were going to the hospital to visit my father and I press "2" in the elevator. Now there were other people in the elevator and she asked quite loudly "How do you know which button to press?" I still remember the look on the people's faces.

We went to see the moving "Coming Home" (Jane Fonda & Jon Voight). Remember the scene when they were in bed together and she's moaning? Now my friend is married mind you, and she asks quite loudly in the theater "Why is she moaning like that?" People actually turned around in the theater and looked at us. I merely pointed to her. Then I quietly whispered in her ear "I'll tell you later when the movie's over."

Goddessatlaw

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 03:20 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Ummm - ok, when I worked in D.C. during the '80s, my older sister came down from Manhatten to visit one weekend. I was about 20, she about 22. We went up to Mount Vernon and spent a couple of hours touring George Washington's home, then travelled down a footpath toward his tomb, which is on the grounds. When we got down there, we saw a red brick mausoleum with one side opened but covered with iron bars. Looking through the bars, you could see two raised marble sarcophagi side by side. Loudly, and let me assure you there were people standing close around us, my sister asked "Who's that buried in there with George?" You'd have to know my sister - she was truly nonplussed. I laughed so hard I couldn't answer the question, and the rest of the crowd started laughing at how hard I was laughing.

PS my sister laughed just as hard when she heard the answer to her question.

PPS she got me back later, when I asked down near the Ellipse what that steam was coming up out of the ground (it was the subway vents - who knew? they don't have subways where I come from)

Curiouscat

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 04:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
When I was a kid, my parents, younger brother and I went out for a nature hike in late winter at our favourite fishing spot. The sun was shining, the river swelling, a crisp chill in the air and snow crunching underfoot. My Mom comes up to my brother and I, and says, "Look what I found under that bush. I wonder what kind of berry it is?" We look what was in her out-stretched hand, then look at each other, and I said to her, straightfaced, "That's a bunny berry." Of course we burst out laughing, quite amused our mother didn't know what rabbit poo looked like, especially since we lived out in the country with lots of rabbits visiting our backyard. We told her, "Oh no, don't eat bunny berries!" :)

Mybbusername

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 05:18 am EditMoveDeleteIP
As a toddler, my son had almost an obsession with electrical outlets. Any time I would see him trying to play with one (We had childproof outlet covers on them) I would tell him "That will bite you!!" For years his interest never waned and my warning was shortened to a quick, loud and firm "NO, BITE YOU!!

I realized that I had done him a horrible disservice when he was 15. We were traveling with his basketball team for a play off game. In the gym of a local school we were gathered, parents, players and fans alike. His coach handed him the wire for the extention cords and pointed to one end of the court. When he gets there he yells back loudly "Coach, where is the biteyou?"

Djgirl5235

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 05:28 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I was the unfortunate one to have been absolutely embarrassed by mistaken identity:

As a kid, we would spend our summers at the cottage and I came to associate the sound of cicadas in the trees with hot sunny days, or muggy days, the main thing - HEAT... Well I called them "heat bugs" for years, and was mortified to find out what they actually were...

Heyltslori

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 05:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My mom, bless her heart, always called peeing "making it rain." I assumed everyone did. (parents know everything, right?) I remember being very young and trying, almost to the point of tears, to explain to my teacher why I desperately needed to "go make it rain." :)

Suitsmefine

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 06:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
12 years ago I had taken my Grandmother through the drive thru at McD's to get her an ice cream cone...at the time they had the sign in the window,"Please ask for Condiments"....Well Granny did her little "hmphhh" and said" They just give those things out everywhere now, don't they"....I was extremely confused for a moment until I realized she thought the sign said condoms!!!! I had to explain to her and she was soooo embarressed, but we would just die laughing everytime we thought of it! I miss Granny so much, she was a hoot!

Lumbele

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 05:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
No matter how well you have learned a second language there are always traps laid out by regional expressions and euphonisms that no language school will teach you. During my first long-distance trip through Canada I marvelled at the consideration that was given to truck drivers here. They actually had places where these people could stop and rest.

My parents first visit to Canada took us to Niagara Falls. On the way home my mother asked me why they would sell poison at a tourist location. It took me a while to realise she was asking about the Gift Shops. German "Gift" = English "poison".

Melfie1222

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 05:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I was about 10 or so and listening to my older sister and her friend talking and giggling over some statistic they'd seen in a magazine, that the average amount of time it took to have sex was 4 minutes... I blurted out "you mean from start to finish, including the hugging and kissing and taking your clothes off?!?" I knew the basics of the birds and bees, etc. but I think I was picturing an entire evening or date or honeymoon night, whatever, and wondering how you could fit all of that in 4 minutes. When they were done laughing my sister explained exactly which part of the act they were talking about. Although I learned later in life that what I had first imagined, isn't too far off in some cases.

Christina

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 05:00 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My son has never been a great reader. Did I ever laugh the day he asked, when the presidents are supposed to cross? I couldnt understand what he meant. It seems that whenever he saw "pedestrian crossing", he thought that it was a walkway for presidents. hehe He hates it when I remind him of this.
It also took me a while as a young un to realize that eggs did not come off of egg plants!