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Communication Errors?

NlGHTgirl

NlGHTgirl

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any funny literal interpretations that make people smile? I'd love to add a few of those happy stories here!

It seems like there may be some not so happy misunderstandings as well. Please be free to share what you need to do for therapy or something. It helps to share sometimes! Thanks a lot! I look forward to reading your stories!
 
This was one of my first weeks teaching kids on the spectrum. My pupils were writing articles, I no longer remember what the topic was, but this one particular kid had real troubles getting started so I sat down with him and together we drew a mind map. I left with the words "You think you can fix it on the computer now?" When I returned, the two assistants working with the class were smiling and told me to be prepared for a surprise. I got the exact mind map drawn on a computer, apparently he even measured the distance between the bubbles.

I hung it up on the wall above my desk.

I quickly learned that starting any exercise with the words "Can you" is not a great idea.
"Can you underline the nouns in this paragraph?"
"Yes"

This is not a story I experienced myself, but it's amazing.
Our children had gym with a regular teacher. The assistants were always there, but miscommunication still occurred.
They were supposed to try jumping. The teacher explained everything, and finished by saying "remember to fall forward and don't fall on your hands."
Well, the pupil jumps, the teacher's nodding in agreement, so he stretches his arms to the sides and falls forward.
 
At primary school, we had a trainee teacher take us for a PE lesson. He wanted to demonstrate ways of passing a ball, and choose me to be his demonstration partner. He'd call the type of pass, throw the ball and I'd do it back. As none of this was new, it never occurred to me that I was supposed to be copying him. I just did the pass he called. Until he got to one he called something like 'back throw'. I weren't sure about this one, until a moment of inspiration hit me. I turned around and threw it backwards. He caught the ball before flinging it backwards over his own head and glaring at me. He choose a new partner after that.
 
I've shared this one elsewhere somewhere here:
A week or so after a youth camp, my leader rang me. When I answered the phone he said "I just rang to say 'Hi'". I took him very literally. So, I just said 'Hi' and immediately hung up. A few minutes later I realized what I'd done and burst out laughing. He never tried ringing me again.
 
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YES!!!!!!!!! Zurb! exactly!!! One time, I actually had enough courage, well, I was forced into honesty, really, because I don't know how to lie? not very well. So, I was at this place where this guy works. (oh,... this guy.... he used to stare at me....... I think he has a crush on me.....oh, i like him tooo......) so, He asks if he can help me with something at his work place. I am forced to admit "....ah........... ah.. ah. Sometimes, I just come here to talk to you." and, well, I did THAT. I talked. I said words! So, I turned a little too swiftly, a little too nervous , and walked away ......... Before he could respond!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I have a lot more of those little beautiful musings, heh.
I really really really wanted to hear some of your stories though? aw......
Can I turn this thread into a blog? huh.
 
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Women Having A Terrible Time At Parties In Art

Me....... Socializing?
returns the "hi"
then, they speak of (something, I can't hear) so I ask ,. and she says "He is in a band .......... with his wife......... they play a bar show for Halloween."
Socializing...... Bars! "Oh! Is that what people do? I don't......." (pause.....) (wait? wife? I totally thought that guy was totally GAY?! wait. I can't say that out loud. it's not polite. oh, that band, I heard it was really GREAT! I don't go to bars......... but if the band was really Great? maybe I'd consider it? Oh, someone might try to touch me, I don't like THAT....... Oh, I don't know ...if i have to babysit......"
and the socializing ends with a half formed sentence? ah......
 
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I was once talking to a girl who had developed a urinary tract infection. She told me that she'd had to use the toilet about "20 times" the day before. And I recalled thinking about how painful it must have been to have to use the toilet so many times.

My response had been, "Wow, gee! It must be a bit sore down there then!"
 
Mu brother asked me 'how much does the machine that washes cars cost'. And I said 'I don't know, a lot, 15 grand for sure'. He went mad, only wanted to know how much does it cost to USE it.
 
When I was about 10 years old, my mom told me she's divorcing the man who lived with us at the time. I laughed at her because I thought it was a joke. I feel pretty bad about it now that I've realized she was pretty upset then and told me in confidence.
 
My aspie wife though "Le Bare" (sp?) was a "French Bar". She was quite mortified when I told her it was a male strip club. :D(We still laugh about this)
 
Pierre09 said:
My aspie wife though "Le Bare" (sp?) was a "French Bar". She was quite mortified when I told her it was a male strip club. :D(We still laugh about this)
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I learned that if I don't know with certainty what a word means-don't say it! If I don't understand with certainty what a bumper sticker means-don't read it out loud to the others in my car!
I've caused them to go awkwardly silent more than a few times!
 
On the top of my head I recall this incident from first or second grade: I was upset about something, I don’t remember what, and taking out my aggression on a poor football(soccer ball). I kept kicking it in frustration and suddenly it landed on a window. Obviously the window broke.
A fuming teacher came out and demanded to know who broke the window.
She went from student to student on the playground asking “Did you break the window?” When she got to me I told her “No”
After she left another kid asked me why I didn’t admit to breaking it, I told him “Because I didn’t break the window, the ball did.”
 
A few years ago I was working on my wife's car. I got to a point where I needed a torque wrench. After I could not find it, I remembered I had lent to my brother in law. I got into my pick-up and drove to his house. I knocked on his door and when he came to the door, he said "What brings you here?". With out thinking, I said "My pick-up."
 
On my driver's test. The instructor pointed at a car and asked me "Can you read that licence plate?" I answered back with yes.
So he said "Funny. Now spell it out for me."
I think he was a bit amused.
 
Yesterday the receptionist at work asked me if I had cut my hair.
I told her "No"
She seemed very confused until we both realized the error and I explained "the hairdresser did"
 
Etzelaire said:
Mu brother asked me 'how much does the machine that washes cars cost'. And I said 'I don't know, a lot, 15 grand for sure'. He went mad, only wanted to know how much does it cost to USE it.
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This is me in a nutshell. A lot of the time I ask people for clarification on things on things like this - to me it's not too obvious, because in your case I probably would've thought "why the heck do you wanna buy a car wash? are you planning n starting a business?". I also sometimes get confused between which of the options it is. Like do they mean a, b, or c by this?

I'm really bad at this sort of thing sometimes orz
 
Juturna said:
This is me in a nutshell. A lot of the time I ask people for clarification on things on things like this - to me it's not too obvious, because in your case I probably would've thought "why the heck do you wanna buy a car wash? are you planning n starting a business?". I also sometimes get confused between which of the options it is. Like do they mean a, b, or c by this?

I'm really bad at this sort of thing sometimes orz
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Hahahah that's it, I was stonished.
 
I went for a psychiatric session and the shrink wanted to talk to his colleague and said "Would you wait outside please ?" so I went and did that. He came looking for me after ten minutes to find me sitting on the steps outside the building. At the time I didn't realise the way I had misinterpeted his request. :D
 
Haha..I love these funny threads.. I have a long list I could add if I thought about it for a while.

One of my favorites recently involved a date at a french dip place. We both put a ton of spicy mustard on our sandwiches and my date had all these tears in his eyes and said "I'm just thinking of a sad story right now" and I say "oh, which one?". And he says "No, it's a joke, my eyes are watering because it's spicy... kind of like how if you're watching a sad movie you might say you were eating something spicy.. " It would never occur to me to make a joke like that.
 
Amusing to look back now and recall purchasing a "bloopers" record in the 70s. While really funny at times, I look back and think it actually helped me in processing things at times. Quite often the first time I heard some of them, I wasn't entirely sure what was so funny, or where my focus should be.

Makes me think of one in particular, which was a radio commercial broadcast in the 50s, about a children's product. A Davy Crockett mattress. With the radio announcer enthusiastically saying, "See scenes of Davy Crockett. In action....on the mattress!" :eek:

Even now, occasionally I have a "delayed reaction" with some kinds of humor. :p
 
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