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To totally forget things known as common knowledge, like that the state bird of Georgia is a brown thrasher or how many hearts an octopus has (it turns out it’s three!), is totally normal and completely okay. Happens to everybody! However, to completely forget that such a thing as a band-aid exists or be oblivious to your own year count is, well, a bit of a different category. Yet again, even such basic knowledge seems to escape all of us from time to time. However, fortunately or not, people forgetting things does make a fun story or two, and thanks to this amusing Reddit thread, we have tons of those. So, if you want to read some entertaining stories or just feel better about your own forgetfulness, we invite you to read the tales from people who completely forgot some crucial piece of common knowledge at the worst time possible. 

Now, although these stories do not exactly explain why people forget things, we can still see certain patterns attributed to forgetfulness emerging from them. For instance, it seems that most of these people forgot something while they were in some stressful situation - from cutting their finger while prepping food to an unpleasant doctor’s visit. It might be that our brain is so focused on what’s actually happening in front of us that it forgets the easiest solution for the required situation just to… well, who knows why? Another emerging pattern is this - forgetting a piece of basic knowledge when you need it the most is usually pretty darn hilarious and makes for a good story!

So, the hilarious cases of people forgetting things that we’ve rounded up from this glorious AskReddit thread are just a bit further down. Once you’re done reading them, give the ones that made you chuckle or relate to the max your vote, and share this article with anyone who tends to always forget everything!

#1

"I forgot what hand sanitizer was called when a class mate had put some on. I was commenting on how pungent it was when I forgot the word for pungent as well. So my sentence in the end was: 'your hand sauce is loud.' Needless to say they were very confused and concerned."

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    #2

    tah4349 said:
    "Not long after my daughter was born, I took her to a meet up with friends. I put her car seat next to another baby in the group. Then, sitting down, I asked the mom across from me how it was having twins? I completely forgot that one of those babies was mine."

    sirjonsnow replied:
    "That's when you shout, 'No take-backs!' and run away."

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    #3

    "I forgot my name once. In an exam. I waved the prof over, and told him that I'd totally blanked on the first question. He started to explain the question, but then I told him I meant my name. He laughed slightly, before realizing I was serious, then telling me my name.

    Funniest part was: when I got my exam back, I got a bonus point for putting my name on the paper."

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    Stardust she/her
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I forgot what grade I was in and my surname this morning when taking my math exam. I was wearing an ID card so I was able to save myself

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    #5

    localtrashgoblin said:
    "Once while driving I wondered how blind people see the lane divider lines."

    DancePants5678 replied:
    "They only drive on highways with rumble strips."

    Commenter replied:
    "By using a guide dog. DUH."

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    #6

    "How to sign my name.

    In my previous role at where I work I was a Quality Inspector (Aerospace Industry). It was a really stressful job with management applying pressure from different directions.

    Quality wanted you to take your time.

    Operations wanted you to go fast.

    Logistics wanted the part out the door no matter what.

    On one particular bad day I was about to sign a Certificate of Conformity and just totally forgot what my signature was, no matter how hard I tried to remember it, my mind was blank. Which as a very logical person, really made me mad as I couldn't work out what was happening.

    I went and told my boss I was incapable of signing my name so I am incapable of inspecting Aircraft parts.

    Turns out I was suffering from stress and the doctor told me to take a month off work.

    If your in a high pressure environment and start forgetting silly things, go and talk to your boss or a doctor, stress should not be taken lightly."

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    Jessica Specht
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thankfully OP had a job where he/she could do that. Not all jobs will do what the doctors say.

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    #7

    "I use an electric toothbrush and the battery died. I literally had no idea how I was supposed to brush my teeth.

    I’m ashamed."

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    #8

    "A couple weeks ago I forgot what the blender was called, so I just pointed at it and yelled 'FOOD DESTROYER.'"

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    #9

    dabilge said:
    "The word 'scissors' midsurgery.

    Normally we call them mets (for metzenbaum scissors) but we had a new student as the scrub tech and I went to ask for mets, asked a few times, tried to remember the word scissors, failed, referred to them as 'snippies' and did a little finger scissors motion, looking like an idiot in front of the doctor.

    At least it worked and I got my scissors..."

    raikumori replied:
    "Lol, I pretty much always call scissors 'snip snips' at home and while I’m looking for them I absentmindedly do the finger snipping thing.

    Makes it a lot of fun when I need scissors at my office job."

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    Beruthiel45
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We still call them skizzers in our house from the way one of the kids pronounced the word about 50 years ago.

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    #10

    Daiwon said:
    "I have, on two occasions, forgotten the word 'aquarium'.

    The closest I could manage was 'fish zoo.'"

    shatterly replied:
    "I forgot 'hourglass' and described it to my coworkers as 'that sand timer thing.' Nobody else could remember the real word until someone googled it. Then we all felt really dumb."

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    Sam Juan
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fish Zoo is accurate, though. Another accurate (and perfectly usable) term is Plane Station instead of Airport

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    #11

    "Somebody asked me what day of the week it was, so I lifted up both of my hands to see which made an 'L.'"

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    #12

    "I was out boogie boarding in the ocean when it started raining. No thunder, and you're wet anyway, so who cares? But I put my board over my head so I can see a bit better. And I notice the sound of the rain hitting the board and think, 'wow, that sounds just like a rain stick.'

    The rain. Sounds like. A rain stick."

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    #13

    Commenter said:
    "I forgot how to spell goat for 2 months. Fun times."

    F0MA replied:
    "How often do you normally write goat in a two month period, I’m curious?"

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    Chocolate llama
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think there is a fellow bored panda that has the word "boat" in their username. I recently stared quite a long time at that name and tried to make sense of that weird combination of "boot" and "goat". Until I remembered that, yes, in fact, the word "boat" exists and has a meaning unrelated to goats and boots :D

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    #14

    "Forgot how long to cook 2-minute noodles whilst asking myself out loud 'How long do you cook 2-minute noodles?' Had to fish the packet out of the garbage just to find out."

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    hungryghost
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Read the packet, throw it away, pick it up to read again, throw again, repeat :)

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    #15

    "One morning I forgot how to pour coffee.

    Spent a good 30 seconds just standing in front of the coffee maker with both arms straight-out, stiff and unmoving, followed by briefly swatting the carafe like a confused ape for a second before my brain finally caught up to what I was trying to accomplish."

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    Beth Wheeler
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair, your brain doesn't officially start working until after coffee.

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    #16

    laalaa-hotshot said:
    "I blanked on my own name once. I was shaking hands with someone and my brain just died for a moment, I presented myself as my friends name then i just stood there quietly with my broken thoughts as my friend had to tell me what my actual name was. It was such a confusing situation."

    Meepweep replied:
    "I played a lot of MMOs as a teen without much person to person contact. There were many times were people would be screaming my name from a couple feet a way and I'd just be thinking 'Jesus, this Meepweep really needs to respond to their own god damn name.'"

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    #17

    Nitrooox said:
    "Once I entered the shower, got wet and then I got so distracted that I came out without actually washing. Had to reenter the shower."

    Rostin replied:
    "At least one morning out of every three I forget whether I've washed my hair yet."

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    #18

    Forhaver said:
    "If I'm running up the stairs or down the stairs and suddenly think 'How am I doing this?' walking becomes manual for a second and I fall.

    It turns the autopilot off, like when the dentist says 'breathe through your nose.'"

    sirjonsnow replied:
    "When you step forward with one foot, which arm are you supposed to swing?"

    PookieDear replied:
    "Better swing both to be safe."

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    Sydnie Laney
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    sometimes i forget how to go u down stairs, i just hold on to the railings and go autoilot, 16th letter of the english lexiton is not working for me, neither is my memory of grammar

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    #19

    "I forgot how to throw a ball. An embarrassing moment in my life which my brain will never allow me to forget.

    In high school I was walking through the local fair with my then girlfriend. We come across a generic 'throw ball, hit the stuff, win things' booth. The prizes are irrelevant but who cares, it's something fun to do.

    So I pick up the baseball and throw it without a second thought. Except I fling it full strength straight into the ground. It was a perfect 45 degree angle throw into the dirt. I'm like, 'what the f*ck was that... It must have slipped.' Everyone laughs it off.

    So I go to throw the second ball, and the same thing happens. I realize that I've completely forgotten how to throw a ball. I'm releasing way too late. Just whipped it straight into the ground. There was less laughter this time. The booth guy looks confused and says 'don't you know how to throw a ball?' I swear I do. I don't know what is happening. I play catch with my brother regularly, this is insane, and I immediately start to stress out at the situation.

    The booth guy looks like he feels sorry for me and offers me a third try for free. I have to redeem myself. I don't have to win a prize, I just have to throw a f*cking ball to prove to everyone I know how to do it at this point.

    But nope. Again. Straight into the ground this time. Like I'm spiking a goddamn football.

    I'm speechless. Someone from the crowd behind me says 'what the f*ck is wrong with you?' My girlfriend just looks disappointed, not because I didn't win, but because it's so embarrassing that I would even try to do this while apparently having nearly indescribably poor motor skills.

    All I can do is walk away. I have no idea what happened. Nobody believes me that I do in fact know how to throw a ball. This memory haunts me still many years later anytime my brain decides 'hey remember that one time...'"

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    #21

    Yunifortune said:
    "How to spell 'of'.

    Was unclear on where the V goes."

    Commenter replied:
    There was like a whole week for me a couple years ago where every time I wrote 'of' I actually wrote 'ov' and then was baffled for a couple minutes because I knew it looked wrong but couldn't figure out exactly why."

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    April Caron
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I forgot how to spell “was” once. I wrote it correctly, but my brain did NOT recognize it as being correct. It just looked wrong.

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    #22

    Commenter said:
    "My age, starting in my early twenties. Or so I think."

    onamonapizza replied:
    "Yep, you know you are starting to get old when you have to do the math on your age."

    JegErEnFugl replied:
    "Thank god I was born in 2000.

    Convenience for life, baby."

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    Jeremy James
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    An ad for colon screening came on yesterday and I had to ask my partner, "Wait, am I over 45?" "No, babe, you're like 30-something." "Oh, good." And the last time I was at a hospital, I had to ask intake for a new form because I had started to write the year as 189-

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    #23

    CrepeCrisis said:
    "Tied a tie for church one morning. Nice, symmetrical knot, but I got it a little too short on the first try. No big deal, I always do that. I'll just tie it ag- Wait. How do you even tie a tie?

    Had to Youtube it after having just done it literally the moment before."

    tomlu709 replied:
    "Ahh, once something becomes mechanical memory it's hard to deliberately recall it. I have forgotten my PIN code a couple times because I've had it for so long it has become muscle memory, then one day I'm standing there in front of the ATM like a dunce."

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    Navindu Wijewardena
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    like, when i solve a rubiks cube, i just go for it but when i pause to explain, i get stuck

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    #24

    "I forgot what bread was called once, so I referred to it as raw toast. Not my proudest moment."

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    Rahim Carlock
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't know who. Wasn't me. they put orange juice on the toast. moist. The butter is in the fridge.

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    #25

    "I once forgot what rain was called. I was super tired and in the process of going to bed. I asked my wife, is it supposed to ugh, whats it called... you know when the water falls from the sky.

    My wife goes, is it supposed to rain tomorrow? Is that what you're asking??

    To this day rain is referred to as water falling from the sky instead of rain."

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    #26

    "That I was black.

    I was in elementary school, 4th grade. My family was the only black family in this small town, but I never really felt any racism. Aside from the fact that I was shy, I fit in pretty well.

    One day we had a test at school, and I happened to look at my arm, and was shocked. I was black. I looked around the classroom, noticed no one else was black and immediately got paranoid that all of a sudden my classmates would notice my 'blackness.'"

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    #27

    "I grew up driving cars with manual transmissions. I still have one but also have a car with an automatic transmission. I regularly forget that I'm in an auto transmission car (any, not just mine) and attempt to press a nonexisting clutch pedal and inadvertently hit the brake pedal. Hard. It's a jarring reminder that I am, in fact, not in a manual transmission car."

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    Andy Frobig
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I once had to call in to work to say I'd be late because my car wouldn't start. I forgot to put it in park

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    #28

    "I've forgotten which way left and right are more times that I care to admit."

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    Sam Juan
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hold up your forefinger and thumb on both hands. The hand giving you the loser sign is left.

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    #29

    Zack1018 said:
    "When speaking in a 2nd language:

    How to say literally every single word of the entire language, and it happens at the exact moment that someone asks me a question, every time."

    Commenter replied:
    "'Oh, you speak (language)? Say something in (language)!'

    Promptly forgets entire language despite years of study."

    Gdigger13 replied:
    "Happens with musicians too.

    'Oh you play [instrument]? Go ahead and play us something!'

    Forgets entire repertoire of music."

    Commenter replied:
    "'Uh...here's Wonderwall, I guess...'"

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    #30

    "Don’t know if this counts but I forgot the password I set for my phone not even a second after setting it. Sad part is I never remembered it and got my phone disabled.

    Funnily enough, I did this not only once but twice. Just remembered I changed my password last New Year’s Eve and forgot it again right after changing it."

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    Beruthiel45
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I absolutely hate passwords. Wish we could just press a thumb on the screen. Or glare wide eyed at it. Looking forward to that progress in technology. Retinal or fingerprints for the win.👍😳

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    #31

    "I forgot that Rice Krispies make that noise when you add milk and scared the hell out of myself when I poured a bowl."

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    #32

    "Last week I had been up late and was about to go to bed. I usually get a glass of water and leave it on my side table because sometimes I get thirsty at night. So I walk into my room with my cellphone in one hand and a glass of water in the other. I guess I was tired and forgot which hand had what in it. I intended to set the glass of water on the table and toss my phone onto the bed. Instead I set my phone on the table while throwing the entire glass of water onto the bed. Bed was soaked and I slept on the couch."

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    Robert Trebor
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Opened a bottle of cream soda, opened the door to the trash container to throw the lid away, and had to stop myself from tossing the bottle in the trash.

    #33

    "Went to the doctor’s office with my dad to get my medical records and they had to ask me some questions. They asked me my birthday and I just looked at my dad like 'get this one for me' cause for the life of me, I could not remember. I was 16-17 at the time."

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    Beruthiel45
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    By the time you've been asked as many times as we oldies have it's been jackhammered into your brain and it comes out without thinking. Thank goodness.😉

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    #34

    kukukele said:
    "What you call a person who is from China."

    bubblegumbeth replied:
    "Easy, just remember people from Canada are called Canadians, so a person from China is a Chinian."

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    Whiskey Tango Delicious
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Chains, please.. no that's mildly racist. C***ks. Annnnd, now I'm going to hell. I'll see myself down...

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    #35

    tuesdayisbestday said:
    "Sometimes I forget the name for 'radiators' and end up calling them 'microwaves.'"

    awertag replied:
    "When I see elevators, 90% of the time, I automatically think: 'umbrellas.' No clue why."

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    Bec
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband mixes up words quite a bit. Vacuuming and mowing the lawn are commonly mixed up - they are kind of similar actions

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    #36

    it_is_not_science said:
    "I read (silently to myself) a sentence that went something like 'No one knows what they had been doing in there' and my brain's internal narrator mispronounced the word 'doing' as a perfect rhyme for 'boing' - you know, like a comic book sound effect. DOING! No distractions, no background noise. Just suddenly I forgot how an extremely common word is pronounced."

    furbyjane replied:
    "I was once doing a maths exam and one of the questions asked something like 'Nigel has this many apples' or something. I don’t remember, I just know the guys name was Nigel. Except when I read it in my head, I read it as...well, I read it as 'Niggle'. And for a good minute I was stumped as to why anyone would call their child that.

    Apologies to anyone called Nigel."

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    Ione Decep
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dammit, thanks alot. Now I'm never going GOING! to be able to pronounce DOING! correctly ever again.

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    #37

    "I whispered into my wife's mouth once. To be fair, she kept her mouth open, to listen to me.

    We were in public too. I got done whispering to her, and I was leaned in all close, her mouth agape, and our eyes met. And we both realized how dumb that all was, and we scampered away."

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    #38

    "I have definitely been stumped by a door before. It's happened a couple of times where I have approached a door and forgotten how to open it."

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    Rahim Carlock
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Which way do I turn this k**b? clockwise or counterclockwise? Each door to its own ,whichever direction.

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    #39

    "Sometimes I forget how to get to places where I have driven many times before. I will look on Google Maps and then slap my head, 'duh, you idiot' and then drive right there."

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    #40

    "I forgot what the word 'through' meant. Someone said 'He went through the window' I said, 'what do you mean? How do you throw a window?' Them: 'No, not that threw (does throwing motion), like he went THROUGH the window'
    Me: 'I have no idea what you are saying.'

    It took me hours to remember what the word 'through' meant."

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    #41

    "I forgot what the word mud was. I was at work and some sterile product got delivered to us covered in mud. This makes the product no longer sterile and I have to send it back and inform my boss. I send her a text and say 'The product was covered in liquid dirt'.

    It wasn't until hours later when I mentioned the issue to a co-worker and he looked at me dumbfounded and said:

    'You mean mud?'

    It was at that moment I realized how stupid I was. Brownie points because my boss knows now too."

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    #42

    "Babies aren’t born with a full set of teeth. When I was handed my son for the first time I thought ‘he’s got no teeth!’ Derrrrrr to me."

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    Shelby Moonheart
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had a friend run up to me and yell, "May all your babies be born naked and toothless!"

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    #43

    "Back in the times of printing out driving directions. I mixed up left and right once and I ended up some 2 hours away from my destination. I was 16 with no cell phone and extremely socially awkward, so it took a lot of courage to ask a gas station attendant how to get back to my city. A couple friends were waiting at my house when I got there, they said they thought I died or was kidnapped or something."

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    Rahim Carlock
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My dad was great at giving directions, you just watched his hands because he would point left when he said right I trusted his hands.

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    #44

    "I often confuse the windshield wiper toggle with the turn signal. I'll be preparing to make a turn and then *bam* windshield wipers start going nuts."

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    Andy Frobig
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm from the US...I spent a week in Antigua and borrowed a car. Wiped my windshield at a lot of intersections

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    #45

    bomfd said:
    "I was ordering hot wings at a local BBQ joint. I was wondering if they still came with the fibrous, green vegetable but couldn't remember the name. Ended up describing it to the cashier and she looks at me weird and says 'you mean celery?' Uggghhhhh, yes that's what I meant."

    deferredmomentum replied:
    "That’s when you speak with an accent and pretend English isn’t your native language."

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    MotherofGuineaPigs
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We were making a grocery list and I said we need... um, you know... those orange things that go in beef stew. Carrots, I forgot the name for carrots (which are fed to the GPs every day.

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    #46

    "I've played Pokemon so much for so many years (since it came out) that sometimes I forget the word for things like caterpillar because my brain goes for Caterpie instead..."

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    Beruthiel45
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In our house, similar to how scissors became skizzers, a butterfly is a flutterby. That's what they do so why not, said my kid.

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    #47

    "I forgot momentarily the word 'night'. I was camping with friends and said something about waiting until 'dark time'. Safe to say they don’t ever let me live that down."

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    #48

    "When I was in the eighth grade, at the end of the year we were playing an around the world style social studies based game where we only had like, fifteen seconds to answer whatever question the teacher asked. It gets to me and he asks where penguins are from. I panic, the word on the tip of my tongue but running out of time. I blurt out the first cold place I can think of: 'Russia?' Then a couple seconds of dumbfounded silence (I was typically regarded as one of the 'smart kids' so this was even more uncharacteristically dumb) then I go, 'Wait, Alaska.' I am obviously eliminated, my best friend is laughing her ass off, and then I head desk. 'Antarctica... I meant Antarctica.'"

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    #49

    "During an HS history exam, I forgot how to spell Jesus. Got a 97 on the test cause lost 3 points how to spell it. It wasn't a religious test or school, just from that time period. The red marked 'WHO??!?!?! -3' made me quite embarrassed though."

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    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reminded of the Not the Nine O'Clock News sketch with the vicars discussing their sermon about "Oh, you know! Whatshisname! Oh, walks on water..." - clicks fingers, puts head in hands and in dismay "oh, Jesus Christ!" and still can't remember. Highly satirical.

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    #50

    "I was playing CounterStrike 1.6 when I was growing up and someone typed in chat "Go through the left dore". It took me 24 hours before I could remember how to spell "door" after that."

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    S Mi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you think about it, based on the rest of English 'dore' makes more sense than 'door'. Based on store, more, chore, bore, ore, etc.

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    #51

    AnjinOtter said:
    "I was just starting a new school in 9th grade and had to write an essay about myself that the other kids in the class would read. I forgot how to spell 'pants' and wrote 'pance.'"

    gingerjonsmom replied:
    "In second grade I couldn’t remember how to spell “of” on a spelling test. I wrote “ov”. I am still embarrassed by this memory."

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    #52

    "How to spell 'who'. I was thinking 'hu' but realized something was wrong."

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    #53

    "I once forgot how to count in the only language I have... And had to stare at the blackboard for a few seconds trying to remember."

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    #54

    alllerda said:
    "I ask cause I just forgot for like half a minute how many days were in a year."

    Bamboozle_ replied:
    "I always struggle to remember if it is 52 or 54 weeks in a year."

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    #55

    narodii said:
    "I forget what a washing machine is called at least once a month. I end up calling it a clothes washer out of desperation. People laugh at me every time."

    Sparrow50 replied:
    "To be fair, it's a more accurate name."

    abbyabsinthe replied:
    "I call it a dishwasher at least once a week."

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    Otto Katz
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i always mix up the dishwasher/washing machine. My husband just figures out what I mean by context, and rolls with it.

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    #56

    Alomare said:
    "That there are 60 minutes in and hour and 100 centimeters in a meter instead of the opposite."

    ShmexysmGuy replied:
    "I keep doing that with cents, I sometimes think there's 60 instead of 100 if I don't really think about it. I'll look at a tag that says $2.30 and think 'oh cool, two and a half bucks.'"

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    Rahim Carlock
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When the barista charges you 6:30 for your coffee go somewhere else.

    #57

    "I was eating some pancakes at IHOP the other day and I was like 'God, what is wrong with these pancakes? Every bite is hurting my throat and stomach...' Oh yeah. That's right. They're fricken hot."

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    #58

    "Was in a mall, wanted to go to higher floors, saw an escalator and stepped on it. Realized it was a going-down escalator after being pushed back down a couple times. I was in my early 20’s. Some sales people nearby stared at me funny."

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    #59

    "Once I was having dinner with my new girlfriend's family for the first time, and I forgot what a potato was."

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    Shyla Bouche
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There was a post awhile back on BP about someone pretending to his SO's family that he didn't know what potatoes were.

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    #60

    plankzorz said:
    "The power at my house had gone. I'm on a meter so it's fairly common thing. My phone started to die, so I put it on charge. Then spend about 10 minutes trying to figure out why it wouldn't charge, my attempt also included trying to Google why it wouldn't charge to no avail cos no power so no Internet. It was at that point I realized."

    cardiff_giant_jr replied:
    "We hardly ever lose power; when we do I still try to turn on the light switch in every room I enter."

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    #61

    davewtameloncamp said:
    "I forgot how to swallow. I was eating a steak at a diner, one of those steak and eggs breakfast platters, so you know it's not the best steak. It was tough and impossible to swallow. My esophagus was so pissed, it forgot how to swallow for about a day. I would try to eat but could not remember how, my tongue would press against the roof of my mouth and that's all that would happen. The next day I had a hot tea and that fixed it."

    alllerda replied:
    "That's scary."

    fayefairyhair replied:
    "I have this!!! It's happened to me a few times, usually in the evening as I'm trying to get to sleep. I never knew how to describe it to people."

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    Libby Tailor
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh yes, it happens with me embarrassingly too much. I don't know why. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe because of it and I'll die. Terrible feeling.

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    #62

    MtTibadabo said:
    "When I was a senior in college, I spent several minutes longer than I should have thinking that 'onion' was spelled the same as 'union,' and wondering how people could tell the difference in writing."

    cafeheart replied:
    "If it makes you feel better, I read both of those words as 'onion' and was very distressed until I realized that 'union' is... a different word."

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    #63

    Commenter said:
    "I forgot my own birthday a few times. Just didn’t seem too important till someone asked and I was like uhhhhhh."

    allaboutcharlemagne replied:
    "I have two kids and a very busy husband, so I'm in charge of all the appointments, insurance, pharmacy call-ins and pick-ups... lots of things where I have to recite their birth dates. I rarely make appointments for myself, and I have no medications (as of yet).

    So I recently made an appointment for myself and had to say my birth date... except what came out of my mouth was my husband's birthday, and I didn't even realize it until she repeated it back to me. "No, wait, sorry," I told her, "that's my husband. Mine is-" and proceeded to tell her my son's birthday. Since my son is 8, there's absolutely no reason for him to see a gynecologist. (Obviously his gender is a pretty decent reason not to as well, but it's not like the receptionist knew I was reciting a male's birthday, just someone from 2010.) She didn't even bother repeating it back to me. I only just barely stopped myself from reciting my (even younger) daughter's birthday next. After a far too long pause, I finally told her my own birthday.

    The woman on the phone was either very suspicious of me or very amused and trying not to laugh at me. Either way, her voice sounded odd and strained for the rest of the phone call."

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    Lily bloom
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband and I have 7 kids between us. All between the 17th and 29th, different months of course Definitely takes me a bit to sort out which birthdate I'm being asked for

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    #64

    Commenter said:
    "I knew there were 50 states in the US but I said 52 when asked for a trivia game. Yeah that was pretty embarrassing..."

    genetics_slayer replied:
    "This is a very common mistake that Americans make. There was a study done and some absurd percentage of people instantly answered '52' when asked the same question."

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    Bec
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe you are just a strong advocate for Puerto Rico and D. C. It is really unfair that our territories don't get equal treatment and representation

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    #65

    gorantheg said:
    "How many numbers we know about."

    Override9636 said:
    "0 through 9. The rest is just fancy math tricks to keep track of more things."

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    Bec
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is really a beautiful system. Using binary, I can count to 1023 on my fingers!

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    #66

    Arch27 said:
    "Ice cubes will displace any liquid they are in. For some reason I had this mental breakdown about ice cubes potentially causing a drink to overflow."

    halroxy replied:
    "Was filling my water bottle the other day, threw a bunch of ice in and one cube just kinda sat there half out of the bottle, no room left. My brain goes 'just put the lid on, the ice will go in.'

    Yeah, the ice went in and water came out. No idea what I expected would happen."

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    #67

    "I used to get April and July, as well as Tennessee and Michigan, mixed up. Don’t even ask because I don’t know."

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    #68

    "I once forgot if it's called 'New York' or 'Yew Nork'. I couldn't recall for at least 5 minutes of intense thinking."

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    Sam Juan
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Newnique Yew Nork, newnique Yew Nork, I love to see newnique Yew Nork.

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    #69

    "Forgot how to swipe my badge to get into the changing room at work. I just stood there swiping my badge incorrectly for a solid minute until someone let me in. I've worked there for 7 years."

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    April Caron
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My daughter once kept trying to use her credit card to unlock our hotel room door. She swiped it over and over again, looking utterly perplexed. I thought she was just confusing the credit card with the room key card until she looked at me and said, “I don’t understand why this card isn’t working. It’s the one I charged the room to.” She has a PhD in physics.

    #70

    DarkPasta said:
    "I have pre-Alzheimers. I joke, but not really. My wife frequently find my keys in the fridge. To conclude, I've forgotten how to adult."

    Xiphias_ replied:
    "I like how your comment is a mini essay."

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    #71

    "I once had my laptop plugged in to charge during a lecture because it was running very low on battery. Everything’s going fine, then the screen suddenly goes black. I look over to the plug and it turns out I had never flipped the switch beside it."

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    #72

    "One time at science class my teacher asked this really tricky question. I answered it right but then she asked me how many minutes an hour has and the only numbers I could recall were 45 and 64 (Minecraft stack)"

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