Overheard

[TechWife]

While in Barnes & Noble earlier today, I overheard this statement: 

"There was a guy named Paul. God changed his name to Saul. It's an itty bitty word that means 'short stuff.' "

 

I can't make this stuff up! 

 

What weirdness have you overheard lately? 

 

 

[PrairieSong]

It wasn't recently, but I overheard a guy and girl who appeared to be in their early 20's. Her: " Is Greece a country?" Him: "Yeah. I'm ten percent Greesh." This was also in B&N btw.

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[zoobie]

When studying for the National Mythology Exam: "Cronus is the Donald Trump of gods." It's not entirely on point, but it cracked me up.

[Daria]

This was not recently, but I was in a line in DC, overhearing two people talking.

 

Person #1: So, across the river in Virginia?

 

Person #2: Virginia?  I thought Maryland was next door.

 

Person #1:  No, Virginia is next to DC.

 

Person #2: Where's Maryland?
 

Person #1: It's like this (demonstrates concentric circles with hands) DC, Virginia, Maryland

 

Person #2: Oh, that makes sense!

 

So, apparently, I live in a region of the country where the states are arranged like a Target sign.  

 

I never know when to interrupt when people are giving wrong information.  Like in this case, I didn't, but what if it's clear they intend to act on the wrong information. Like when you hear someone telling someone directions and they are all wrong.  (e.g. Tourist: "I'm trying to get to Santa, which direction do I go".  Resident: "Hmmm, I'm not sure.  I think you take the 22 South Bus, and get off at Antartica, and then just ask a penguin")

 

Do I say something, or do I let the person go in the wrong direction? 

[gardenmom5]

 

I never know when to interrupt when people are giving wrong information.  Like in this case, I didn't, but what if it's clear they intend to act on the wrong information. Like when you hear someone telling someone directions and they are all wrong.  (e.g. Tourist: "I'm trying to get to Santa, which direction do I go".  Resident: "Hmmm, I'm not sure.  I think you take the 22 South Bus, and get off at Antartica, and then just ask a penguin")

 

Do I say something, or do I let the person go in the wrong direction? 

 

if they're giving directions to get somewhere specific - and those directions will land the visitor in the next county (or going in circles of increasing frustration) - I would say something.  Just a "oh, excuse me, I don't mean to intrude, but I heard you were trying to get ___ saying something like (I was just near there) and you can go _more straight forward and correct directions__ and should get there just fine.

 

while the person whose directions have been preempted might be embarassed or angry (c'est la vie) - the innocent person you just saved from a wild goose chase will be very grateful.

[bolt.]

While in Barnes & Noble earlier today, I overheard this statement:

"There was a guy named Paul. God changed his name to Saul. It's an itty bitty word that means 'short stuff.' "

 

I can't make this stuff up!

 

What weirdness have you overheard lately?

That's actually not far off the truth. It's just inverted: *Paul* does mean 'small' -- his name was changed *from* Saul. Edited March 10, 2016 by bolt.

[TechWife]

That's actually not far off the truth. It's just inverted: *Paul* does mean 'small' -- his name was changed *from* Saul.

 

In Latin, yes. Many think "humble" is the better translation (also Latin). 

[Miss Tick]

Guy to date (in line) "I'm getting a latte, that's Italian for layers"

 

You can guess the location, I imagine.

[kristi26]

Dh and I were on a date a few years ago and there was a family at the next table. The husband was extremely loud so we heard his entire side of the conversation. He insisted that his feet don't stink because he doesn't wash them and that people who have stinky feet only have them because they use soap on their feet. He said that the soap gets trapped in your toes and makes your feet smell bad. He went on and on about his feet for at least twenty minutes. Dh and I were dying. Lol.

 

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

Edited March 11, 2016 by kristi26

[Mimm]

I have a journal for this very purpose. Random overheard snippets of conversation.

 

Overheard:

 

"Everyone wants to be a serial killer." 

 

 

"I don't know what happened in there but it's all yellow."

 

 

"It's two dollars! It's expensive!"

 

Some of these things, I don't remember where I heard them and I certainly don't know the context, but for that first one, it was my daughter talking about a video game. ;)

[KatieJ]

Today in line at the pharmacy ...Costco.  

 

Man behind me says to his wife, you know, I got this letter in the mail that said these "discount" places all give you reduced prices on your prescriptions the first year and after that they double and triple the price knowing it's too much work for you to switch pharmacies.

 

 Wife says, I don't doubt that at all, I am sure they do that here.

 

Man says, well, our prescriptions are that expensive anyway.

 

 

[eternalsummer]

(background info: we have a 1 year old and I'm also pregnant, so babies are a popular topic)

 

DD4: "Well someday a baby will come out of *my* somach and it will be mine."

DS7: "Not only yours."

DD4: "Well no one else can use it."

DS7: "[name of DD4, said exasperatedly].  A mother, who is at *least* 18 years old, has a baby and the baby is also the husband's.  And if the mother and the husband has at least free [3] children, the mother has to let everyone play with the baby."

DD4: "Yep."

DS7: "You don't know a *fing* of what I'm talking about."

 

DH: "Everyone finish cleaning up the trash" (what they were supposed to be doing)

Edited March 12, 2016 by ananemone

[eternalsummer]

removed; hilarious but alas

 

Edited March 12, 2016 by ananemone

[Chelli]

A couple of years ago I overheard this conversation in line at the grocery store:

 

Cashier: Your total is $19.42. That's cool! 1942 is the year Columbus discovered America.

 

Customer: I don't think that's right.

 

Cashier: No, it is! We learned a song about it. *begins to sing* "Way back in 1942 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

 

Customer: Oh, well, I guess you're right!

 

I was silent, but dying a little inside. 

Edited March 12, 2016 by Chelli

[Garga]

I don't remember the exact exchange, but basically a homeschool mom was talking about teaching her kids about what a very evil place Haiti is, as well as being hot, because people compare it to hell all the time. She referenced the phrase, "As hot as Haiti," and talked about how when people say you're going to hell, sometimes they call it Haiti because Haiti is Just That Bad.

 

She had confused Haiti with Hades, obviously.

 

At this point, her kids were in high school and one was in college in culinary school. I considered stepping in to the conversation, but didn't.

[Joker]

Oops!

 

Edited March 12, 2016 by Joker

[J-rap]

Grandmother in line at the grocery store with her 3 or 4 year old (or so) granddaughter, who was stalling at the candy display.  

 

Grandmother:  "That's not candy.  They just make it look like it is."

 

Granddaughter:  "Oh, okay."

[Scarlett]

I saw this text exchange on my son's phone. He was texting with his friend, a girl his age. I had taken her with me to town to run some errands one day.

 

Girl: so your mom and I are like besties now

Ds: oh yeah?

Girl: yes, but don't say anything to her because that would be awkward

[mom2scouts]

I remember when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and I overheard a teen girl saying, "Georgia? Does that mean we can't go to the beach this year?"

[Carrie12345]

A couple of years ago I overheard this conversation in line at the grocery store:

 

Cashier: Your total is $19.42. That's cool! 1942 is the year Columbus discovered America.

 

Customer: I don't think that's right.

 

Cashier: No, it is! We learned a song about it. *begins to sing* "Way back in 1942 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

 

Customer: Oh, well, I guess you're right!

 

I was silent, but dying a little inside. 

 

I wound up in a long conversation about homeschooling with a retired teacher/cashier when she pointed out my $17.76 total and told me nobody else ever gets the reference.

[Daria]

My sister was at UT listening to a lecture about Alexander the great. The professor pointed to a map and said "His army got as far as here . . ." A student raised their hand to ask "he came to Austin?"

[TechWife]

Grandmother in line at the grocery store with her 3 or 4 year old (or so) granddaughter, who was stalling at the candy display.  

 

Grandmother:  "That's not candy.  They just make it look like it is."

 

Granddaughter:  "Oh, okay."

 

Excellent! 

[Miss Peregrine]

I will never forget overhearing this at a Chinese restaurant, "I need to eat more salad. My stool is like toothpaste."

 

Ugh.

[Halftime Hope]

Grandmother in line at the grocery store with her 3 or 4 year old (or so) granddaughter, who was stalling at the candy display.  

 

Grandmother:  "That's not candy.  They just make it look like it is."

 

Granddaughter:  "Oh, okay."

 

My kids were pretty old before they realized that the music trucks that roamed the neighborhood sold ice cream, too.  Grandma spoiled it for us.

[EmilyGF]

I don't remember the exact exchange, but basically a homeschool mom was talking about teaching her kids about what a very evil place Haiti is, as well as being hot, because people compare it to hell all the time. She referenced the phrase, "As hot as Haiti," and talked about how when people say you're going to hell, sometimes they call it Haiti because Haiti is Just That Bad.

 

She had confused Haiti with Hades, obviously.

 

I thought this was hilarious and was relating it to my husband over lunch today.

Now, it was sort of loud, but this conversation followed:

 

Dd9: "Halley? Hotter than Halley? I didn't know comets were hot."

 

Emily

[poppy]

I don't remember the exact exchange, but basically a homeschool mom was talking about teaching her kids about what a very evil place Haiti is, as well as being hot, because people compare it to hell all the time. She referenced the phrase, "As hot as Haiti," and talked about how when people say you're going to hell, sometimes they call it Haiti because Haiti is Just That Bad.

 

She had confused Haiti with Hades, obviously.

 

At this point, her kids were in high school and one was in college in culinary school. I considered stepping in to the conversation, but didn't.

 

There are people who think Haiti is cursed by God because it is founded by a slave revolt (because the revolt was against Christian slave owners.).  It's a thing- here is one example but sadly he's not the only one who thinks that way.

 

[Garga]

There are people who think Haiti is cursed by God because it is founded by a slave revolt (because the revolt was against Christian slave owners.). It's a thing- here is one example but sadly he's not the only one who thinks that way.

I wonder if that's what she was talking about. Interesting! She did still refer to the phrase, "Hot as Hades (Haiti)" and said that Haiti was another name for hell. So maybe she'd heard something that Pat Robinson (or someone like him) said and it all mushed together in her brain and she thought she was on to something. Now I really wish I'd said something to her and found out what in the world she was talking about.

[EmilyGF]

Had to add this tonight.

 

I live in a fairly secular area. As I locked up my car, I saw a little girl walking with her dad.

 

Girl: "Did you know Halloween is Jesus' birthday?"

Dad: Nods.

 

Emily

[Scarlett]

Had to add this tonight.

 

I live in a fairly secular area. As I locked up my car, I saw a little girl walking with her dad.

 

Girl: "Did you know Halloween is Jesus' birthday?"

Dad: Nods.

 

Emily

Oh my word. That is hilarious.

[Scarlett]

My nieces are visiting. I had the news on and the 12 yo said, "is Donald Trump the president?" I said no. I asked her if she knows who the president is. She does not know.

[nd293]

Had to add this tonight.

 

I live in a fairly secular area. As I locked up my car, I saw a little girl walking with her dad.

 

Girl: "Did you know Halloween is Jesus' birthday?"

Dad: Nods.

 

Emily

This reminds me of my ds, aged 7, speaking to the father of one of his sister's friends:

 

Son: Do you read the Bible?

Friend's father: (Uncomfortably) Umm, not really.

Son: Well, Hercules had to (... launches into story about Hercules)

Me: Clearly we don't read it much either!

 

(We're not religious but read Bible stories, myths, fables, legends for cultural literacy. Apparently that caused some confusion!)

Edited March 17, 2016 by nd293

[Daria]

This reminds me of my ds, aged 7, speaking to the father of one of his sister's friends:

 

Son: Do you read the Bible?

Friend's father: (Uncomfortably) Umm, not really.

Son: Well, Hercules had to (... launches into story about Hercules)

Me: Clearly we don't read it much either!

 

(We're not religious but read Bible stories, myths, fables, legends for cultural literacy. Apparently that caused some confusion!)

It is a good idea to read the Bible, otherwise you end up in moments like this when DS was about 4 and we went to see the VeggieTales movie, Jonah.

 

Imagine this part in whispers

 

DS: This is scary. Is the whale going to eat him?

 

Me: Yes but don't worry he'll get out.

 

DS: How do you know?

 

Me: I read the book

 

DS (really loudly) THERE'S A BOOK? THIS MOVIE COMES FROM A BOOK? YOU SHOULDA TOLD ME!

[Home'scool]

I was at a small café and overheard this from the table next to mine.

 

Woman #1 - "Did you hear Mr. Smith died?"

 

Woman #2 - "Oh no! That's terrible!"

 

Woman #1 - "Oh for pete's sake don't be upset. He came back to life!"

 

Apparently the man had a heart attack and collapsed at a softball game. Someone performed CPR on him and revived him after he "died".

 

Now every time we hear that someone died we always say to each other "Yeah, but did he come back to life?"

Edited March 17, 2016 by Home'scool

[Home'scool]

Can I do another one? I don't know if it falls under "weird" but it just always cracks me up when I think about it.

 

My daughter played softball on a club team until she graduated from high school. Her coach was Curt Schilling, the pitcher for the Red Sox (remember the whole bloody sock thing and the 2004 World Series?) His daughter played on the team and he took over coaching.

 

Needless to say these teenage girls drove the poor man crazy with their antics and their need, once they arrived to some random far-flung field in the middle of nowhere, to be driven to CVS because they just got their period and needed tampons. The girls were a really good team and played very competitively, but they were teenage girls and just couldn't help themselves.

 

The funniest moment was when one of the girls created a new up-do for her bun. All the girls loved it and spent a lot of time oohing and aaaahhing over her. When the game started she took her place out in left field but kept fussing with her hair and touching the bun to make sure it was still in place. Finally Curt, who was getting more and more red faced, came out of the dugout and yelled at the top of his lungs "Kaylie, STOP TOUCHING YOUR HAIR!!"

 

It just cracked me up to see this professional baseball player, famous for bringing us our first World Series win in over 86 years, reduced to yelling at a player because she was more interest in her hairstyle. It was also funny to see the reaction of all the parents from the other team because they just started to realize who our coach was and started to be super impressed but then saw him as he really was - a hen-pecked father and coach to 12 teenage girls!

 

 

[athomeontheprairie]

A friend's hamster just had babies. While she was exclaiming about these tiny critters being born someone piped up that she absolutely needed to get rid of the mom right away or she would kill the babies. Someone else said "well yeah, of course they do. That makes sense."

I spoke up "No. They're mammals they need mom"

Them "I don't understand. Mom will kill them. They have dad."

These were adults!

Edited March 17, 2016 by athomeontheprairie

[Cmking727]

In a thrift store...

 

Mom to teen daughter: oh! What about THIS skirt?!

 

Teen daughter: Mom. That looks like a HOMESCHOOLER.

 

I just died laughing.

[fairfarmhand]

In a thrift store...

 

Mom to teen daughter: oh! What about THIS skirt?!

 

Teen daughter: Mom. That looks like a HOMESCHOOLER.

 

I just died laughing.

 

This is funny.

 

But it's also something that my girls and I say.

 

"Does this make me look too much like a homeschool mom?"

 

or

Older dd to my younger dd

"No, that top and that skirt won't do. You may as well tattoo, I am a homeschooler across your forehead!"

[Amy in NH]

In a thrift store...

 

Mom to teen daughter: oh! What about THIS skirt?!

 

Teen daughter: Mom. That looks like a HOMESCHOOLER.

 

I just died laughing.

I had this conversation with my dd a few days ago in a thrift store, but it was the other way around...

 

Dd: This is a cute dress!

 

Me: No, it looks too much like a homeschooler.

[Daria]

A friend's hamster just had babies. While she was exclaiming about these tiny critters being born someone piped up that she absolutely needed to get rid of the mom right away or she would kill the babies. Someone else said "well yeah, of course they do. That makes sense."

I spoke up "No. They're mammals they need mom"

Them "I don't understand. Mom will kill them. They have dad."

These were adults!

 

I am picturing the single Dad hamster formula feeding his little babies.

[fraidycat]

In a thrift store...

 

Mom to teen daughter: oh! What about THIS skirt?!

 

Teen daughter: Mom. That looks like a HOMESCHOOLER.

 

I just died laughing.

Was it black, and more importantly, does it have belt loops to hang a skull belt/chain slung down on one hip and thigh? :D

 

That's what 'homeschooler' looks like around here. It goes with the (naturally dark) bleached + green and blue hair.

[Scarlett]

My nieces are visiting. I had the news on and the 12 yo said, "is Donald Trump the president?" I said no. I asked her if she knows who the president is. She does not know.

Same niece asked me if the president gets to stay in the White House after he is no longer President.

[Katy]

Same niece asked me if the president gets to stay in the White House after he is no longer President.

 

Please tell me this child goes to public school.

[Scarlett]

Please tell me this child goes to public school.

Yes. Yes she does.

 

😳

[zoobie]

Please tell me this child goes to public school.

I was thinking, please tell me this child is from a far away land.

[Tanaqui]

Do I say something, or do I let the person go in the wrong direction?

 

If you see something, say something.

 

My own weird overheard-on-the-bus. The man was sitting in the frontmost seat, talking to the driver.

 

Man: So then I jumped over the fence. You know, that was my mistake. I should have just spent the night in the graveyard.

Driver: Uh-huh.

 

I have no idea what the context was for this conversation.

[lots-o-rice]

We were buying furniture a few years ago and the salesman was trying to make conversation with my dh. 

 

salesman:  What nationality are you?

 

dh: Guatemalan

 

salesman: Oh, my wife is from the Philippines and you have a similar look.  Guatemala is like really close to the Philippines, so that makes sense.

 

dh:  ummmmmmm- yeah.

 

:lol:  :lol:  :svengo:  :svengo:  :svengo:  :svengo:

 

[Guest]

These crack me up!

[Daria]

If you see something, say something.

 

My own weird overheard-on-the-bus. The man was sitting in the frontmost seat, talking to the driver.

 

Man: So then I jumped over the fence. You know, that was my mistake. I should have just spent the night in the graveyard.

Driver: Uh-huh.

 

I have no idea what the context was for this conversation.

 

If you have the misfortune to be a bus driver with this particular passenger, you really don't have any better options than "Uh-huh".  

[Tanaqui]

If you have the misfortune to be a bus driver with this particular passenger, you really don't have any better options than "Uh-huh".  

 

Indeed. I still want to know what the lead-up to that was.

 

[eternalsummer]

Overheard last night at dinner:

 

I will replace all the kids names with different names.  I could write a book of these; I just try to transcribe in real time and then email my mom and sister.

"James" is 7, "Jack" is 2, "Anne" is 4.

--------------

 

James: "Jack is eating all of his meat pie because he is the biggest carnival."

Anne: (thinking this has been an insult): "Jack is not a carnidal!"

James: "Jack is definitely a carnival.  Do you even know what a carnival *is*?"

Anne: "Jack is NOT a CARNIDAL!"

James: "You don't even know what a carnival is.  A carnival is someone who is a masterpiece at eating meat."

Anne: "James, do you even know what a [indecipherable word] cookie is?"

James: "There's no such fing."

Anne: "It's someone who eats a lot of cookies."

----------------------

 

I am not sure if this is improving [Anne]'s vocabulary or just confusing her.