'This happened in 2002 and I still think about it all the time': 20+ Face-meltingly cringe moments that keep people awake at night

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 21, 2023 3:00 PM EST

It's 2:30 A.M., you have to work tomorrow, but you're staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping…what embarrassing moment in your life are you reflecting on as you lay in the silent darkness? In order to answer that question, it helps to have some anonymity. That's why r/AskReddit really leaned in to this prompt, asking which "relatively minor social missteps or poorly chosen words you did/said years earlier?" still bother you today. 

The responses range from tiny mean comments about someone's appearance or laughter, to bigger things like outright rejecting romantic advances in a blunt manner. It's fascinating, because so many of these submissions are really tiny things that people have spent hours of their lives pondering over. It really makes you wonder if you're the cause of anyone's ultimate embarrassing moment. And it makes you realize that most people will only remember embarrassing moments about their own lives, and don't really care so much about other peoples' supposed slights. 

After that, scroll through one waitress's most bizarre shift ever, where she served two women who were out of this world, either because they were under the influence of some substances, or because they're undercover aliens. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/AskReddit Posted by u/anfla56 S When you're lying in bed at night, do you ever randomly remember some relatively minor social missteps or poorly chosen words you did/said years earlier? And then beat yourself up over it even though it really wasn't a big deal? If so, what happened?
    via r/AskReddit
  • 02
    Font - NahhaN2019 I slid and fell in some mud when I was going to get on the bus in like 6th grade. I too just sat there head down crying and waived the bus on. A boy I dated later on recounted the story to me as he was on the bus and saw it happen. So it was embarrassing two times over.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 03
    Rectangle - Risklotrman S2 In 7th grade, a cute girl asked me to sit next to her. I said my mom won't let me sit next to girls. My mom said no such thing.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 04
    Font - niosop S2 I went to Dairy Queen with my daughter. She brought along her kitten. The cute girl at the walk-up window asked my daughter what the kitten's name was. "Princess" was the response. Smiling and feebly attempting to make conversation, I said "Today" to indicate that my daughter changed the cat's name frequently. I got a dirty look and the girl left the window to go make whatever cold treat we had ordered. It wasn't until later, on the walk home, that I realized that she thought I
    via r/AskReddit
  • 05
    Font - 91 MrsAnthropy 3 yr. ago When I walked down the aisle at my wedding, I was so nervous and focused on not tripping, that I did not acknowledge my dad. I didn't realize this until I saw the video my aunt had made for me. You can see my dad lean in to give me a kiss on the cheek but I just keep walking. He kind of shrugs and then goes to sit down. It's been 18 years and this still flashes through my head when I'm trying to fall asleep. Also, that time I was trying to get to get to the school
    via r/AskReddit
  • 06
    Font - tree6house Fourth grade classroom, we were having a face off between students on who could name the capital of whichever state our teacher named. I had been on a roll getting a few correct in a row. Then the teacher says "Kentucky" With all of the enthusiasm (and seriousness) in the world, I screamed "FRANK FART" Everyone was dying laughing except for me, at the time. Looking back, it cracks me up that I was so upset about it
    via r/AskReddit
  • 07
    Font - Minenash_ This reminds me of a similar messup. In civics last year we had to make a cereal box with information about a presidential cabinet position, and most had funny/clever names. Well one person didn't prepare and the class was thinking of a good name that would go with the Department of Homeland security. So naturally I say very confidently: Home-Os.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 08
    Font - anonusername27 I was in the fourth grade and it was Valentine's Day, I was the new kid in school and this one boy had been picking on me all year. My 10 year old self was very non confrontational so I wrote a paragraph on the back of his nerds valentine explaining that I don't like it when he's mean to me, and I don't understand why he has to be. He couldn't read my handwriting and brought it to the teacher who made me read it aloud to both of them. I think about that day every day of my
    via r/AskReddit
  • 09
    Font - 3² I accidentally mixed up an inside joke with the wrong friend group with disastrous results. [deleted] Friend group #1: The "joke" was when someone calls and asks who's all there we would add Darrell to the list of names. Darrell wasn't a real person. The joke wasn't really funny, and made no sense out of context, but I guess that's why it was an inside joke. Friend group #2: I was hanging out playing some drinking games with a bunch of people that I hadn't hung out with in a while. It
    via r/AskReddit
  • 10
    Font - Anyway the phone rings, and the person who answered started listing off names. Sorting my cards for another round of Presidents and As I offhandedly said "heh and Darrell!". It was the typical record scratch moment where everyone stopped and looked at me. Darrell was the name of the friend who had just died. This happened in 2002 and I still think about it all the time.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 11
    Font - kalekole. I was visiting my cousin about 4 months ago and we didn't have the same greeting handshake. So it was like that really weird thing with your hands where you end up in some super awkward handshake. Last night I thought about this like 20 min and blamed myself. Smh that was super unnecessary.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 12
    Human body - elee0228 Handshake anxiety is real and I dread it.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 13
    Rectangle - georgeangela Junior prom I blurted out during dinner to my date "I'm so bored" and I have NO idea why it came out of my mouth. I'm pretty well- mannered and quiet. I forget how I tried to play it off, but I felt so bad. S
    via r/AskReddit
  • 14
    Font - sweetcuppingcakes. I was sitting in a small group of friends in school, and my crush (literally the love of my life at that point) admitted she liked me. It was the happiest moment of my entire life. So naturally I said "Ew". In front of everyone. This was 2nd grade and I still think about it weekly.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 15
    Font - Konfliction Was talking with a black friend of mine, and we were discussing random haircuts and styles we would get if we were other races. I said I wanted that Common look, he thought I said "that common look".. I meant the rapper. Shaved head with the nice trimmed up goatee. It didn't dawn on me until a week later why he gave me that weird look after I said it. He thought I was saying "that common look every black guy has"... Still makes me twitch every once in a while.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 16
    Font - precious3tears 3 When I was in fifth grade, our teacher said a joke in front of the class and everyone laughed including myself. After the laughter died down, a girl looked up at me and said. "You have a really d disgusting laugh, ew." I became so self conscious about laughter since that specific, day, and after years I have trouble actually laughing. My brain kinda made it a habit to just smile or slightly chuckle at something, even if it is really funny.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 17
    Font - yetidonut In like second grade I tried to ask a girl out, but couldn't decide whether to say "I want to be your boyfriend" and " I want you to be my girlfriend" so I, a guy, told a girl that I wanted to be her girlfriend. I still think about it all the time.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 18
    Font - coleosis1414 5th grade girls are monsters dude. My first day of 5th grade was at a new school. I asked my big sister to style my hair that morning so I could leave a good first impression. It was 2001 so the wet look was in. Cut to Spanish class that morning. Sitting next to a pretty girl in a room full of kids I'd never met. Pretty girl turns to me: "Why do you have all that gunk in your hair?" "Um... I don't know..." "Well, it looks really bad." Still think about that sometimes lol
    via r/AskReddit
  • 19
    Font - spaztasticnerd Freshman year of high school. It was one of those days before school starts and you meet your teacher and your parents are there. My teacher was handing me a piece of paper and I didn't see the paper so I shook his hand. He said "oh" and my mom said "Ummm?" and I panicked and said "I just wanted to be polite!" So I still want to die when I think of that.....
    via r/AskReddit
  • 20
    Font - lycheemochi In primary school, this girl really looked like my friend from the back. I went up to her, tapped her on the shoulder and said hi, then, played it off like I didn't just mistake her for someone else and left... That was probably 23 years ago now...
    via r/AskReddit
  • 21
    Font - LumpyIsopod The first time I met my ex's family I went up and started rubbing his cousins back thinking it was my ex. He just said wrong dude and backed away silently.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 22
    Font - Cluelessinfl. A couple of years ago I was at the drive up window at my bank. When the transaction was finished, I started to raise my hand to wave goodbye to the teller, but instead of waving, I started to flip him off! It happened completely subconsciously. I don't think I was able to stop it in time because he had a shocked look on his face. I eventually apologized but I still feel horrible shame over it. Every time I see him the shame comes back. Plus now I have a crush on him. S
    via r/AskReddit
  • 23
    Font - unloadedboar I was in fifth grade or so and I was sitting in class with a couple classmates. We were talking about Weird Al songs we liked. This one girl asked, "Have you heard (some Weird Al song)?" and I followed with, "Have you ever heard I'm So Sick of You?" Which I guess they hadn't heard because she looked immediately down at the desk, sort of somber, and the dude did a little," hohooo" as if I did a nice burn. I guess they thought I was telling this girl I was so sick of her... I h
    via r/AskReddit
  • 24
    Font - HPPTC. I often lie in bed thinking about an obnoxious thing from Grade 9 I wrote in someone's school yearbook. I'm 38 years old.
    via r/AskReddit

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