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40 Times People Had To Hold Their Laugh Because They Realized The Person Wasn’t Joking
You’ve probably been there: you’re talking with someone, only for them to make a claim so outrageous or awkward that you think they must be joking or (badly) lying. When, in reality, they were being 100% truthful. And there you are, left flabbergasted and unsure how to respond.
In a bizarrely entertaining thread on Askreddit, some folks opened up the weirdest moments when they found themselves in exactly these kinds of situations. Check out their unbelievable (yet true) stories below. They’re a reminder that fact can often be stranger than fiction.
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#1
Her: How do we even know that Dinosaurs were called Dinosaurs if they're all extinct now and we've never met one in real life?
Me: Hahaha that's funny.
Her: What's funny?
Me: Oh honey...
It took me literally half an hour to even get her slightly on board with the fact that things are called things because we decided on the name not because things inherently have a name we discover.
I wish I was joking.
RELATED:
#2
I own a small electronics design business (30 employees). A part-time intern working 20 hrs a week and making about $15 an hour came to me and said "I have to cut my hours back to 10 a week - so I'll need for you to double my salary."
Yeah, no. Have a nice life.
#3
Dated a girl for ~4 months a few years back. One day we're chilling at my house, ask her if she wants to watch an episode of a documentary *Wonders of the universe* to which she told me she *"doesn't believe in space"*
She was 100% convinced that the sky was all their was and that space was a huge cover up by the government.
At first I laughed, then we argued and I couldn't win because I haven't been to space to prove it exists.
We didn't see much of each other after that.
Resting B. 2 months ago
Wow... people would invent and believe anything as it is less demanding for their brain..
As reported by Forbes, the most important factors to consider whether someone is a liar include a person’s body language, voice inflection, and eye contact.
For example, based on research by the University of Michigan, liars maintain eye contact 70% of the time.
Meanwhile, according to former CIA agents in the book, ‘Spy the Lie,’ people naturally want to physically cover a lie and to hide from others’ reactions. So, some folks actually physically cover their mouth or close their eyes.
And if someone says that they’re a ‘good liar,’ you should believe them. This is a better indication that they’re actually a good liar than taking a lie detector test.
#4
My grandmother and grandfather were discussing how their computer could have contracted a virus, when my grandmother says: "Well it has gotten awfully chilly outside..." Wait... What?
#5
Someone once said to me " Wait you're Chinese? I always thought you were Asian.".
Leg less In Minneapolis 2 months ago
I think it would very helpful if the village idiots wore some type of identification
#6
**Friend:** I have something I need to tell you.
**Me:** Dude, everyone already knows that you're gay.
**Friend:** Yeah that's what I wanted to tell you. How did everyone know?
Me: Haha, funny man. What is it that you really wanted to tell me.
**Friend:** That was really it. I'm gay.
**Me:** No. Really... stop playing. What did you want to tell me?
**Friend:** I'm gay.
**Me:** Wait...Oh my god, you're serious?? I'm so sorry! I was just joking. I didn't think you were really going to say that you're gay.
**Friend:** Haha. It's ok but yeah.. Are you okay with that? Can we still be friends?
**Me:** Dude. I don't care if you're gay or not.
Yeah. He was really worried that we weren't going to be friends afterwards. It was a bit awkward (mostly my fault for joking about it) but we're still best friends.
Something else to look out for is changes in one’s tone of voice. As Time magazine points out, when a person is nervous, their vocal cords might tighten up in response to the stress they feel. So, their voice becomes very high-pitched. Hearing a creak in an individual’s voice or them clearing their throat may be signs of dishonesty.
On top of that, someone who suddenly raises their voice may be doing so because they’re lying and getting defensive.
Other things to note are folks who use suspicious phrases such as “honestly,” “let me tell you the truth,” and “I want to be honest with you. That’s alongside overusing filler words such as “uh,” “um,” and “like” to buy more time to figure out what to say next while lying.
#7
On Wednesday, a customer asked me why our produce section was so empty, especially in terms of stuff like lettuce. I told him that it was because of extreme weather in Spain, where we source most of our stuff from. He cut off my explanation with "why does it matter what's going on in Spain, we're in Scotland?".
#8
An old roommate wanted me to start paying more in rent because he was trying to save up to buy himself a house.
#9
Someone once told me that men were superior to women because they had bigger brains, therefore, they were smarter.
It wasn't really awkward for me because I just continued laughing at him.
Broadly speaking, people are fairly good at judging liars. The caveat is that you’re capable of doing this subconsciously. Meanwhile, it’s your conscious mind that throws a spanner in the works, according to research.
Lies can be categorized into three main categories:
- Lies of commission, where a person is actively telling false statements
- Lies of omission, where someone fails to disclose information that is relevant
- Lies of influence, aka character lies, which are used to create misleading or false impressions, even if the statements aren’t necessarily untrue. Lies of influence can be used to state something unrelated in order to cover up untruths
#10
A girl I was seeing told me she didn't believe in dinosaurs.
Edit: her issue with dinosaurs wasn't so much creationist denial as much as it was a belief in a marketing scheme companies invented to sell dinosaur toys. Also the toy companies must've planted fossils, because how else did they get there...
#11
First day on a new job, my boss was discussing standard office policies. He said, "And I'd like to point out we have an open door policy here."
I said, "Oh, great! So if I have a problem I can come to you?"
He said, "No, I mean keep your office door open at all times."
Oh.
#12
I posted this before but - I was on a first date with a guy I met at work and things are going good til his phone starts ringing and he tells me to be quiet because it was his wife...
What is the most ridiculous, bizarre, or awkward thing that someone has ever told you that seriously made you think they were either lying or joking? What happened next?
Do you think you’re fairly good at picking up on liars, or do you tend to believe everything and anything others tell you? Share your thoughts below.
#13
When my daughter said she had been stung by a bee and it went all of the way through her. It turned out she had been stung on the chest and back at the same time.
#14
I was at work, I work in retail, and me and my coworkers heard a loud "boom". But we didn't think anything of it.
5 minutes later, an older lady who is in the store almost everyday, maybe in her 50s-60s, came up to me and said " I just drove into your building."
I looked at her, and right before I began to laugh out loud, I realized she actually did.
Tucker Cahooter 2 months ago
Refreshing honesty on her part. Some people would probably try to blame the store for jumping into the path of the car.
#15
Manager: "Remember how Kathy (coworker) said her back was hurting and she went to the hospital for appendicitis? Well she didn't have appendicitis."
Me: "Did she have pneumonia?"
Manager: "No, she had a baby"
Me: "HA. Right. So what did she really have?"
Manager: "A baby"
Me: "oh"
Earonn - 2 months ago
Happened to a friend of our barmaid. Left work for backpain, had to call her parents from the hospital to let them know that they're grandparents now. Our pub collected a bit of money for her. Everything ended well, her parents weren't idiots and her boyfriend stood by her. I think they had another child afterwards.
#16
When I was 18, I went with my then girlfriend to Las Vegas to meet her parents (we were in Florida where she lived with her aunt and uncle). I found out that her dad and mom lived in separate houses right across the street from one another for whatever reason, which was strange but definitely not the strangest thing that would happen that trip. Her dad came over to her mom's house to meet me and I couldn't help but notice he was dressed in a suit. I thought maybe he was just a fancy dresser. He kept asking me questions about my family and how I felt about his daughter. He seemed to like me, and we went through the trip on fairly pleasant terms, but nothing else happened of any note.
Once we get back home to Florida, my girlfriend decides to tell me that her dad thought we were coming out to Vegas to get married and he dressed up because he was planning on taking us to get married that day. She had to tell him that we had no intention of getting married in Vegas.
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
What other reason would one come to Vegas? I mean, you could be married by Elvis!
#17
I worked at a bookstore and a customer asked why the hardcover and paperback versions of the same book didn't cost the same amount.
I chuckled and said, "I guess I'll have to look into that." He came back to me 5 minutes later and asked if I had found out yet.
liam newton-harding 2 months ago
Once had a customer ask, "Where's your trilogy section?"...My brain vapor-locked.
#18
When I was in middle school there was a period of a few weeks when kids would fake seizures to get a laugh. It was the hip thing to do.
So, I was at the mall toy store one day and I came around the corner of an aisle and saw a kid a little younger than me on the ground.
I delightfully shouted, "DUDE, YOU ARE GOOD!"
I'll never forget his parent's faces when I looked up and figured out what was really happening.
#19
I was taking a long leg cast off a kid about 2.5-3 years old. After I get the cast split open and pull it off, mother says, "Oh, his toe fell off". I'm like, "heh, nice one". The kid was in the cast because his small toe had been nearly amputated and reattached; the doc was hoping what tissue was still connected would be enough to vascularize the distal portion. It wasn't
#20
I asked a coworker with what his son's name was, and he answered Legolas. After two seconds of laughing I realised he wasn't laughing. His son is actually named Legolas.
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
They're not the first person to name a kid after a favorite fictional character, but sometimes this is the reaction you get. Nickname Lego?
#21
On my 25th birthday, my new-ish boyfriend told me he was going to "surprise me" and do something special as a birthday dinner. He told me to get dressed up and wait for him around 7. I was super excited to wear a dress for once, got all dolled up and was eagerly waiting for him. When he showed up, he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and just holding a grocery bag with store-bought sushi. I laughed, thinking this must be a pre-cursor to the actual 'big night out'. Nope, we just ate store-bought sushi in my living room. It was actually a pretty nice time but he shouldn't have hyped it up so much.
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
I love me some take out sushi, but definitely wouldn't have dressed up for the occasion!
#22
A man was regaling his fellow party-goers with his drunken jokes. He described being found as a newborn in a field, after his teenage mother hid her pregnancy and gave birth at home. All he knew about her was she was a Waffle House waitress. We sat there, enthralled, waiting for the punchline, until we realized he'd moved from "life of the party" onto the "in vino veritas" stage of drunkenness.
#23
I saw a largely pregnant woman, and made a stupid comment about "bet you can't wait to get that out of you!" She said "eh, not really. The baby doesn't have a heartbeat and I'm just waiting to have the still birth.".
#24
Met a guy, and I told him my name. He said "I'll probably not remember it; I have memory problems." I said "Haha yeah, I'm bad with names too." Met him again two days later, and I remembered his name. He, on the other hand, didn't remember meeting me. And when I realized it wasn't a joke, and was told by his mother that he actually does have memory problems, I felt like an idiot.
Oh well, he doesn't remember me laughing at him.
#25
My boss tends to not really think before she speaks, so she says some pretty funny stuff, but about half the time, she's dead serious.
A few off the top of my head:
"My son has light hair because I dyed my hair while I was pregnant" (nevermind that her husband is blond)
"Don't leave open cans of soda in the fridge, that's how you get hepatitis".
These were both vehemently defended until google proved her wrong.
#26
Realtor here. Buyers offered goats to sweeten their offer.
#27
I met a guy who's studying engineering with me and he mentioned to me he's part of the flat earth society.
I laughed at first but he didn't laugh with me, we ended up having an hour long debate, no matter what I said, he wouldn't believe me and I learned he believed in almost every conspiracy theory out there.
We're still friends but we don't mention politics or anything like that anymore, he's also a trump supporter despite the fact that we live in South Africa.
#28
After finishing an otherwise flawless interview, we shook hands, and I said "Thank you sir"
She replied "Ma'am".
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
You could still consider it flawless if you just corrected yourself graciously.
#29
Worked at a pet food store. A women came in and asked where to put topical flea medicine on her kids, Frontline, I laughed way too hard. She complained to my manager, who also laughed.
#30
A new co-worker came up to me one day and said "What comes after 999?" She got offended when I laughed - turned out she had a learning disability and couldn't make the cognitive leap from 9 to 10. She also wore two watches so she could know what time it was where her boyfriend worked (we were in CST and her boyfriend worked in EST).
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
Learned from a commenter here that dyscalculia is a thing. I'm not good at math, but this person could not do a simple problem. It's not to be laughed at.
Stephanie Did It 2 months ago
I'm one those people. I'm excellent with words and language, but numbers are very difficult for me. You know those cognitive tests they sometimes do in medical offices, where they ask you to count backwards by threes? I just answer, "No, I cannot. Next question." I get some weird looks for that.
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Roxy222uk 2 months ago
Oops, thought of the UK emergency number and wondered what kind of existential question it was
Dave Pearson 2 months ago
The two watches thing is quite sweet. Inhave two clocks on my phone for the same reason as I work all over the world, and its easy to forget what time zone I am in and when is a good time to call home.
Marie BellaDonna 2 months ago
Or to set an entry in the world clock of your smartphone.
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Dr Jimmy 03 2 months ago
Not voting up or down yet, in hopes that OP made abject apologies about not understanding the disability.
#31
I went on a date with a dude in high school and he told me that he had astral projected himself into my dreams for the past few weeks.
Idk man.
#32
I was at a Kobe Steakhouse (Teppanyaki, like Benihana's) and as always, it was the birthday for a girl across the table. She was there with her mom and probably a good friend. Anyway, once the table realized it was her birthday and we all wished her a good day, she asked me how old I thought she was. If I were putting money on it I would have said 13, but I figured she'd feel good if I said I thought she was a bit older, so I guessed 16. She got "mad" and said "No! I'm 20!!" I laughed. She didn't. Then I realized she was serious. Now every time my friends and I go to Kobe Steakhouse, we bring it up.
Multa Nocte (she/tiger quoll) 2 months ago
I have learned to never answer the question "How old do you think I am?" because they are either doing it so you'll tell them they look younger than they are if they are older, and older than they are if they are younger. You truly can't win.
#33
Wife asked if she could get some essential oils for our diffuser. I said sure, how much? She said "125$", and I laughed and was like "Nah for real". "Seriously", "125$". She cried and I laughed. Proceed to sleep on couch.
#34
Flight Attendant here: got asked if we have diabetic wine. Did the haha part and he was serious.
Awkward.
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
So looked it up ... guess he was asking for a dry wine, as in not sweet?
#35
Her: "I'm going to Oklahoma State because I didn't get into Texas Tech.
Me: "Hahahaha"
Her: "What?"
Me: "I liked your joke. Everyone gets into Texas Tech."
Her: "I didn't."
Me: *walks away*.
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
If it's anything like Georgia Tech, not everyone gets accepted. Not sure I get the joke.
#36
I was a waiter and guy said his wife wanted to take me home. I had never heard of anything like that before.
#37
One time my science teacher was talking about solar powered remote control race car races and my friend asked me "Was the race held inside or outside?".
Grumpy old man 2 months ago
If its light powered it can be inside a gym or cafeteria. Not a dumb question
#38
See one of the managers, realize they haven't been around in a few days.
"Hey, how was your vacation?"
- "Not great, I was at my dad's funeral."
*laugh*
*she's not laughing*
*oh*
Heir of Durin 2 months ago
Hmm. I don’t think I’d assume this was a joke. I don’t know many people who would joke about attending a parent’s funeral.
#39
My friend told me her cat died and I laughed at her because it was April Fool's day. It wasn't a joke though.
#40
Female age 42 says she wants a tattoo. I ask her what she's getting.....a horse head with the words " I love horses ".
What do you think ?
Sarah 2 months ago
What? What’s the H OL O- Caust? [explanation give to him by me] no..I never heard of that, when did that happen? Kitchen conversation with 33 yr old flatmate
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
Oh my. I'm sometimes dumbfounded by how poorly informed some people are. It's like they've been living under a rock somewhere.
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Lee Gilliland 2 months ago
Is there a problem on BP? I keep getting thrown off and am having trouble posting.
mria alternativa 2 months ago
It's been happening all day for me, got it working after resetting (and accepting a few more...) cookies.
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Rich Black 2 months ago
i attended a religious service once and the pastor told everyone they were going to hell. It turns out he was serious.
Sarah 2 months ago
What? What’s the H OL O- Caust? [explanation give to him by me] no..I never heard of that, when did that happen? Kitchen conversation with 33 yr old flatmate
Mel in Georgia 2 months ago
Oh my. I'm sometimes dumbfounded by how poorly informed some people are. It's like they've been living under a rock somewhere.
Load More Replies... Lee Gilliland 2 months ago
Is there a problem on BP? I keep getting thrown off and am having trouble posting.
mria alternativa 2 months ago
It's been happening all day for me, got it working after resetting (and accepting a few more...) cookies.
Load More Replies... Rich Black 2 months ago
i attended a religious service once and the pastor told everyone they were going to hell. It turns out he was serious.
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