Misunderstandings That Resulted In These 50 Hilarious Fails

I remember sitting going to a restaurant once with a group of friends. We’d been placed under a speaker that was blaring music, and making it quite difficult to have any sort of conversation. When thewaiterarrived, I ordered mymeal, and a Coca-Cola. “And could you turn that softer, please?” I asked, as I pointed to the speaker above my head. I noted his slight look of confusion as he wrote down the order, turned and walked towards the kitchen. Moments later, he was back. “Excuse me, Mam," he said. “I’m just not sure I understand how we turn the coke softer.” Needless to say, everyone at the table burst out laughing as I clarified it was the music that needed to be turned softer, the Coke was fine as is.With more than 8 billion people in the world, and thousands of different languages and accents, there are bound to be more than a few misunderstandings between us. Some miscommunications can have dire consequences and lead to mass chaos. Others are just plain hilarious. People have been sharing the funniest times someone totally misunderstood the words, picture or assignment.Bored Pandahas picked our favorites and compiled list for your viewing pleasure. From a purse being mistaken for a dog, to some more than mildly embarrassing words being engraved on a tombstone, there’s enough here to have you rolling on the floor with laughter.This post may includeaffiliate links.RELATED:NPRtellsthe 1912 story of a Mrs. Joseph C. Yeager who flew into panic after receiving a wire from her husband. Mr. Yeager had been described as a “horseman, gambler and all-around plunger”. So it’s no surprise that when his wife “hastily scanned” a telegram from him while he was at the racecourse, she went into a spin.“Broke. Even lost on Dollie,” she read, and immediately started doing damage control, unable to imagine a life withoutmoney.NPR reports that Mrs. Yeager went out and pawned $35,000 worth of jewels. She only received $6,000 for them, but accepted out of desperation. Imagine her surprise when her husband rocked up at home with money in his pocket… “but not enough to get his wife’s jewels out of hock.”As it turns out, the telegram had actually said “Broke even. Lost on Dollie.” According to media reports, the couple eventually divorced.Even big brands aren’t immune to missing the point. When Parker Pen released aballpoint penthat promised not to leak, it was a hit. In America, at least. Their English ad slogan went along the lines of, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” But when the pen was released in Mexico, someone either stuffed up big-time, or intentionally set out to take the p*ss.It’sreportedthat Parker Pen “mistakenly” thought that the Spanish word for ’embarrass’ was embarazar. That word actually means “to bepregnant.” The result? An expensive campaign rollout with an advert that translated into “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.” Oops!Vehicles aren’t cheap to make, export or sell. So when automobile companies embark on a mission to sell their goods in another country, one would like to think that they’ve done all the research needed. It turns out that’s not always the case—and some bigmotormanufacturing brands have learned the hard way.Accordingto this hilarious but insightful e-consultancy blog post, “Mitsubishi launched ‘the masturbator’ in Spain, Toyota offered Puerto Ricans the chance to drive an ‘ugly old woman’, while nobody at General Motors managed to clock that ‘Nova’ (or No Va) translated to ‘It doesn’t go’.“The consultancy continues its post calling Kia out for its unfortunate oopsie in Brazil. “Although a popular model inothercountries, the Besta van performed poorly in Brazil,” reads the site. “While ‘besta’ can mean ‘beast’, it also doubles as a rather derogatory term for an idiot.“But it must be Ford that took the cake in the early 1970s. “The Ford Pinto is a relatively unremarkable name for a car at face value, and sold well in Europe,” explained the marketing and e-commerce platform. “But, in launching the imported model into Brazil, that they discovered ‘Pinto’ is Brazilian Portuguese slang for small male genitalia.“After losing money, and face, Ford changed the car model’s name to Corcel, which apparently means horse or steed.Keynote speaker and best-selling author Tony J. Hughes has a LinkedIn post about companies getting lost in translation. Helistsa number of funny fails including this classic:“Australian brewer Castlemaine launched its XXXX (‘four-ex’) beer in the USA using their trademarked jingle ‘I can feel a four-ex coming on’ which had proved so successful in the Australian market. Unfortunately the company was unaware that XXXX was the brand name of a successful American condom manufacturer!”Miscommunication, mistranslation, and mishaps are inevitable, even between those who speak the same language. “People bring their wants, experiences, likes, and dislikes to any communication interaction they engage in,” says interpersonal communication lecturer Anita Vangelisti, from the University of Texas at Austin. “The things they bring to any interaction affect how they interpret others' communication and how they respond.“But the expert wants you to know that “miscommunication isn’t always a bad thing.” According to her, in some cases, miscommunication can actually be beneficial to yourrelationships.“Romantic partners who are satisfied with their relationships engage in a form of miscommunication,” explained Vangelisti. “They often interpret eachother’s communication more positively than it was intended. In this way, miscommunication can help us keep our relationships happy.“So had a cake made and she asked what I wanted put on it & I said “Happy Birthday to my little JEDI” (Star Wars reference). She clearly misunderstood me. I thought it was so funny I kept it like it was instead of having her fix it. My friend whose birthday it was (he is 45 years old) thought it was hilarious.I thought they’d magically be croissants when I took them out. So now I have bread shaped like right triangles.See Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaContinue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign InSee Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaModal closeAdd New ImageModal closeAdd Your Photo To This ListPlease use high-res photos without watermarksOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.Not your original work?Add sourcePublish

With more than 8 billion people in the world, and thousands of different languages and accents, there are bound to be more than a few misunderstandings between us. Some miscommunications can have dire consequences and lead to mass chaos. Others are just plain hilarious. People have been sharing the funniest times someone totally misunderstood the words, picture or assignment.

Bored Pandahas picked our favorites and compiled list for your viewing pleasure. From a purse being mistaken for a dog, to some more than mildly embarrassing words being engraved on a tombstone, there’s enough here to have you rolling on the floor with laughter.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

RELATED:NPRtellsthe 1912 story of a Mrs. Joseph C. Yeager who flew into panic after receiving a wire from her husband. Mr. Yeager had been described as a “horseman, gambler and all-around plunger”. So it’s no surprise that when his wife “hastily scanned” a telegram from him while he was at the racecourse, she went into a spin.“Broke. Even lost on Dollie,” she read, and immediately started doing damage control, unable to imagine a life withoutmoney.NPR reports that Mrs. Yeager went out and pawned $35,000 worth of jewels. She only received $6,000 for them, but accepted out of desperation. Imagine her surprise when her husband rocked up at home with money in his pocket… “but not enough to get his wife’s jewels out of hock.”As it turns out, the telegram had actually said “Broke even. Lost on Dollie.” According to media reports, the couple eventually divorced.Even big brands aren’t immune to missing the point. When Parker Pen released aballpoint penthat promised not to leak, it was a hit. In America, at least. Their English ad slogan went along the lines of, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” But when the pen was released in Mexico, someone either stuffed up big-time, or intentionally set out to take the p*ss.It’sreportedthat Parker Pen “mistakenly” thought that the Spanish word for ’embarrass’ was embarazar. That word actually means “to bepregnant.” The result? An expensive campaign rollout with an advert that translated into “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.” Oops!Vehicles aren’t cheap to make, export or sell. So when automobile companies embark on a mission to sell their goods in another country, one would like to think that they’ve done all the research needed. It turns out that’s not always the case—and some bigmotormanufacturing brands have learned the hard way.Accordingto this hilarious but insightful e-consultancy blog post, “Mitsubishi launched ‘the masturbator’ in Spain, Toyota offered Puerto Ricans the chance to drive an ‘ugly old woman’, while nobody at General Motors managed to clock that ‘Nova’ (or No Va) translated to ‘It doesn’t go’.“The consultancy continues its post calling Kia out for its unfortunate oopsie in Brazil. “Although a popular model inothercountries, the Besta van performed poorly in Brazil,” reads the site. “While ‘besta’ can mean ‘beast’, it also doubles as a rather derogatory term for an idiot.“But it must be Ford that took the cake in the early 1970s. “The Ford Pinto is a relatively unremarkable name for a car at face value, and sold well in Europe,” explained the marketing and e-commerce platform. “But, in launching the imported model into Brazil, that they discovered ‘Pinto’ is Brazilian Portuguese slang for small male genitalia.“After losing money, and face, Ford changed the car model’s name to Corcel, which apparently means horse or steed.Keynote speaker and best-selling author Tony J. Hughes has a LinkedIn post about companies getting lost in translation. Helistsa number of funny fails including this classic:“Australian brewer Castlemaine launched its XXXX (‘four-ex’) beer in the USA using their trademarked jingle ‘I can feel a four-ex coming on’ which had proved so successful in the Australian market. Unfortunately the company was unaware that XXXX was the brand name of a successful American condom manufacturer!”Miscommunication, mistranslation, and mishaps are inevitable, even between those who speak the same language. “People bring their wants, experiences, likes, and dislikes to any communication interaction they engage in,” says interpersonal communication lecturer Anita Vangelisti, from the University of Texas at Austin. “The things they bring to any interaction affect how they interpret others' communication and how they respond.“But the expert wants you to know that “miscommunication isn’t always a bad thing.” According to her, in some cases, miscommunication can actually be beneficial to yourrelationships.“Romantic partners who are satisfied with their relationships engage in a form of miscommunication,” explained Vangelisti. “They often interpret eachother’s communication more positively than it was intended. In this way, miscommunication can help us keep our relationships happy.“So had a cake made and she asked what I wanted put on it & I said “Happy Birthday to my little JEDI” (Star Wars reference). She clearly misunderstood me. I thought it was so funny I kept it like it was instead of having her fix it. My friend whose birthday it was (he is 45 years old) thought it was hilarious.I thought they’d magically be croissants when I took them out. So now I have bread shaped like right triangles.See Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaContinue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign InSee Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored PandaSee Also on Bored Panda

Tweet about a friend’s hilarious misunderstanding of discovering an avocado tree on his lawn.

Dog in a small bucket, creating a hilarious misunderstanding.

A child’s homework humorously shows a dog as “round” under “circle,” showcasing hilarious misunderstandings.

NPRtellsthe 1912 story of a Mrs. Joseph C. Yeager who flew into panic after receiving a wire from her husband. Mr. Yeager had been described as a “horseman, gambler and all-around plunger”. So it’s no surprise that when his wife “hastily scanned” a telegram from him while he was at the racecourse, she went into a spin.“Broke. Even lost on Dollie,” she read, and immediately started doing damage control, unable to imagine a life withoutmoney.

“Broke. Even lost on Dollie,” she read, and immediately started doing damage control, unable to imagine a life withoutmoney.

Tweet about hilarious misunderstandings; a professor emails an empty class only to find he’s in the wrong room.

Cake featuring Marie Curie instead of Mariah Carey, surrounded by cupcakes. A hilarious misunderstanding captured perfectly.

Text conversation about a hilarious misunderstanding involving a Louie’s store sign and a parked car.

NPR reports that Mrs. Yeager went out and pawned $35,000 worth of jewels. She only received $6,000 for them, but accepted out of desperation. Imagine her surprise when her husband rocked up at home with money in his pocket… “but not enough to get his wife’s jewels out of hock.”As it turns out, the telegram had actually said “Broke even. Lost on Dollie.” According to media reports, the couple eventually divorced.

As it turns out, the telegram had actually said “Broke even. Lost on Dollie.” According to media reports, the couple eventually divorced.

Street scene with a dog that appears to be a person against a brick wall, causing hilarious misunderstandings.

A person in a green dinosaur costume stands humorously among a crowd at an outdoor event, highlighting a hilarious misunderstanding.

Man posing with a Jeep in dealership lot; humorous misunderstandings of group name mentioned in text above.

Even big brands aren’t immune to missing the point. When Parker Pen released aballpoint penthat promised not to leak, it was a hit. In America, at least. Their English ad slogan went along the lines of, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” But when the pen was released in Mexico, someone either stuffed up big-time, or intentionally set out to take the p*ss.It’sreportedthat Parker Pen “mistakenly” thought that the Spanish word for ’embarrass’ was embarazar. That word actually means “to bepregnant.” The result? An expensive campaign rollout with an advert that translated into “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.” Oops!

It’sreportedthat Parker Pen “mistakenly” thought that the Spanish word for ’embarrass’ was embarazar. That word actually means “to bepregnant.” The result? An expensive campaign rollout with an advert that translated into “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.” Oops!

Tweet about a coach’s hilarious misunderstanding at a basketball camp involving a kid’s name.

Funny email exchange showing hilarious misunderstandings about an online class.

Smoke detector labeled “Installed on the ceiling,” highlighting a funny misunderstanding.

Vehicles aren’t cheap to make, export or sell. So when automobile companies embark on a mission to sell their goods in another country, one would like to think that they’ve done all the research needed. It turns out that’s not always the case—and some bigmotormanufacturing brands have learned the hard way.Accordingto this hilarious but insightful e-consultancy blog post, “Mitsubishi launched ‘the masturbator’ in Spain, Toyota offered Puerto Ricans the chance to drive an ‘ugly old woman’, while nobody at General Motors managed to clock that ‘Nova’ (or No Va) translated to ‘It doesn’t go’.”

Accordingto this hilarious but insightful e-consultancy blog post, “Mitsubishi launched ‘the masturbator’ in Spain, Toyota offered Puerto Ricans the chance to drive an ‘ugly old woman’, while nobody at General Motors managed to clock that ‘Nova’ (or No Va) translated to ‘It doesn’t go’.”

Text exchange showing a hilarious misunderstanding about the phrase “a** eating season."

Text conversation showing a hilarious misunderstanding about a street name and a nickname.

Tweet screenshot with hilarious misunderstanding about a card mix-up causing a funny reaction from a grandma.

The consultancy continues its post calling Kia out for its unfortunate oopsie in Brazil. “Although a popular model inothercountries, the Besta van performed poorly in Brazil,” reads the site. “While ‘besta’ can mean ‘beast’, it also doubles as a rather derogatory term for an idiot.“But it must be Ford that took the cake in the early 1970s. “The Ford Pinto is a relatively unremarkable name for a car at face value, and sold well in Europe,” explained the marketing and e-commerce platform. “But, in launching the imported model into Brazil, that they discovered ‘Pinto’ is Brazilian Portuguese slang for small male genitalia.“After losing money, and face, Ford changed the car model’s name to Corcel, which apparently means horse or steed.

But it must be Ford that took the cake in the early 1970s. “The Ford Pinto is a relatively unremarkable name for a car at face value, and sold well in Europe,” explained the marketing and e-commerce platform. “But, in launching the imported model into Brazil, that they discovered ‘Pinto’ is Brazilian Portuguese slang for small male genitalia.”

After losing money, and face, Ford changed the car model’s name to Corcel, which apparently means horse or steed.

Adults and child in penguin-themed costumes, showcasing hilarious misunderstandings.

WhatsApp chat showcasing hilarious misunderstandings over a request to add a delivery address.

People at an outdoor cafe with a brown purse on the ground, which caused hilarious misunderstandings, mistaken for a dachshund.

Keynote speaker and best-selling author Tony J. Hughes has a LinkedIn post about companies getting lost in translation. Helistsa number of funny fails including this classic:“Australian brewer Castlemaine launched its XXXX (‘four-ex’) beer in the USA using their trademarked jingle ‘I can feel a four-ex coming on’ which had proved so successful in the Australian market. Unfortunately the company was unaware that XXXX was the brand name of a successful American condom manufacturer!”

Keynote speaker and best-selling author Tony J. Hughes has a LinkedIn post about companies getting lost in translation. Helistsa number of funny fails including this classic:

“Australian brewer Castlemaine launched its XXXX (‘four-ex’) beer in the USA using their trademarked jingle ‘I can feel a four-ex coming on’ which had proved so successful in the Australian market. Unfortunately the company was unaware that XXXX was the brand name of a successful American condom manufacturer!”

Man posing with giant lamp-shaped heaters, showcasing hilarious misunderstandings in a backyard setting.

A dog hilariously mistaken for a goose blends in with a group of geese on a grassy field.

Group in costumes, including a man dressed as a spray can, in a humorous outdoor scene.

Miscommunication, mistranslation, and mishaps are inevitable, even between those who speak the same language. “People bring their wants, experiences, likes, and dislikes to any communication interaction they engage in,” says interpersonal communication lecturer Anita Vangelisti, from the University of Texas at Austin. “The things they bring to any interaction affect how they interpret others' communication and how they respond.”

Text conversation showing a hilarious misunderstanding about a phone’s location.

Text exchange showing a hilarious misunderstanding with photos of a person instead of a car for insurance.

Text conversation showcasing a funny misunderstanding about a found phone.

But the expert wants you to know that “miscommunication isn’t always a bad thing.” According to her, in some cases, miscommunication can actually be beneficial to yourrelationships.“Romantic partners who are satisfied with their relationships engage in a form of miscommunication,” explained Vangelisti. “They often interpret eachother’s communication more positively than it was intended. In this way, miscommunication can help us keep our relationships happy.”

But the expert wants you to know that “miscommunication isn’t always a bad thing.” According to her, in some cases, miscommunication can actually be beneficial to yourrelationships.

“Romantic partners who are satisfied with their relationships engage in a form of miscommunication,” explained Vangelisti. “They often interpret eachother’s communication more positively than it was intended. In this way, miscommunication can help us keep our relationships happy.”

Child with sunglasses in a small square frame, highlighting hilarious misunderstandings from a creative angle.

Note with funny delivery misunderstanding on a cardboard box, partially covered by a hand wearing a ring.

Correction note in newspaper about a funny typo, highlighting hilarious misunderstandings involving “terrorist” and “tenorist."

Bowl of goldfish crackers and potato chips labeled “fish n' chips,” illustrating a hilarious misunderstanding.

Drive-thru worker humorously uses a barcode scanner, leading to hilarious misunderstandings with a truck driver.

Car mistakenly driven into a coffee shop’s drive-thru area, illustrating hilarious misunderstandings in navigation.

Person in blue jacket puzzled by candy box, exemplifying hilarious misunderstandings.

So had a cake made and she asked what I wanted put on it & I said “Happy Birthday to my little JEDI” (Star Wars reference). She clearly misunderstood me. I thought it was so funny I kept it like it was instead of having her fix it. My friend whose birthday it was (he is 45 years old) thought it was hilarious.

Cake with “Happy Birthday to our little jet eye” written, showcasing hilarious misunderstandings.

Text exchange showing a funny misunderstanding about light and beer in the apartment.

Tweet of a hilarious misunderstanding about Instagram likes leading to an unexpected response and being blocked.

Large cutting board hilariously misunderstood as a dishwasher, leaning against kitchen counter.

Chocolate cake with icing: “Happy Best Deal Day,” showcasing hilarious misunderstandings.

I thought they’d magically be croissants when I took them out. So now I have bread shaped like right triangles.

Plate of crescent rolls humorously arranged like sharks, showcasing hilarious misunderstandings.

Trophy with an engraved plate reading, “I do not want any engraving, just leave the metal plate blank,” illustrating hilarious misunderstandings.

Screenshot of a funny text exchange about a tweet going viral, highlighting a misunderstanding.

Hotel safe with keypad instructions possibly leading to hilarious misunderstandings due to unclear labeling.