Misunderstandings

[Athena]

Have you spent time in your life misunderstanding a phrase, word or song lyrics? Post your examples here.

All through high school (and admittedly a few years beyond!) I thought euthanasia was actually spelled 'youth in Asia'. I always wondered what youth in Asia had to do with assisted dying in Swiss clinics. I had to do a debate about it where I was pro-youth in Asia. You can imagine how brilliantly I did at that! 🙄😉

 

[Taake]

I was pro-youth in Asia.

Oh, I needed that today! Thanks for the LOL!

On my way out but the first thing that stuck to my head was not my own example, but in a paper a while ago they asked people to send in "misheard" song lyrics, with hilarious results I might add... the only one I can remember was the girl who thought that the lyrics to The Killers "Human" was "are we human or are we hamsters?" I think that's how that song should go, cause really... are we human or are we hamsters? I need to know!

 

[Skanky Vamp]

 

[white avenger]

Not exactly the same thing, but I always thought that quiche was "scrambled egg pie" until one of my more sophisticated friends stopped laughing and told me the proper name for it.

 

[Athena]

Glad my stupidity gives multiple people the lols 😀 Maybe I shouldn't also tell you about thinking "scapegoat" was actually "escape goat"? Again, not understanding why unfairly blaming someone equated to a goat escaping. The English language is hard, people!

I promise I am a reasonably smart person. 😉

 

[Ethan Reigns]

The term "scapegoat" actually does mean escape goat and is derived from Leviticus 16:10. For the (Jewish) Day of Atonement, the priest is to take one bull as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering and two goats to the temple to be sacrificed. From Leviticus 16:

7] Then he shall take the two goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting;
[8] and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Aza'zel.
[9] And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer it as a sin offering;
[10] but the goat on which the lot fell for Aza'zel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Aza'zel.

The word is used explicitly in the New International Version:

8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

In the ceremony, the priest puts his hands on the goat's head and confesses the sins of the people. The goat is then led out of the city into the desert to Azazel, the Satanic spirit of ruin.

@Athena You are smarter than you think.

 

[vellavu]

Tons of them in my mother tongue. Too bad it's too hard to share using English.🙁

 

[cryptwarmer]

that time when you finally find out what the actual lyrics are and decide you like the mistaken ones you've been singing for the last ten years better.

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

Kind of reminded me of this scene (sorry couldn't find youtube clip):

Dan Rydell: Eli's Coming.
Casey McCall: Eli?
Dan Rydell: From the Three Dog Night song.
Casey McCall: Yes?
Dan Rydell: Eli is something bad, a darkness.
Casey McCall: "Eli's coming. Hide your heart, girl." Eli is a inveterate womanizer. I think you're getting the song wrong.
Dan Rydell: I know I'm getting the song wrong. But, when I first heard it, that's what I thought it meant. Things stick with you that way.

- Sports Night

 

[sosa lola]

That Backstreet Boys song "If you want it to be good, girl, get yourself a bad boy." I was in middle school, and my English was very limited, I thought they were saying that girls are good and boys are bad 😀 of course, I was like, hell yeah! Then in high school, I heard it again and thought they were saying "If you wanted to be good, girl, get yourself a bad boy." And it confused me, why would dating a bad boy make me a good girl?

It was two or three years ago when I heard this song again that I understood what it really meant. Let's just say thank God my mother couldn't (still can't) understand or speak a word of English. 😀

 

[nightshade]

There was a song when I was young that said, and is probably called how bizarre, and for some reason I was convinced it was cow bizarre, and that's still all I can here in the song now!

 

[Skanky Vamp]

some reason I was convinced it was cow bizarre, and that's still all I can here in the song now!

It could have been a cow bazaar. People might have been in the market for some bovine.

 

[nightshade]

It could have been a cow bazaar. People might have been in the market for some bovine.

umm I doubt it!

 

[Buffy Summers]

You know that song, "Whoop, there it is"? My mother thought the lyrics were, "Whoop, bad ass." Yes, she sang them out loud.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

You know that song, "Whoop, there it is"? My mother thought the lyrics were, "Whoop, bad ass." Yes, she sang them out loud.

Do not let her watch Hustle & Flow... that could be disastrous.