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[bandit957]

I remember when TV stations and networks had technical difficulties and they'd say, "Please stand by." Anyone else take this literally?

Once when I was about 5, I was watching something on TV like 'Sesame Street', when there were technical difficulties and they said, "Please stand by." So I got up and stood by the TV. My parents entered the living room and asked me what I was doing and I replied that a person on TV told me to "stand by."

[Max Rockatansky]

No, I don't like taking orders from anyone.

[Big John]

My brother did.  Not sure if he was trying to be funny.

[1995hoo]

Not I. But I've noted on my commute (via the DC Metrorail), when the train stops between stations, the train operator will often say "stand clear" before it starts moving again. I've sometimes wondered to whom that is addressed—there's nobody outside in the tunnel and, even if there were, there isn't much space to "stand clear."

For some reason, this thread is reminding me of a book character from childhood. The teacher assigned the character a desk and said, "Sit here for the present." The character thought this meant, "If I sit here, I'll get a present." I don't remember what book that was, though. Simply too long ago.

[Beltway]

Anyone take "Watch Your Step" literally?

[bandit957]

One time, someone told me, "Put your best foot forward." I thought they meant it literally, and I moved my leg forward.

[jakeroot]

I don't think you asked enough questions, bandit. It asked you to "stand by" but did not indicate what you were supposed to stand "by". You assumed the television, perhaps correctly, but who knows what they really meant?

[index]

In the mid to late 2000s there were a lot of ads that would tell you to "please roll over" or something like that. By that, they meant your mouse. I interpreted that literally and proceeded to get on the ground and roll over, thinking that would make something happen...

[tchafe1978]

When I was a kid playing baseball with my brothers, my one brother told me to choke up. Me, not knowing he meant choke up on the bat (hold the bat higher on the handle) decided I would try to choke myself up. After a couple coughing fits, my brother realized I wasn't getting it, and told me what he really meant by choke up.

[roadman65]

I don’t take the recorded message when placed on hold literally as that belongs in the depart of redundancy department.  Being that you were told at first your on hold you already know a person will soon get to you.  To loop the message over and over is annoying and tricks you that someone is there for you only for you to think “Oh it’s you again!”

[kphoger]

I don't think you asked enough questions, bandit. It asked you to "stand by" but did not indicate what you were supposed to stand "by". You assumed the television, perhaps correctly, but who knows what they really meant?

Whatever the case, though, it clearly did not mean to continue sitting in the recliner, nor to sit down at the table for a snack while he waited, nor to go to bed for a quick nap.

[US71]

I remember when TV stations and networks had technical difficulties and they'd say, "Please stand by." Anyone else take this literally?

Once when I was about 5, I was watching something on TV like 'Sesame Street', when there were technical difficulties and they said, "Please stand by." So I got up and stood by the TV. My parents entered the living room and asked me what I was doing and I replied that a person on TV told me to "stand by."

Only you, sir...only you

[Evan_Th]

For some reason, this thread is reminding me of a book character from childhood. The teacher assigned the character a desk and said, "Sit here for the present." The character thought this meant, "If I sit here, I'll get a present." I don't remember what book that was, though. Simply too long ago.

I remember that from one of Beverly Cleary's Ramona books.  Ramona wasn't the only character who interpreted it that way; a lot of her classmates thought the same thing and got jealous that she was going to get a present.  Fun books!

[Big John]

I remember an old comic strip where the child was going to a school for gifted children and thought they would give gifts to the children.

[1995hoo]

For some reason, this thread is reminding me of a book character from childhood. The teacher assigned the character a desk and said, "Sit here for the present." The character thought this meant, "If I sit here, I'll get a present." I don't remember what book that was, though. Simply too long ago.

I remember that from one of Beverly Cleary's Ramona books.  Ramona wasn't the only character who interpreted it that way; a lot of her classmates thought the same thing and got jealous that she was going to get a present.  Fun books!

Ah, yes, that sounds right. Those were good books.

[Verlanka]

I remember an old comic strip where the child was going to a school for gifted children and thought they would give gifts to the children.

That was Peppermint Patty from the Peanuts comic strip.

[1995hoo]

I remember an old comic strip where the child was going to a school for gifted children and thought they would give gifts to the children.

That was Peppermint Patty from the Peanuts comic strip.

I recall Dennis the Menace thinking “gifted” meant Santa Claus brought the child to the parents.

[jeffandnicole]

Anyone else take "Please hold.  Your call is very important to us." literally?

[kphoger]

Anyone else take "Please hold.  Your call is very important to us." literally?

Of course.  Taking it seriously is the only thing that keeps me from dropping the phone.

[ozarkman417]

Anyone else take "Please hold.  Your call money is very important to us." literally?

There you go.

Anyway, I took "Round of applause" literally, as I moved my hands in a circle when clapping when I was younger.

[jeffandnicole]

Anyone else take "Please hold.  Your call money is very important to us." literally?

There you go.

Anyway, I took "Round of applause" literally, as I moved my hands in a circle when clapping when I was younger.

The boy scouts love doing that.

I love to sit there and think "Do you know how stupid this is when you do it every f'ing time??"

[roadman65]

I used to be a telemarketer for some timeshare contractor who hired the call room to answer phone calls of pop up ads on computers that read "You have been awarded 500 Travel Dollars!"  Many will call thinking its money, but many when you explain at first that it is a promotion to get you to the hotel to see a resort for you to possibly be interested in, and then ask them flat out "Can you get yourself to Florida?"  We were told that we could not continue until the caller understood that he had to get himself to Florida and it was not a free vacation.

Needless to say, some understood that they had to provide the means to get there, but after the long written out pitch we were forced to say, many would then ask how they get their pick up their cash.

Talk about literal!  Common sense should tell you that nothing is free and the first statement followed by the question made it known it was a scam!  And these were not doofuses thinking that they actually won a prize it was foreigners from other nations were the class of people from it are very intelligent.

No wonder why Timeshares are so popular as many fall head over heals for the pitches and lies that the sales rep at the free breakfast tours tell them.  Once in Westgate Lakes a timeshare sales rep told people that Shamu the whale lived in the lake behind the resort and that Sea World had a tunnel under I-4 so the mammal could swim between the lake and the park.  Some bought it!  I mean not only the unit, but the story too!