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Oops! The Silly Mistakes Thread

I heard a podcast earlier with radio personality Mike Parry, where he discussed someone who played a flute. Unfortunately, instead of saying "flautist", Parry called him a "flatulist".

His co-host pointed out that that's not quite the same thing...
 
I heard a podcast earlier with radio personality Mike Parry, where he discussed someone who played a flute. Unfortunately, instead of saying "flautist", Parry called him a "flatulist".

His co-host pointed out that that's not quite the same thing...

flatulist :rollingw:
Comes across as less a slip of the tongue and more an attempt at grandiloquence.

A bit like 'crapulous' and 'crapulent', which both mean 'drunken'.
Some reviewer thought one of them meant 'toad-like'. She called a writer that in print and was successfully sued. :chuckle:
 
Good job it wasn't me - I could be much more imaginative.
This just sounds like a bored teenager with the levels of creativity equal to that of a turnip.
One assumes there is training on the dummy versions when people feel free to add silly comments. The operator on this one thought it was still an exercise rather than 'live'.

In one of my jobs we had H&S training with answer sheets that we suspected weren't even looked at.
A colleague proved that by filling them in with ridiculous replies and comments that only came to light after he left. :chuckle:
 
This just proves that the whole process is corrupt and needs proper oversight, perhaps by an independent body or an ombudsman.
Not sure it makes it corrupt, but it does call into the question the competence of some individuals and perhaps the service as a whole. I can think of a number of mechanisms the applicants could use in Scotland, but I'm aware that the system is a little different in England.
 
Due to a case of 'human error', this weekends Brighton marathon was 568m too long.

"Brighton Marathon organisers have apologised to runners after it emerged the course was 568m (0.35 miles) too long.

About 7,500 marathon participants set off from Preston Park from 09:45 BST on a course they thought was 26.2 miles.

Organisers apologised for the error and said they hoped it had not "marred the experience" for runners.

They said the marathon was a "fantastic comeback" after an 18-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-58538441
 
Due to a case of 'human error', this weekends Brighton marathon was 568m too long.

"Brighton Marathon organisers have apologised to runners after it emerged the course was 568m (0.35 miles) too long.

About 7,500 marathon participants set off from Preston Park from 09:45 BST on a course they thought was 26.2 miles.

Organisers apologised for the error and said they hoped it had not "marred the experience" for runners.

They said the marathon was a "fantastic comeback" after an 18-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-58538441

I remember that happened to Alf Tupper.
 
The lesson is "Don't go to sea in a Transit, cos Transits don't float'.
I'm sure (in this case) that the owner was one of those people who are arrogant and aggressive, and just think they are being harassed by 'some jobsworth'.
"You shouldn't park here..."
"F off pal.....I'll park where I like!"
"Okaaaay..........don't say nobody told you...."

Wouldn't it be ironic if the chap was from some South American country and was named 'Jesus'.
Course you can go to sea in a Transit.

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/top-gear-technology-centre/ford-transit-hovervan
 
Course you can go to sea in a Transit.
Well you could try but as I remember it was a singularly unimpressive remodelling of a Transit, which barely moved under it's own steam, and certainly was not 'ocean going' or even 'sea-worthy'.

And as I know from when my dad used to work in TV on this sort of thing, what usually happens is the producers come up with an idea, and then props are made to look like what they want them to on screen, so in this case it is entirely likely that a couple of Transit shells were used, one which was a perfectly regular 'road going' one, with a few bits taped on to make it look like the one used on the water, which had been stripped of all unnecessary extra weight including the engine, fuel tanks, seating, etc etc.
Same was done for the James Bond films where the 'Hero car' was a nice one used only for close-ups, but several identical-looking copies were used for the 'action shots', so they could get bashed up and not be worried about it.
And the same is true for every other instance in which vehicles are used in film and TV.
(Sorry if that ruins it for anyone.)
Particularly 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and 'The A-Team'.
Just watch those to see the amount of 'General Lee' and 'Black Van' examples that get destroyed in each episode.
 
Well you could try but as I remember it was a singularly unimpressive remodelling of a Transit, which barely moved under it's own steam, and certainly was not 'ocean going' or even 'sea-worthy'.

And as I know from when my dad used to work in TV on this sort of thing, what usually happens is the producers come up with an idea, and then props are made to look like what they want them to on screen, so in this case it is entirely likely that a couple of Transit shells were used, one which was a perfectly regular 'road going' one, with a few bits taped on to make it look like the one used on the water, which had been stripped of all unnecessary extra weight including the engine, fuel tanks, seating, etc etc.
Same was done for the James Bond films where the 'Hero car' was a nice one used only for close-ups, but several identical-looking copies were used for the 'action shots', so they could get bashed up and not be worried about it.
And the same is true for every other instance in which vehicles are used in film and TV.
(Sorry if that ruins it for anyone.)
Particularly 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and 'The A-Team'.
Just watch those to see the amount of 'General Lee' and 'Black Van' examples that get destroyed in each episode.
Oh yeah, I know. Sometimes you could even see the poor old General Lee buckle when it landed.

I really used to enjoy TG in the days of the Three Idiots. Trouble was there were people who didn't realise it was a comedy program. I haven't watched it since because I can't stand the Ginger Nut. Now he's gone i should maybe try it again.
 
I haven't watched it since because I can't stand the Ginger Nut. Now he's gone i should maybe try it again.
Save yourself the trouble.
I'll encapsulate the modern TG for you.
2 gobby northern blokes who both think they're funny, and Chris Harris, who is really quite knowledgeable but not very entertaining.
Using those 3, all the best stuff from Top Gear in the earlier part of its 2000s incarnation get remade, only in a shittier way.
 
Save yourself the trouble.
I'll encapsulate the modern TG for you.
2 gobby northern blokes who both think they're funny, and Chris Harris, who is really quite knowledgeable but not very entertaining.
Using those 3, all the best stuff from Top Gear in the earlier part of its 2000s incarnation get remade, only in a shittier way.
*nods* The Coupés and Combovers Show.
 
"Don't go to sea in a Transit, cos Transits don't float'.
I once successfully sailed one in Wales.

Well, as mentioned before many times, I drove one across the causeway to Shell Island near Barmouth* before the tide was fully out and it nearly floated away. A few hairy moments there.

*I was conceived there, y'know.
 
Just watch those to see the amount of 'General Lee' and 'Black Van' examples that get destroyed in each episode.
I remember some of the slow-motion scenes where it's obvious that the axle/suspension/subframe has been destroyed when the car lands, but then you see it driving away in the next shot.
It must have cost a lot to do that.
 
I was never sure about Tupper's sexual orientation but I reckon he wasn't int water sprts.
What happened to Alf Tupper in the end? Did he die of a heart attack?
I mean, as part of his training, he'd eat a lot of greasy food and down the pints, then go for a gruelling run.
 
*I was conceived there, y'know.
We do now.

It must have cost a lot to do that.

Not really. As with a lot of TV series where many vehicles get trashed, they get a load of 'rolling shells' from places like scrapyards, spray them up to look the same, then for (eg) jumps across ramps and bridges etc, they are either pushed or pulled up to speed and then released to perform the stunt, sometimes with a driver to control it, sometimes a dummy in the seat and a remote control.
Most damage that would make a vehicle ready to be (re)scrapped is given a rudimentary repair then sent back out onto set.
Also a vehicle is chosen which is known to be in ready supply on the used market.
For 'The Dukes of Hazzard' a 1969 Dodge Charger was used. Over 69,000 of that year/model were sold so it was in plentiful supply in the late 70s/early 80s.

There are occasions in which an obviously good vehicle is destroyed in some sort of stunt - these are often funded by the car manufacturer as a 'product placement' so you will see (as for Top Gear) an extensive glowing report about that model, that goes on for several minutes.
 

Burglar who broke into pub and got drunk caught asleep behind the bar

Lee Roach, 46, broke into Harrison’s Bar in Liverpool city centre with the intention of burgling it.

But the dad of four and grandad of one, who has 90 previous convictions, couldn’t resist helping himself to spirits and passed out behind the bar. He was not found until the next day by the cleaner
During a strip search at the police station officers recovered $10,000 of ‘funny money’.

He also had a parcel which he had stolen from a block of flats, containing a new wallet.

Roach, who admitted burglary and theft, has 90 previous convictions for 161 offences including 86 offences of theft and 20 burglaries.
 
A friend of mine when I was about 20, he had a cousin who owned a pub.
He went to visit him one weekend and on the Saturday night they 'had a lock in', a stayed drinking until about 3am.
He fell asleep in one of the padded chair cubicle type things (banquettes?) and his cousin left him there for the night.
So my friend wakes up at lunchtime the next day, only to find the surrounding pub tables full of families having lunch.
He told me he felt really self-conscious as he tried to pretend like all was all quite normal.
 
This is hilarious ... An Amazon driver approaching a customer's front door swats at an insect(?) and accidentally launches the packet he's carrying onto the house's roof. Check the video at the link below ...
Amazon driver's insect mishap sends package to roof of home

A California homeowner's doorbell camera captured the moment an Amazon delivery driver swatted at a bug and accidentally launched a package onto the roof of the house.

Casey McPerry posted a video to TikTok showing the moment an Amazon driver bearing a package of vitamins approached the front door of his San Diego home and swatting at what appears to be an insect. ...

The driver loses his grip on the package during the gesture, sending it flying onto the roof of the home.

The video shows the distraught driver walking around outside the house for a few moments while trying to figure out how to get it down.

McPerry said he received a text from the driver, saying: "Hi this is your Amazon delivery driver. This sounds crazy, but I accidentally threw a package on your roof. Do you have a ladder I can use?"

McPerry said he didn't get the message until later in the evening ... He was able to retrieve it the next day.
FULL STORY (With Video): https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/09/30/Amazon-driver-bug-package-roof-Casey-McPerry/2101633032128/
 
Facebook seller lists catalytic converter online – but forgets to hide bag of meth

Police say James Kertz was "surprised" after his attempt to sell a catalytic converter on Facebook landed him in jail

When James Kertz shared a photograph of the catalytic converter he was looking to sell, he did not realise that his drugs and firearm were in the background.

But police officers from Stone County Sheriff's Department in Missouri soon spotted the illicit items, obtained a search warrant and arrested the 38-year-old at his home in Reeds Spring on Wednesday.

They also seized almost 50 grams of methamphetamine and the Taurus revolver.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader believes the bumbling salesman "must have been under the influence" when he took the photograph because he "left his large bag of meth and syringe on the coffee table".

Kertz remains in custody at Stone County Jail without bond and faces charges of possessing a controlled substance and parole violation.
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Let's not fool ourselves here.
We all know someone (probably) who got arrested in possession of a quantity of something but when the police listed it, it was a much smaller quantity than they know they had.
Not saying that police are crooks but, well, police are crooks.
 
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