This story of mixing up Mariah Carey and Marie Curie was funny, but the replies made it even better
Comedy writer Eileen Mary O’Connell shared this little misunderstanding between herself and a mansplainer.
Thinking about the time that I said that I was distantly related to Marie Curie and a guy explained “It’s pronounced Mariah Carey”
— Eileen Mary O’Connell (@i_Lean) September 1, 2020
It isn’t the first time the two women have been mixed up, and it probably won’t be the last.
My cousin in England told her colleagues she wanted a Mariah Carey birthday cake. They misunderstood, and is the cake they made her instead. It’s Marie Curie, looking very festive. pic.twitter.com/LMHJnMATqD
— Harriet Alida Lye (@harrietalida) June 14, 2019
People enjoyed Eileen’s tweet so much that it currently has almost 30,000 retweets after less than a day, but it also inspired tweeters to share similar misunderstandings.
These were our favourites.
1.
At an art museum some guy asked my mom, sister, and me: Who is the artist in the exhibit? Us: Matisse.
Him: oh yeah Henry Matisse
Us: Henri. It’s Henri Matisse.
Him: It’s Henry. They just call him Henri bc he’s French.— Erin Nagel (@emck33) September 1, 2020
2.
this reminds me of the time i worked in a vintage clothes store and was speaking to a colleague about my love for horticulture and she legit thought i was pronouncing ‘haute couture’ wrong
— sahar (@babynevv) September 1, 2020
3.
My best friend once told me in our kids' school's very quiet bootroom at pick-up that she was becoming necrophiliac. She meant narcoleptic. I will treasure those other parents faces until I die.
— Cristina Quintero (@cquinterowriter) September 1, 2020
4.
Dated French guy, he suggested watching “pursuit of a penis, it’s a beautiful story about a man and his son..” I’m thinking “what kind of horrible film is he talking about” until he mentioned Will Smith.
— Mary O'Neill (@mtoneill4) September 1, 2020
5.
Decades ago I told a guy that I was studying meteorology. Him: 'Cool. So when's the next one coming?'
Me: 'The next what? Thunderstorm?'
Him: 'No, the next meteor.'— Tracy Garner (@tracygarner) September 1, 2020
6.
Long ago, I met this art student moving into my building, carrying a large print of a Gauguin painting into the elevator.
Me: i see you like Gauguin (goh-GEHN)
Him: hm, what?
Me, gesturing to the print: Gauguin.
Him, pretentiously: No, it’s pronounced GAGE-in.
— Sandra (@SandraHeretic) September 1, 2020
7.
I once foolishly tried to find pâté at the podunk grocery on the way to my mom’s. After coming up with nil wandering the aisles, I asked the fish guy behind the counter if they had pâté. After asking me to repeat myself a couple times, he said, “Do you mean pasta?” I did not.
— Audrey Hepbones (@m_k_eeee) September 1, 2020
8.
(Pre-mobiles) When my landline phone went back online after being disconnected for a while, a very dear friend commented “It must be nice being excommunicado again.”
— Sumarumi (@sumarumi) September 1, 2020
9.
While watching an interior design program, my husband commented on a minimalist room: "It's very Marie Curie". He meant Marie Kondo. 🙈
— Charlotte (@CharlotteAlice8) September 1, 2020