freudian slip

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I was dining with my mother-in-lawMOTHER OF HUSBAND OR WIFE one evening, when I made the oddestSTRANGEST OR MOST UNUSUAL Freudian slipUNINTENTIONAL WORD MISTAKE THAT REVEALS TRUE FEELINGS of my entire life! I meant to say, ‘Please pass the butter.’”

“And what did you say instead?” his friend inquiredASKED (FORMAL WORD), clearly interested.

“What actually came out of my mouth was, ‘You ruined my life, you old hagOLD, UNATTRACTIVE, UNKIND WOMAN! ^hag’”

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🔍 Vocabulary

Let's look at these three: Freudian slip, oddest, and inquired.

• I once called my teacher “mum” — a classic Freudian slip! (an unconscious error revealing true feelings)
• That was the oddest meal I’ve ever had — the soup was purple. (oddest = strangest)
• She inquired about the time of the next meeting. (inquired = formally asked)

🧠 Grammar

This joke uses the past simple to tell a humorous story about a dinner gone wrong. The humour comes from the gap between what the speaker meant to say and what they actually said — a social slip-up told in a simple past narrative.

• I meant to say something polite, but I said something terrible.
• We met for our usual weekly lunch.
• He asked what had happened, and I told him.

🗣️ Dialogue Example

A: How was dinner with your boss?
B: Oh no — I meant to say “This meal is memorable,” but I said “This meal is forgettable.”
A: Oof. Classic Freudian slip.

📝 Usage Notes

A Freudian slip is usually humorous or embarrassing — something said by mistake that accidentally reveals what someone is really thinking or feeling. It’s named after Sigmund Freud, who believed our unconscious thoughts often leak out in small mistakes.

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to none of them. Feel free to copy, share, or tell them at your next dinner party, braaivleis or bar mitzvah.