pakled wrote:
get a lot of that, but I treat it like jokes, so people think it's funny...

I get people on the difference between 'can' and 'may'...

What's up? - I used to reply 'Pork Bellies. But Copper is down'...

At any rate? - about 3 and a half percent (George Carlin's had a field day with that...

Our literal interpretations
are funny! I am a scientist and pathetic, beyond pathetic, at being a receptionist. At previous lab the receptionist had a drastic family emergency and office needed a quick 'fill-in' for just 5 days. The Lab Pet to the rescue......oh no. Fortunately they liked me because I would otherwise be so fired. I really tried though. The administrator told me if 'Person X' were to call to tell him that he's not here and take a message since he didn't want to talk to him. I took this literally but didn't get the meaning. So...'Person X' called, asking for administrator. I said, "He's here but he told me to say he's not. He doesn't want to speak to you. May I take a message?" Bad Lab Pet. Bad Lab Pet. Bad Lab Pat.
I'm mostly non-verbal and have no place in an office. I'm stupid/bad at phone conversations. Then, in office, administrator asked me to make coffee - which I like to do. I actually asked him, in all seiousness, how many mL he would like since they had a massive metal coffee maker.
Strangers are scary. Mostly I knew who would be in the office but the first time 'new people' came in, I actually hid under the desk, hoping they would go away. And I am seriously bad at filing. Apparently this stuff is supposed to be alpha order.....there's various ways of ordering stuff so how was I supposed to know?
I'll never be a receptionist and those 5 days (from heck) were rough, and worse for administrator I'm sure (so sorry). I really did try.
Someone put in the lab and lock the door.
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The ones who say “You can’t” and “You won’t” are probably the ones scared that you will. - Unknown