Cupboard confusion
During my school German exchange I contracted a nasty cough. In the middle of class I felt a sudden coughing fit coming on and tried to supress it unsuccessfully. After a few splutterings I realised I was going to have to exit the room and began running. On my way past the teacher's desk I tried to explain I wasn't feeling well, but mixed up the expressions: Mir ist schlecht, I'm not well, and Ich bin krank, I'm ill, and ended up saying: Ich bin Schrank - meaning 'I'm a wardrobe'! I didn't have time to see their faces as I dashed out!
Sent by: Caroline
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Once, when my sister was a secondary school student, she helped some Austrian tourists to find their way in our home town in Hungary, and they had a short conversation. She was asked what people did in their free time. She mixed up two expressions (ausgehen - to go out, and sich unterhalten - something like having some fun, having a chat), so her answer was: Sie gehen unter - They go down :)
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