History Main / FunnyPhoneMisunderstanding

* One of the more well-known State Farm ads involves a husband calling the company at night to learn about their insurance deals. His wife comes down and thinks he's talking to another woman. It didn't help that he actually did sound like he was doing dirty talk.

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* ''WebVideo/SomeJerkWithACamera'': In the "10 Years of Disney's California Adventure" video, Jerk jokes that the idea to make a tractor as an attraction was born of poor cell phone reception.

-->'''Jerk:''' (imitating an executive):''' We need something big that'll really attract people, some... huge attractor!\\

'''Husband:''' It's Jake from State Farm. ''[on the phone]'' It sounds like a really good deal.\\

Compare ICantHearYou, OutOfContextEavesdropping, MistakenForPrankCall, PoorCommunicationKills, OneDialogueTwoConversations, and LostInTransmission. Also compare EmbarrassingRingtone, FunnyAnsweringMachine, PrankCall, TheOperatorsMustBeCrazy, SmellPhone, and VideoCallFail for other comical phone tropes. Can happen if the person on one side of the phone is using an EarTrumpet or otherwise hard-of-hearing. Common when someone is PlayingCyrano, LandlineEavesdropping, or having an EarpieceConversation.

* A Sprint ad campaign (c. 2001) had the salesman showing up to the aftermath of misunderstandings (e.g., a farmer receiving dachshunds instead of oxen) saying they wouldn't happen on Sprint's network.

** When Cruella calls Anita and Roger to offer sympathy to their puppies being stolen, Roger, seeing through it and believes she was responsible, takes the phone from Anita and yells "Where are they?!" Anita takes the phone back from him saying "You idiot!", with Cruella offended for a second time.

** In one scene, Gru tells Dr. Nefario over his cellphone that he wants him to make a dozen cookie robots. Nefario mishears him and makes ''boogie'' robots instead. Gru chalks this up to Nefario being hard-of-hearing due to his old age.

* A variation occurs in the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "[[Recap/StargateSG1S7E21LostCityPart1 Lost City Part 1]]". Dr. Jackson walks in and addresses Dr. Weir, who is looking at the Stargate. Jackson says that the gate is amazing, and Weir responds with "I don't really care." This irks Jackson, until Weir turns around and we see she is talking to someone on the phone, using a hands free headset.

** In "Get the Message", Lori accidentally insults Lincoln while on the phone to Bobby.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'': In the episode "Cabin Fever" [[SnowedIn while trapped in a cabin,]] Ed Bighead builds a makeshift radio and gets a response from a teenage sounding voice.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "Mommy's Little Assets", Charlotte's employee Jonathan thinks she's calling him sweetie, when really she was talking to her daughter Angelica.

** In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E3TheBullyJustOneBite The Bully]]", [=SpongeBob=] is walking through the halls of Mrs. Puff's Boating School lamenting how Flats the bully is gonna kick his butt, when he suddenly hears a nearby payphone ringing. It turns out to be Patrick, who thinks he's calling a pizza place.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'':
** In the episode "Cabin Fever" [[SnowedIn while trapped in a cabin,]] Ed Bighead builds a makeshift radio and gets a response from a teenage sounding voice.

** In "Seat to Stardom", Rocko is feeling bad about neglecting Heffer on account of his new modelling career, so he tries to call him between photo shoots. However, his employers drag him away right as the call starts, and Rocko's angry rant at them is interpreted by Heffer as Rocko dialing him just to be a jerk for no reason; it's not helped when Heffer demands an explanation and a janitor hangs up the dangling receiver.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "Cabin Fever" [[SnowedIn while trapped in a cabin,]] Ed Bighead builds a makeshift radio and gets a response from a teenage sounding voice.

--> '''Husband:''' Yeah, I'm married. Does it matter? Would you do that for me? Really? Yeah, I'd like that.
--> '''Wife:''' ''(comes down and turns on the light)'' Who're you talking to?
--> '''Husband:''' It's Jake from State Farm. ''(On the phone)'' It sounds like a really good deal.
--> '''Wife:''' Jake from State Farm at ''3 in the morning''? ''(Snatches phone)'' Who is this?!
--> '''Husband:''' It's... Jake from State Farm.
--> '''Wife:''' Well what are you wearing "Jake from State Farm"?
--> '''Jake:''' ''(at a cubicle)'' Uhh, khakis?
--> '''Wife:''' ''(to the husband)'' She sounds hideous.
--> '''Husband:''' Well she's a ''guy'', so...

* The UrExample is the 1913 recording [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOONWjx5RU "Cohen on the Telephone,"]] a monologue by comedian Joe Hayman about a Jewish fellow (with a heavy Yiddish accent) trying to explain to his landlord that he needs a repairman.

** In "[[Recap/TintinTheSecretOfTheUnicorn The Secret of the Unicorn]]", Tintin is on the phone with Haddock, trying to say that he's in Marlinspike Hall and to bring the police. Haddock, unfortunately, mishears "police" as "Greece", and "Marlinspike" as "Starlings bite" and "Martin's bike". Then, when Tintin tries to correct him, saying, "Marlinspike's the name!", Haddock replies, "What sort of game?".

* ''Dilbert'' has [[https://gocomics.com/dilbert/2004/08/09 these]] [[https://gocomics.com/dilbert/2004/08/10 strips]] in which the Pointy-Haired Boss asks Dilbert to go through his desk and office and find the billing codes, but Dilbert hears "throw... my... desk... off... building...", which he and Alice then do. They also lampshade it.

** When [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Cruella]] and Jasper are on the phone together, Horace is complaining and Jasper says to him "Ah, shut up you bloomin' idiot!". Cruella responds with a BigWhat, and Jasper says, "No, not you, miss, I mean Horace!".
** When Cruella calls Anita and Roger to offer sympathy to their puppies being stolen, Roger, seeing through it and believes she was responsible, takes the phone from Anita and yells "Where are they?!". Anita takes the phone back from him saying "You idiot!", with Cruella offended for a second time.

* One [[Literature/EncyclopediaBrown Encyclopedia Brown]] mini-mystery uses this trope as its solution. The neighborhood Romeo, Tyrone Taylor, leaves a romantic message for his latest sweetheart, only for her to furiously tell him off and beat the stuffing out of him. Encyclopedia investigates and realizes that her little sister, who took the message, inadvertently punctuated it wrong, making the compliments seem like insults: "I want to say you're amazing. I can't stop thinking that you're the most beautiful girl in town" becomes "I want to say you're amazing--I can't. Stop thinking that you're the most beautiful girl in town," for example.

* A variation occurs in the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode [[Recap/StargateSG1S7E21LostCityPart1 "Lost City Part 1."]] Dr. Jackson walks in and addresses Dr. Weir, who is looking at the Stargate. Jackson says that the gate is amazing, and Weir responds with "I don't really care." This irks Jackson, until Weir turns around and we see she is talking to someone on the phone, using a hands free headset.

[[folder:Web Original]]

-->'''Jerk (imitating an executive):''' We need something big that'll really attract people, some...huge attractor!\\
'''Jerk (imitating another executive):''' [while writing] Huge...tractor. Got it.

** In "Missed Connection", Bobby wants to tell Lori a story, but then Lori says, "Not another one!". She quickly explains that she thought she saw a baby snake, but it was only a scrunchie. Bobby then says, "That was a dumb idea", offending Lori, but he was talking to himself about accidentally making his dog throw up.

-->'''Ed:''' Listen carefully, this is Ed Bighead. I'm trapped in a cabin in the mountains with my wife and two guys. Do you read?
-->'''Voice:''' Um.. right, okay. [[DriveThruAntics You want a large burger and two fries.]]

** In [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy "Big Pink Loser"]], Patrick is working at a restaurant and people phone up saying, "Is this the Krusty Krab?". That's what the restaurant is called, but Patrick, due to his [[TheDitz stupidity]], has forgotten, and he replies, "No, this is Patrick! I'm not a crusty [[IAmNotWeasel crab]]!".

** In [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E3TheBullyJustOneBite "The Bully"]], [=SpongeBob=] is walking through the halls of Mrs. Puff's Boating School lamenting how Flats the bully is gonna kick his butt, when he suddenly hears a nearby payphone ringing. It turns out to be Patrick, who thinks he's calling a pizza place.

--> '''Husband''': Yeah, I'm married. Does it matter? Would you do that for me? Really? Yeah, I'd like that.
--> '''Wife''': ''(Comes down and turns on the light)'' Who're you talking to?
--> '''Husband''': It's Jake from State Farm. ''(On the phone)'' It sounds like a really good deal.
--> '''Wife''': Jake from State Farm at ''3 in the morning''? ''(Snatches phone)'' Who is this?!
--> '''Husband''': It's... Jake from State Farm.
--> '''Wife''': Well what are you wearing "Jake from State Farm"?
--> '''Jake''': ''(At a cubicle)'' Uhh, khakis?
--> '''Wife''': ''(To the husband)'' She sounds hideous.
--> '''Husband''': Well she's a ''guy'', so...

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

* ''Dilbert'' has [[https://gocomics.com/dilbert/2004-08-09 these]] [[https://gocomics.com/dilbert/2004-08-10 strips]] in which the Pointy-Haired Boss asks Dilbert to go through his desk and office and find the billing codes, but Dilbert hears "throw... my... desk... off... building...", which he and Alice then do. They also lampshade it.

* ''Dilbert'' has [[https://dilbert.com/strip/2004-08-09 these]] [[https://dilbert.com/strip/2004-08-10 strips]] in which the Pointy-Haired Boss asks Dilbert to go through his desk and office and find the billing codes, but Dilbert hears "throw... my... desk... off... building...", which he and Alice then do. They also lampshade it.

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'':

->'''Roddy:''' I'm being attacked by a madwoman! She's got crayons!\\

** When Anita is on the phone with [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Cruella]], the former accidentally calls Roger an idiot while still on the phone, offending Cruella.
** When Cruella and Jasper are on the phone together, Jasper says, "Shut up!" to Horace. Cruella responds with a BigWhat, and Jasper says, "No, not you, miss, I mean Horace!".

* In ''WesternAnimation/FlushedAway'', Rita the rat is throwing crayons at Roddy, who is using a cell phone as a shield. This ends up dialling the number of a restaurant. Roddy tries to tell the waiter, "I'm being attacked by a madwoman! She's got crayons!", but he mishears it as an order for a chicken chow mien with wanton. Roddy tries to explain, but the waiter still doesn't get it and asks Roddy if he wants his rice fried or white. Roddy gets sidetracked and almost orders fried rice, but then says, "No, wait-- uh, cancel that order."

-->'''Firefly:''' Get me to headquarters!...No, not "hindquarters", headquarters!

The other way this can be played out is if the second character simply misheard, perhaps due to mumbling or a bad connection. If that's the case, expect to hear something like "What?! No, no, I said X!".

* The UrExample is the 1913 recording [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOONWjx5RU "Cohen on the Telephone"]], a monologue by comedian Joe Hayman about a Jewish fellow (with a heavy Yiddish accent) trying to explain to his landlord that he needs a repairman.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': In [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1989/ga890530.gif this strip]], Jon is talking to a woman named Debbie on the phone. Garfield sneaks off with his steak and Jon angrily says " You [[YouAreFat fat]] greedy pig! I oughta shave you bald and put you out in the cold!". Debbie immediately hangs up, thinking he was talking to ''her''.

Compare ICantHearYou, OutOfContextEavesdropping, MistakenForPrankCall, PoorCommunicationKills, OneDialogueTwoConversations, and LostInTransmission. Also compare EmbarrassingRingtone, FunnyAnsweringMachine, PrankCall, TheOperatorsMustBeCrazy, and SmellPhone for other comical phone tropes. Can happen if the person on one side of the phone is using an EarTrumpet or otherwise hard-of-hearing. Common when someone is PlayingCyrano, LandlineEavesdropping, or having an EarpieceConversation.

* ''Dilbert'' has [[https://dilbert.com/strip/2004-08-09 these]] [[https://dilbert.com/strip/2004-08-10 strips]] in which the Pointy-Haired Boss asks Dilbert to go through his desk and office and find the billing codes, but Dilbert hears "throw... my... desk... off... building...", which he and Alice then do. They also lampshade it.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': In [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1989/ga890530.gif this strip]], Jon is talking to a woman named Debbie on the phone. Garfield sneaks off with a steak and Jon angrily calls him a "[[YouAreFat fat]] greedy pig". Debbie immediately hangs up, thinking he was talking to ''her''.

* In a ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode, titled "Big Pink Loser", Patrick is working at a restaurant and people phone up saying, "Is this the Krusty Krab?". That's what the restaurant is called, but Patrick, due to his [[TheDitz stupidity]], has forgotten, and he replies, "No, this is Patrick! I'm not a crusty [[IAmNotWeasel crab]]!".
-->'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Uhh, Patrick, that's the name of the restaurant.
-->'''Patrick:''' Huh? ''[groans in frustration]'' FISHPASTE!

'''Waiter:''' One chicken chow mein with... wanton?\\