History Main / EntendreFailure

* In ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', Elaine is insulted when her newest love interest, who has back problems, has a lumbar support mattress sent to her apartment in advance of a visit, thinking he's planning to sleep with her on the first date. She gives it to Kramer, but later finds out that the mattress was a gift for her and that he had it custom-made to fit her. Flattered, she takes it back, but since the mattress now smells heavily of Kramer—who's been taking swims in the East River—the guy believes that she slept with him. [[OneDialogueTwoConversations His resulting conversation with Kramer resolves the issue peacefully without clearing up anything]].

* In ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', Elaine is insulted when her newest love interest, who has back problems, has a lumbar support mattress sent to her apartment in advance of a visit, thinking he's planning to sleep with her on the first date. She gives it to Kramer, but later finds out that the mattress was a gift for her and that he had it custom-made to fit her. Flattered, she takes it back, but since the mattress now smells heavily of Kramer—who's been taking swims in the East River—the guy believes that she slept with him. [[OneConversationTwoDialogues His resulting conversation with Kramer resolves the issue peacefully without clearing up anything]].

** A non-sexual variety turns up in the second episode of . George Sr. says several times that there's "always money in the banana stand" when Michael mentions the company's financial trouble, which Michael takes at face value since the banana stand is the only part of their business that actually turns a profit. George Sr. only clarifies what he meant after Michael and George-Michael burn the banana stand down in an act of defiance: [[spoiler:He kept a quarter-million dollars in emergency cash hidden in the walls of the stand.]]

* ''Film/ElviraMistressOfTheDark'' has this memorable exchange (where Bob doesn't get the joke, so she just says "nevermind, I'm fine) after Elvira has hit her head on a movie marquee:
-->*Bob: "How's your head?"\\
:Elvira "Well, I've never had any complaints..."

Alice makes a comment, expecting people to know the [[DoubleEntendre real meaning of it.]] Bob takes the comment [[LiteralMinded literally]], and is often unaware that there's more than one meaning to what's being said. HilarityEnsues... [[PlayedForDrama or maybe not.]]

This trope is the [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of the UnEntendre.

See also: ComicallyMissingThePoint. Can be used for [[DoubleEntendre Double Entendres]], and is often the cause of an InnocentInaccurate misunderstanding a HurricaneOfEuphemisms.

* In an early episode of ''Series/TheWarAtHome'', [[OverprotectiveDad Dave]] is concerned that Hillary might have lost her virginity, and tries to find out if Larry knows anything about it. Apparently, he doesn't.

* Pretty much all of the earlier episodes of ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' had jokes about Jake not getting the adults sexual innuendos and [[LiteralMinded taking things literally]].

-->'''Virginia:''' Oh, come on, Burt! A new rug? I always hear people bragging about how their carpets match their drapes.
-->'''Burt:''' You're right. I want to be one of those people.

* In ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' and ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', Idura departs from Bound Kingdom leaving thinly-veiled threats to the land and the warrior who defeated his monsters. Said warrior, Dekar, is an absolute idiot who [[LiteralMinded completely misinterprets Idura's threats]], further infuriating Idura.

->...[[Memes/Nasuverse you lost me]].

->...[[TheStinger you]] [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight lost]] [[MemeticMutation me]].

** In ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', the older, more cynical guards assume that young and innocent Carrot joined the Watch to get away from a bad situation at home. One of them asks him if he "got a girl into trouble", and Carrot, recalling all the times his girlfriend was lectured by her father about how unsuitable he was, says that he did, more than once. He also admitts to staying at "Mrs Palm's" (a notorious brothel) every night, impressing his co-workers, though Carrot is actually under the impression it is a boarding house. His letter home to his family includes a line about one of the girls waking him up to ask if he wanted anything "but they had no apples so I said no."
** In ''Discworld/MenAtArms'' Nobby tells a dwarf watchman the rumor that dwarves are well-endowed and the dwarf says "yes, that's true. I myself have saved seventy dollars." Dwarves in general fail at understanding innuendo, metaphor and irony. (One book notes that being extremely literal is a habit you develop when the cultural occupation is as dangerous as mining.)
** Also in ''Discworld/MenAtArms'', Angua (a very attractive, intelligent [[spoiler:werewolf]] woman) is making overtures to Carrot. Since he's taking things literally, it results in gems like this:
--->'''Angua:''' The only career options for women was the Watch or a seamstress.[[note]](a.k.a. callgirl in Ankh-Morpork)[[/note]]\\

** In ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', Carrot and Angua find a stack of weapons catalogs and magazines under a suspect's bed, and Angua remarks "[[YouKnowWhatTheySayAboutX You know what they say about men who like large weapons]]". Carrot honestly ''doesn't'' know, so Angua hastily explains "They're rather... small". Carrot replies that dwarfs do tend to be fond of large axes and hammers, and the diminutive Nobby Nobbs is the fantasy equivalent of a gun-nut.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In a bank-themed episode, Mr. Cat attempts to ask Kaeloo out on a date and implies that he wants to have sex with her afterwards with an {{Unusual Euphemism|s}} about "cashing checks". [[RealityEnsues Naturally, given the fact that it's a very unusual way to say it, Kaeloo assumes that he's trying to bribe her into doing him some sort of favor.]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'' Sahira thinks [[http://www.spinnyverse.com/index.php?id=109 twice is enough:]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Peter gets hit on by a woman at a Renaissance Fair who asks if he wants to "take a gander under [her] frock". Confused, Peter gets a goose and shoves it under her skirt.

'''Bart:''' You're one of the--\\

* Some of the stuff with VisualNovel/DanganRonpa can come across like this. Usually with people not getting it or Monokuma just wanting to troll someone.

* In the idol anime ''Marginal #4'', Atom is having trouble getting into the emotion behind the lyrics of the song they're going to record (with talk of "danger" and "skin touching skin"). Rui says that maybe Atom needs... ''experience''. Atom thinks Rui means experience with poison mushrooms.

** In ''Discworld/MenAtArms'' Nobby tells a dwarf watchman the rumor that dwarves are well-endowed and the dwarf says "yes, that's true. I myself have saved seventy dollars." Dwarves in general fail at understanding innuendo, metaphor and irony.

* Some of the stuff with DanganRonpa can come across like this. Usually with people not getting it or Monokuma just wanting to troll someone.

** In ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', Carrot and Angua find a stack of weapons catalogs and magazines under a suspect's bed, and Angua remarks "[[YouKnowWhatTheySayAboutX You know what they say about men who like large weapons]]". Carrot honestly ''doesn't'' know, so Angua hastily explains "They're rather... small". Carrot replies that dwarfs do tend to be fond of large axes and hammers...

-->-- ''[[http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/005814.html Overheard Quote]]''

* [[http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/005814.html This Overheard quote]] is the current page quote.

* From {{Overheard}}: [[https://overheardeverywhere.com/archives/3300.html "Our bras are 15% off today..."]]

* From {{Overheard}}: https://overheardeverywhere.com/archives/3300.html "Our bras are 15% off today..."]]

* From {{Overheard}}: [[http://www.overheardeverywhere.com/archives/003313.html "Our bras are 15% off today..."]]