Grunt #1: So, what about the cigarette tax?
Grunt #2: I put ‘Yes.’
Grunt #1: Wait, you voted for that? Why? It’s like a 300 percent increase!
Grunt #2: Because I’m a social Darwinist! If people are gonna die, I want them to at least give money to the government first.
UC Santa Cruz
California
Overheard by: I think I’m in love
Boss: Can you program this DVD player?
Temp: Um, maybe. I don’t know.
Boss: I thought you graduated from film school. What do they teach you there?
Temp: Obviously nothing useful for a later career.
Vienna
Austria
Overheard by: cinekat
Front desk: XYZ Inn*, Avery* speaking. How may I help you?
Caller: Is this the Holiday Inn?
Front desk: No, it’s the XYZ Inn.
Caller: So you’re not the Holiday Inn anymore?
Front desk: No!
Caller: Okay.
611 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, California
Overheard by: Crystal
Cubicle chick: Are your boobs real?
2710 Marvin Road
Olympia, Washington
Male peon: Hold on, let me see if I can figure out who that person is. [Puts caller on hold.] Hey, guys, who is Erica*?
Female peon: The girl who worked here all summer.
Male peon: Oh. [Picks up phone.] She went back to school.
Providence, Rhode Island
Overheard by: We work in a very small office…
Male peon: You feeling better today, Jim*?
Jim: Yes.
Male peon: Well, you look a lot better. We were worried about you yesterday. You were turning white.
Jim: Yeah, that’s not a good sign when you’re a black man.
Newport News, Virginia
Researcher: Is this an accurate archaeological description: ‘The site now looks like a four-tier cake’?
Dublin
Ireland
Overheard by: Ragnvaeig
Manager #1, about speaking at staff meeting: Do you want to go first? Mine is pretty long.
Manager #2: Well, mine is really short, so yeah, it’ll be easier if I go first.
Route 9
Framingham, Massachusetts
Overheard by: biting my lip
Supervisor: I’ve always wondered where the 13th floor is.
Employee #1: They just call thirteen ‘fourteen.’
Supervisor: I know that. But where is it? Is it just an empty space that the elevator skips?
Employee #2: Yeah, like, is it just completely unfinished and empty on that floor?
Employee #1: No, the 14th floor is actually the 13th floor, they just skip the number 13 because people are afraid of it.
Supervisor, skeptically: Mmmm.
Atlanta, Georgia
Overheard by: Aaargh
Caller: I need to know about courses on Saturday.
Bored operator: Which center would you like to go through to?
Caller: Yes, uh, Saturday courses. Nine o’clock ’til five o’clock.
Bored operator: Okay, which department?
Caller: Saturday — S-A-T–
Bored operator: —Which center? Clapham, Vauxhall, Brixton?
Caller: Uh, no, I want to know about Saturday courses. Saturday courses!
Bored operator: Do you have a contact name? … I’ll just put you through to someone, then. Bye!
College
London
England
