History Main / MistakenForIndex

* MistakenForGods

* One of the page quotes alludes to the brief, one-sided relationship that tried to take root while Elan was separated from Haley in ''{{The Order of the Stick}}''. Although he's aware of the trope (Vaarsuvius notes early on that Elan's training as a bard makes him very GenreSavvy), he's generally compelled to let tropes rule in the name of narrative even if acting on his insight would save a lot of headaches later (he once delayed Roy during an escape from a self-destructing dungeon because they escaped with several seconds to spare, and had to [[OutrunTheFireball wait for the dramatic fireball to catch up)]].

* Just one of many from ''[=~Three's Company~=]'' (which made so much use of this that it was the TropeNamer): Mr. Furley, the landlord, overhears Jack and Chrissy trying to hang a shower curtain in the bathroom, which begins with Chrissy saying something like "You'd better get into the tub with me so we can get it on" and "come on, I'll show you what to do". As Jack is permitted by the landlord to live with two women only because he is supposedly gay, HilarityEnsues. Chrissy then falls, hits her head and is rushed to the hospital, and her roommates misunderstand the doctor and she is MistakenForDying.

* Averted in ''{{Little Mosque on the Prairie}}'': Fatima overhears a conversation between Rayyan and JJ -- "why not do it now, we're gonna do it after the wedding anyway..." "after the wedding, I want to do it right in front of my parents!" -- and correctly guesses that they're talking about when they should open their wedding presents.

* Literary example where a mis-heard conversation made a major difference in the story: in David Weber's short story "Nightfall" in ''[[HonorHarrington Changer of Worlds]]'', two characters are preparing evidence so that, if it becomes necessary to remove another character (Esther [=McQueen=]), they'll have backup. They spend some considerable time talking about the necessity of hiding this action, since they need [=McQueen=] and will for some time yet. The final comment of the conversation (approximately, "We'll need this when we pull the trigger on [=McQueen=]") is overheard and passed to [=McQueen=] -- where it triggers a full revolt. [=McQueen=] repeatedly complains that if she'd been given even six more weeks she would really have been ready. The revolt fails, [=McQueen=] dies, in the aftermath the government falls -- and the entire premise of the first 8-9 books in the series (good monarchy against evil socialist republic) is fundamentally altered. The series is up to 12 books now.

** ChanceTheGardener

* There is a persistent rumour of an unaired ''{{Frasier}}'' episode that's ''not'' based on this plot (or the "ASimplePlan" plot).
** After some research, it has finally been found. It was "War of the Word" from the show's 9th season.

This trope is one of the basic elements of {{Farce}}.

* One episode of ''FamilyMatters'' had Harriette complaining about her husband Carl's bland barbecue technique, so she left him a magazine article on barbecue recipes. Carl thought she wanted him to read the "Rate Your Mate" article a few pages over. The scenario [[DoubleEntendre climaxed]] in a hilarious [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCPx01lIFxI conversation]] packed to the brim with double entendres where Harriette was talking about barbecue but Carl thought she was talking about their sex life:
-->'''Carl:''' I read your magazine article. And if you had a problem, why didn't you just come to me?\\
'''Harriette:''' Oh, Carl. I'm sorry. I was just trying to be helpful. I thought it might be fun to try something different.\\
'''Carl:''' Oh, so you're saying that I'm boring.\\
'''Harriette:''' Not you, just your technique.\\
'''Carl:''' Harriette!\\
'''Harriette:''' Well, what's the big deal? I talked it over with Laura, and she agrees!\\
'''Carl:''' You talked it over with Laura?!\\
'''Harriette:''' Sure, she's part of the family! Carl, it's just that you do the same thing over and over, all summer long, every single Saturday.\\
'''Carl:''' Well, excuse me, but I think once a week is pretty darn good considering my back problem! And besides, you can help, you know.\\
'''Harriette:''' Well, I would, but you always want to be in control! I thought if you got your act together, we could invite the neighbors over!\\
'''Carl:''' ''Invite the neighbors over?!''\\
'''Harriette:''' Well, why not? It's not like it's a big secret! They know what we're doing! They're doing the same thing, only better!\\
'''Carl:''' Just ''how'' do you know that?\\
'''Harriette:''' Because Marge gave Ted the article and he's cooking up a storm. You should taste his burgers!\\
'''Carl:''' What's that supposed to mean?\\
'''Harriette:''' What I said. You should taste his burgers when he barbecues.\\
'''Carl:''' ''(pause)'' Barbecue? We're talking about barbecue here?\\
'''Harriette:''' Yeah. What did you think we were talking about?

** In another episode, Steve and Susan are watching a TV show which mentions the number of men who continue to masturbate when in a committed relationship. In the awkward silence that follows, Steve starts [[NotSoInnocentWhistle whistling]], in an attempt to seem relaxed. He justifies it by saying that he felt like some music but wasn't in the mood for a whole CD. "Sometimes you want a full orchestra, and sometimes you just want a... quick whistle?" Susan tells him that she doesn't mind his whistling, as long as he doesn't get "whistled out." Later in the episode, Susan's parents come round for a visit, and Susan tells them about how Steve has started whistling to himself. Her father brings it up with Steve, referring to it as "going solo," and Steve interprets it how you'd imagine. This leads to the classic line, "If music be the food of love, then masturbation is just a quick snack between meals." who suddenly start talking about whistling. Steve eventually throws them out after her dad said that he shouldn't whistle to much or else he'll be too tired to ''pucker''. Which he misheard for... well, [[YouKnowWhatIMean you know]]. In fairness to Steve, it's hard to believe Susan didn't set that one up by telling her father to talk about "going solo".

* One of the page quotes alludes to the brief, one-sided relationship that tried to take root while Elan was separated from Haley in ''{{The Order of the Stick}}''. Although he's aware of the trope (Vaarsuvius notes early on that Elan's training as a bard makes him very GenreSavvy), he's generally compelled to let tropes rule in the name of narrative even if acting on his insight would save a lot of headaches later (he once delayed Roy during an escape from a self-destructing dungeon because they escaped with several seconds to spare, and had to wait for the dramatic fireball to catch up).

** In another episode, Steve and Susan are watching a TV show which mentions the number of men who continue to masturbate when in a committed relationship. In the awkward silence that follows, Steve starts [[NotSoInnocentWhistle whistling]], in an attempt to seem relaxed. He justifies it by saying that he felt like some music but wasn't in the mood for a whole CD. "Sometimes you want a full orchestra, and sometimes you just want a... quick whistle?" Susan tells him that she doesn't mind his whistling, as long as he doesn't get "whistled out." Later in the episode, Susan's parents come round for a visit, and Susan tells them about how Steve has started whistling to himself. Her father brings it up with Steve, referring to it as "going solo," and Steve interprets it how you'd imagine. This leads to the classic line, "If music be the food of love, then masturbation is just a quick snack between meals." who suddenly start talking about whistling. Steve eventually throws them out after her dad said that he shouldn't whistle to much or else he'll be to tired to ''pucker''. Which he misheard for... well, [[YouKnowWhatIMean you know]]. In fairness to Steve, it's hard to believe Susan didn't set that one up by telling her father to talk about "going solo".

->"Bardic tradition demands that I withhold it all so that at some later point, you can accidentally learn an incomplete version and jump to all the wrong conclusions -- thus leading to entertaining dramatic conflict later in our relationship."
-->-- '''Elan''', ''{{The Order of the Stick}}''[[hottip:*:He actually decides to avert this trope, in a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming]]

* CoincidentalDodge

-->-- '''Elan''', ''{{The Order of the Stick}}''

* MistakenForGay

** In another episode, Susan finds out that Steve secretly masturbates. She doesn't mind that he sometimes "whistles" instead of "listening to a full orchestra", but that he shouldn't "whistle" too much because he'll get "whistled out". Later in the episode, Susan's parents come round for a visit, who suddenly start talking about whistling. Steve eventually throws them out after her dad said that he shouldn't whistle to much or else he'll be to tired to ''pucker''. Which he misheard for... well, [[YouKnowWhatIMean you know]].
*** Susan doesn't want Steve masturbating too much. Right. This is the woman who, in the first episode, [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean used up batteries at an alarming rate]]. That's like the opposite of CharacterizationMarchesOn.
*** Or she wanted him to save his energy for her use, which would fit right into the characterization.

* Every episode of the german series ''Hausmeister Krause''. Yes, all of them.