People Who Obviously Didn’t Realize They Were Talking To An Expert

It's a dangerous game to assume the person you're talking to understands what you're talking about. This chaotic universe is always trying to make us have oh-so-awkward social interactions—so just make sure you don't say anything bad.

Here are the times that people found themselves talking down to the literal expert in the subject they thought they knew so much about. Is it painful to witness? Yes. But is it also hilarious to watch someone squirm? Absolutely.

Highlights From The Tool Concert, Not Meeting Eddie Van Halen Apparently

van halen photo
Photo Credit: @WolfVanHalen / Twitter
Photo Credit: @WolfVanHalen / Twitter

Gotta love how this fan had no idea that the very guy taking his photo was none other than Van Halen's own, Eddie Van Halen. I bet this was the first time he took a photo of a fan and didn't take one with them.

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Poor Tony Hawk Getting Reminded Of The Passing Of Time

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skatepark interaction
Photo Credit: @tonyhawk / Twitter
Photo Credit: @tonyhawk / Twitter
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Thanks, kid. You just successfully dug into an insecurity poor Tony's been carrying around. We'd all like to look younger, but I would also like to be a professional skateboarder, so at least he's got that going for him.

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Even Famous British Writers Need Tickets?

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ticket to an event author
Photo Credit: @malorieblackman / Twitter
Photo Credit: @malorieblackman / Twitter
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A good thing to do if you're running the door to the event is maybe just check to make sure you know who the guest of honor is. Just food for thought.

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You Should Report Me To My Boss, Myself

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subreddit creator moderator
Photo Credit: @42_words / Twitter
Photo Credit: @42_words / Twitter
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There's telling on someone and then there's telling on someone to themselves. I'm sure this moderator had a lot of fun reviewing his own comments and giving himself a pass.

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This Backfired Excellently

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paper as evidence
Photo Credit: @EmmaRitch / Twitter
Photo Credit: @EmmaRitch / Twitter
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This is a dream come true if you're working in an academic field. It's a better gift than the ones you get on Christmas morning since you can rub it in your peer's face all year round.

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Even If You're A Grammy Winner...At The Grammy's

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lady grammys famous person
Photo Credit: @LewisCapaldi / Twitter
Photo Credit: @LewisCapaldi / Twitter
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I love Lewis Capaldi with all my heart so this is just funny and oh so sad. This lady was playing a dangerous game walking around in an event filled with literal celebrities and assuming people weren't famous. I say we reinstate those "Hello, my name is" stickers and have celebs wear them—it might make red carpet fashion interesting for once.

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Is It "Mansplaining" If You Wrote The Movie?

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writing the people men in black
Photo Credit: @ed_solomon / Twitter
Photo Credit: @ed_solomon / Twitter
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You could write the screenplay, work personally with the actors, and be a well-known writer in Hollywood, but that doesn't give you the right to explain the origins of your own characters. Oh wait...

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You Know...A Famous Guy Lives In Your House

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uber driver famous
Photo Credit: @paulsinha / Twitter
Photo Credit: @paulsinha / Twitter
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I hope this driver clued in when he dropped this passenger off at a literal famous person's home. But probably not. He definitely just assumed this guy was renting a room from the famous comedian.

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CEOs Usually Know How The Company Name Is Spelled

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softspace ceo
Photo Credit: Froltk / Reddit
Photo Credit: Froltk / Reddit
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I'm no expert in CEOs, but generally, they tend to know how their company's name is spelled because they stare at it for probably hours on end every single day. If you're an expert in CEOs I'm expecting you to prove me wrong, please.

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Sometimes It's Better They Don't Know Who You Are...

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customer was an instagram girl
Photo Credit: chruschew / Reddit
Photo Credit: chruschew / Reddit
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Sure, this cashier didn't recognize her, but why would you want anybody to if you can't afford a $1.35 purchase? I'm hoping it was a credit card decline because a debit card is just way too sad.

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Probably The Last Time This Hipster Poli-Sci Major Bragged About Being Niche

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author of the paper
Photo Credit: Twitter
Photo Credit: Twitter
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I would've loved to be there for this incredible reveal. There's nothing better than watching the color drain from someone's face as they realize they aren't, in fact, as super cool as they thought they were.

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Not Like He's The Band's Bassist Or Anything

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cool shirt blink 182
Photo Credit: @markhoppus / Twitter
Photo Credit: @markhoppus / Twitter
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The funniest follow-up to this interaction is that apparently these people had gone to see the blink-182 concert the night before. So they had literally seen this man onstage and it just never crossed their minds the next day.

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Jesse Tyler, Star Of American Family Or Dutch Impressionist Painter?

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actor in front of an impressionist painter
Photo Credit: @jessetyler / Instagram
Photo Credit: @jessetyler / Instagram
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He could very well be Van Gogh since those headphones are covering up whether he has that distinctive ear or not. If Jesse Tyler really is a time-travelling Dutch Impressionist painter than they need to work this into the show already.

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Radio Hosts Really Do Have The Roughest Uber Rides

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new lady on the radio
Photo Credit: @piya / Twitter
Photo Credit: @piya / Twitter
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If I was a radio host I would insist that we never listen to the station in every single Uber I'd get into. I'd much rather listen to their weird pop music than hear my own voice...and a stranger's comments about it.

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Someone's Always Starting Fights On The Subway

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stranger on the subway
Photo Credit: @knguyen / Twitter
Photo Credit: @knguyen / Twitter
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I'd love to see the look on Kevin's face when he heard this scathing insult since it's pretty much the perfect one a book reviewer can ever hope to hear. I'm betting the mother of all comebacks quickly followed.

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Hopefully, The Flight Attendant Realized And Gave Her Extra Cookies

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flight attendant famous author
Photo Credit: @rgay / Twitter
Photo Credit: @rgay / Twitter
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I'm genuinely concerned why this flight attendant didn't ask the obvious follow-up question. Actually, maybe he didn't want to hear the answer in case the writer would expect free extra mini cans of soda. Those can start wars, you know.

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I'm Seriously Waiting For This Barista To Put Two And Two Together

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cappucino barista
Photo Credit: @tmorello / Twitter
Photo Credit: @tmorello / Twitter
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Life is crazy because there are two guys walking around in the same city who look identical and are both named Tom Morello. What are the chances? This barista should buy a lottery ticket.

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Not Approved By Triathlon Man

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man in the water
Photo Credit: @ItalianGreyhounds / Reddit
Photo Credit: @ItalianGreyhounds / Reddit
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Don't take advice from a triathlon tweet because they straight up lie apparently. Luckily, this shirtless man was here to revoke his seal of approval. This just inspires me not to do a triathlon even more—and that's very welcomed inspiration.

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Dwight Serving Up Some Hard Truths

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biggest office fan
Photo Credit: @rainnwilson / Twitter
Photo Credit: @rainnwilson / Twitter
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It's definitely fair to say that someone's not a big fan if they don't know the actor's names. Especially The Office. Come on, everyone knows that show so well that they quote it before bed like a mantra.

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My Heart Goes Out To Tony Who's Always Almost Recognized In Public

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skateboarder tony hawk
Photo Credit: @tonyhawk / Twitter
Photo Credit: @tonyhawk / Twitter
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Tony Hawk needs to write a book about all the times' people have commented saying he looks and acts like Tony Hawk. I genuinely feel bad for the guy, don't get me wrong, but that's the kind of funny content that'll lift my spirits since I was never able to beat his video game.

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I'm A Doctor, Doctor

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physics doctor
Photo Credit: soppybread / Reddit
Photo Credit: soppybread / Reddit
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Just imagine your bartender is a theoretical physics doctor. Saddling up to the bar and getting a drink wouldn't result in that casual "where you from?" small talk. No, this man would give you a free lesson and God knows I need it.

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This Is Going To Be Awkward At Work On Monday

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social media intern
Photo Credit: @ReneeShumay / Twitter
Photo Credit: @ReneeShumay / Twitter
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RIP to this social media intern running the Twitter page for the company because come Monday I think they're getting summoned into their boss Renée's office to reeducate them about who's on their team.

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How Does She Not Recognize The Literal Actress In Her Favorite Movie??

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nametag matilda
Photo Credit: @MaraWilson / Twitter
Photo Credit: @MaraWilson / Twitter
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My heart breaks for this poor stressed-out cinema worker who's probably in high school and hating her part-time job with a passion. Because her soul's been sucked out by her job she didn't get to meet her favorite actress.

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Adding A (; Doesn't Make You Any Less Patronizing

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punch java in the face
Photo Credit: @jengoldbeck / Twitter
Photo Credit: @jengoldbeck / Twitter
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I would love for this man to take a good long look in the mirror and ask himself why he's the self-appointed mansplaining prince of Java programming on Twitter. It just sounds like he's asking to be called out.

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I'm That Stanton—The One Who Knows About Pain

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friends at conferences assume
Photo Credit: @Tash_Stanton / Twitter
Photo Credit: @Tash_Stanton / Twitter
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Who would walk into a room where it's a known fact that everyone there was invited to be there because they're literally experts in their field? Telling people to read their own papers is just walking into such an obvious trap.

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"The Friend's Wife" Who Was Closer Than He Thought

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friends wife covered proscutors
Photo Credit: @jduffyrice / Twitter
Photo Credit: @jduffyrice / Twitter
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Of course she was "the friend's wife" because that's just how the universe works. It sees someone being a condescending jerk and decides to reward the person putting up with their BS. Thank you, universe.

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Columbus Sailed The Atlantic And This Columbus Sailed Through This Awkward Elevator Ride

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in the elevator professor
Photo Credit: @LindaColumbus / Twitter
Photo Credit: @LindaColumbus / Twitter
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To be fair, this is an awkward way to answer "who's lab are you in?" If you've ever been to university you've met quite a few spaced-out students struggling on three hours of sleep. So you're obviously going to ask for clarification.

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You Don't Know Yourself

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rejected once because she didn't know work of jo sharp
Photo Credit: @ProfJoSharp / Twitter
Photo Credit: @ProfJoSharp / Twitter
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But do you know yourself? Have you looked at your astrological chart and taken at least a hundred personality tests and moral alignment tests? Spent long hours staring in the mirror? If not, then you can never really know yourself, Jo Sharp.

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There's A Lesson Here...In Welsh

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we're in wales
Photo Credit: IJusHerSoIDntGetFind / Reddit
Photo Credit: IJusHerSoIDntGetFind / Reddit
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This is hilarious not only because this person got exactly what they had coming, but also because it highlights how absolutely different Welsh sounds compared to English even though Wales a part of Britain. They have a town named Llanfairpwllgwyngyll for God's sake (and that's the short form).

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Even Link Goes Through It

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link and kid in the grass
Photo Credit: AlexMiDerGrosse / Reddit
Photo Credit: AlexMiDerGrosse / Reddit
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Even though I'll never be the hero of Hyrule, I can finally relate to Link in this moment. He's just like the rest of us, struggling against the feeling of shaking someone in rage when they don't recognize him.

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There Are People Who Love Checking The Weather

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someone telling a person not to post so much about the weather but she is a meteorologist
Photo Credit: Twitter / @AllysonRaeWx
Photo Credit: Twitter / @AllysonRaeWx
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Do people really read or think before they go and post things? Especially things that would call someone out like that? If you have seen someone only posting about the weather, think logically, why would that be?

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Did He Ever Bring This Up To Them?

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guy got rejected for job because he didn't understand iOS but he wrote the thing
Photo Credit: Twitter / @JensRaven
Photo Credit: Twitter / @JensRaven
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How can someone even begin to tell a person they don't understand an iOS library without knowing that the man in front of them wrote that specific library? The joke is on them, really.

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That's One Way To Meet A Coworker

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guy asks to use a video for The Guardian not realizing that the person he was asking also worked for The Guardian
Photo Credit: Twitter / @damiengayle
Photo Credit: Twitter / @damiengayle
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The Guardian is a big publication, so it is possible that maybe two people who work there never met before, but don't either of them have that information in their bios?

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Funny Is Funny, Right?

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someone told a comedian he was stealing his work from a funny person on Twitter when the tweets were by him
Photo Credit: Reddit / ItalianGreyhounds
Photo Credit: Reddit / ItalianGreyhounds
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Are you really a fan if you don't know that a comedian writes their best work on Twitter? That's what Twitter is for, to test out what is funny before bringing it to the people.

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Talk About Being A Little Self-Involved

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someone told a person they should clap for front line workers not realizing they were a nurse
Photo Credit: Reddit / NannyOggSquad
Photo Credit: Reddit / NannyOggSquad
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Everyone wants to think that they're doing the absolute most to be socially responsible and morally above board, even if it means embarrassing yourself in a real and tangible way.

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Well, She Didn't Know!

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woman told man in the mall to pull up his pants not realizing it was Young Thug
Photo Credit: Reddit / ItalianGreyhounds
Photo Credit: Reddit / ItalianGreyhounds
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She was just trying to look out for him and his pants! It's nice that he took a picture with her even though she had no idea who he was. He mostly did it so her grandkids could rip on her.

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Everyone Has An Agenda

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someone told a person to credit the artist when they post videos even though they were the artist
Photo Credit: Twitter / @CircleToonsHD
Photo Credit: Twitter / @CircleToonsHD
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I totally support making sure that we credit artists for their work, but also maybe people should check and make sure they aren't on multiple social media platforms...which most people are.

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How Do You Not Know?

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someone trying to lecture JK Rowling on her character of Snape
Photo Credit: Twitter / @jk_rowling
Photo Credit: Twitter / @jk_rowling
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Imagine thinking that you know better about something like Harry Potter than the woman who wrote the books? I'm not an expert, but that seems outrageous to me. You either haven't read them enough to have an opinion or you're being dumb.

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A Real Fan Indeed

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someone called a football player a band wagon person
Photo Credit: Twitter / @Benny_b0y10
Photo Credit: Twitter / @Benny_b0y10
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Let's just hope that this is the start of a lifelong friendship, or at least the start of the story that that person is going to tell at every party for the rest of his life.

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It's Still A Compliment Somehow?

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someone didn't know they were talking to a person who swims for the Olympics
Photo Credit: Twitter / @LizzieSimmonds1
Photo Credit: Twitter / @LizzieSimmonds1
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To be fair, I'm not sure if I would recognize an Olympic athlete if I saw one, but I would like to think that I would catch on to what she was saying more than this lady did.