10 Painfully Awkward Moments We've All Been Through

By Nina Cresswell /

People use the term 'awkward' too habitually now. "That awkward moment when..." has become a phrase thrown around the Internet so leniently that no one really knows the true meaning of the word anymore, much like FML, and LMAO, when nobody's life is really THAT bad, and no posteriors were harmed at all. Asking for the bill in a restaurant can be awkward; sitting next to someone on the Tube can be awkward, looking at dogs can be awkward - it's all so very arbitraty. Just speaking to people can be so damn #awkward for this generation. You haven't experienced true awkwardness until you've physically cringed so hard that you've popped a vital organ, so some reclamation of the term needs to be done in the name of everyone's sanity. With that in mind, we've put together a list of everyday embarrassments that, at some time in your life, will have given you cheeks hotter than the fiery core of Mordor.

10. Someone Waving At Their Friend, And You Wave Back

No, not you. They weren't waving at you, and they definitely just saw you wave back. So, how do we deal with this; how are you supposed to react? You could create an imaginary friend that's standing directly behind them, perhaps even shout "Hey, how's it going, man!" to the empty space behind them. Most people just pretend this never happened and swallow the pain within, but we've devised the perfect solution to this problem... Just keep waving. Wave at buses; wave at children; wave at dogs. Turn that embarrassing turn of events into a waving frenzy, now who looks silly?

9. Sending A Text To The Wrong Person

That mini heart attack, as you realise that dirty text you've just sent hasn't gone to your girlfriend, has, yes indeed, landed in your Gran's inbox. You hit the cancel button 24635928456 times, and receive that fateful 'Message Sent' confirmation to send you spiralling even further down the shame track. The end is nigh. All you can do now is throw your phone on the bed like it's suddenly covered in skin-melting parasites, and never look at it again. Rude texts aren't the only problem here: when you're talking about someone, their name is already swimming around your unconscious thoughts as you choose the recipient to send that text to. Bam! That text you sent to a co-worker about Sally in accounts doing absolutely nothing in the office - it's now been sent to Sally. Next time you see her she'll no doubt mistake your facial glow for the bum of a spanked baboon.