Have you ever said something that came out completely different than what you intended? We would guess that most of us have. What got us thinking about this was an experience we had this past week. Here’s a little background leading up to what was said.

A friend of ours was looking at some homes to possibly purchase. He asked us to ride along so he could also get our opinion. A Realtor, who was a stranger to all of us, was showing him the different properties. We learned more about the Realtor as we looked at the various homes. Somehow, we got on the topic of marriage. She said she and her husband had been married a long time. She then added, “In fact, my husband and I are going to have our vows removed.” Wait! What? Did she just say what we thought she said? We all quickly realized what she really meant, which was, they were going to have their vows renewed. She, then all of us, burst into laughter on her slip of the tongue. We wondered out loud if that was possibly a “Freudian slip”. She assured us that she and her husband had a happy marriage. The rest of our time with her was quite fun, filled with witty comments about what had been said. We even wondered if a tag line for divorce attorneys could be, “See us to get your vows removed.”

We still laugh when we think back on what she said and how it seemed to strengthen our relationship. We were all laughing with her, not at her. As we further reflected on that humorous incident, we did some research to see if her comment qualified as a true “Freudian slip” or was it a “malapropism”.

Here is where a definition of each term would be helpful. First, a Freudian slip is basically an utterance possibly revealing a subconscious feeling or repressed desire, often with embarrassing results. Freudian is, of course, named after Sigmund Freud, who is considered the father of psychoanalysis. Whereas a malapropism is the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar sounding one, often with unintentional, amusing effect. Taking the Realtor at her word, that she had a happy marriage, what she said would be a classic case of a malapropism.

We thought it might be fun to look up what are considered Freudian slips and malapropisms by some famous people. Here are the Freudian slips. Condoleezza Rice, the then National Security Advisor to President Bush, said during a dinner party, “As I was telling my husb—as I was telling President Bush.” Al Gore, during a 1992 campaign, told voters, who were skeptical of change, to remember that every communist government in Eastern Europe had fallen within 100 days. Then he added, “Now it’s our turn here in the United States of America.”

Here are the malapropisms. Yogi Berra, a baseball legend who played for the New York Yankees, was well-known for his misuse of words. For example, when he was talking about a hitter who could bat both left-handed and right-handed, he referred to him as being “amphibious” instead of “ambidextrous”. Also, when discussing elections, Yogi said that Texas had a lot of “electrical” votes, instead of “electoral” votes.

In a television comedy show from the past, a character called Archie Bunker, from the show, All in the Family was notorious for his malapropisms. For example, he referred to the Pope as inflammable, instead of infallible. Another response by him, “What do I look like, and inferior decorator?”

So, what about you? What can you do if you realize you’ve made a Freudian slip or a malapropism? First, know that you’re not alone. We’ve given examples of several intelligent, influential people who have made these mistakes. Don’t put yourself down.

Instead, take a second to slow down and breathe. Often these word mistakes come when people are rushed or stressed. Giving a speech to a group or being in a new situation can raise anxious feelings. Instead of worrying about what people will think of you, focus on them. Realize that you talk to people all the time and you rarely misspeak.

If misspeaking does happen, you can correct it. Remember the woman we mentioned who certainly didn’t plan on her answer coming out that way? We laughed with her, not at her.

It’s easy to misspeak. In the English language, one word can have many different meanings. For example, the word slip can be – Freudian slip, slip on ice, boat slip, slip of the tongue or slip, an undergarment. So, don’t worry about misspeaking. Enjoy conversation, even if occasionally your Freudian slip is showing!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2023 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.