Misjudging the mood.
I'm guessing most people here have been in one of those situations where you've been getting on great with someone who you know, but not that well. In the pub say, quite relaxed atmosphere, bit of banter joking back and forth, some a bit risque/close to the bone etc.
And then you make that joke which is just a step too far, and suddenly the mood changes, the genial atmosphere comes crashing down, and everyone looks at you like you've just confessed to a predilection for getting done up the arse by strapon wielding one-legged prostitutes while you're wearing your mum's underwear.

I was at an end-of-campaign clients' do last night and was getting on very well with some of their senior management. They were laughing at my jokes (score!), interested in my opinions (a first) and naturally the talk soon turned to football and the general shiteness of England.

By this stage I was on a roll, a bottle of wine to the good, and so after listening to their Marketing Director give his opinion on the post-Croatia state of the sport the timing was naturally right for me to unleash the following masterpiece (shamelessly swiped from sickipedia).



"Of course Umbro have announced that the England football team will replace the 3 lions from their shirts with three tampons.

This is to represent the worst period they ever had!"



There was a horrified pause followed by my director doing the whole changing the subject quickly thing so as to pretend it never happened.

I was treated with a mixture of contempt and embarrassment for the rest of the night. Not my finest moment.



EDIT: this morning I've been gently informed that it'd be a good idea if I was 'unavailable' for said client's Christmas party.
(Milo Minderbinder, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 10:26, Reply)