I am as tactful as an autistic brick.
There are so many to choose from but one that sticks in my mind is from very nearly 20 years ago. My mate Scott's girlfriend had a horse. I quite like horses (no, there's not going to be any tempting disguised link), and at the time I was doing a bit of part time work at a trekking centre, so we got talking about horses quite a bit.

One day I asked Scott how she was doing. "Oh not so good, her horse got colic and died."

"Aw bugger, I bet she was gutted about that..."
(gordonjcp, Sat 5 Nov 2011, 8:55, 7 replies)

I'll be honest
I don't get this
(Captain Skippy pooed in a bag and left it on your doorstep, Sat 5 Nov 2011, 15:17, closed)

It's funny because
no, actually I don't get it either.
( Ghoti Fingers, Sat 5 Nov 2011, 15:36, closed)

Oh come on, what he means is, you, know, colic, right?

( BrokenCoccyx doesn't mind if you grope on, Sat 5 Nov 2011, 16:25, closed)

If you know that "colic" is a relatively meaningless term that encompasses many gastric disorders, it's sort of tactless of him to describe the lad's girlfriends as "gutted" at the death of her horse.
Sort of.
Would be a better story had someone snuck into the stables and eviscerated the horse, rather than it dying of a stomach upset.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Sat 5 Nov 2011, 17:39, closed)

Ahh, it's about a horse! Now I get it.

( BrokenCoccyx doesn't mind if you grope on, Mon 7 Nov 2011, 19:39, closed)

My favourite euphemism for this situation is
"The horse found gainful employment in the adhesives industry."

Not one to bring out in front of horse lovers/owners though.
(Mr T, Sun 6 Nov 2011, 0:11, closed)

they are exactly
the people to bring it out in front of.
(Gritty, yet fluffy. kipperpillock is obsessed with me =), Sun 6 Nov 2011, 9:46, closed)