Oh, Halloween. There's so much to love! Candy, spookiness, fun costumes. There's also so very much to despise. (Things like candy, spookiness, and fun costumes.) The worst part of Halloween by far is dealing with the costume question. You know, that moment when a well-intentioned person asks, "...and what are you?" You have to either tell the person what your costume is, or you have to let them guess. Whichever your route, awkwardness typically ensues.
For instance, I once dressed at the cat's pajamas for Halloween and I spent the night saying, "No, I'm not a cat nap!"
One of our favorite Reddit threads of all time is a compiled list of said awkward Halloween moments. Initiated five years ago, the thread begins: "What is most awkward Halloween costume guess you've ever gotten wrong?"
There are grim reapers mistaken for hobbits, people not dressed up mistaken for Harry Potter, and an avocado mistaken for, erm, an intimate part of the Hulk's anatomy.
We've collected our favorites, below.
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Here's the lesson: Costumes are like pregnancy. DO. NOT. ASSUME. ANYTHING. Always ask politely, "Are you wearing a costume at all?"
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