My husband was exiting his principal's office yesterday afternoon and absent-mindedly turned to go into the restroom. Both the ladies' and the men's restroom doors are side-by-side in a little squishy hallway. As he pushed upon the door, one of his male 8th grade students who is 7" taller than he and loves basketball made a loud, high-pitched scream and tackled my husband in a bear hug, pulling him away from the door. After the shock wore off, my husband realized that he had just been saved from entering the women's restroom. (That is a faux pas. Big time.) They both laughed and my hubby thanked his student profusely. The student was definitely in the right place at the right time.
faux pas |fō ˈpä, ˈfō ˌpä| noun (pl.same) an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.ORIGIN late 17th cent.: French, literally ‘false step.’