Overconfidence

They got me. My roommates got me.

For weeks Oli and Matt have had me fooled and have laughed uproariously as I declared time and time again to the world that I could not be fooled by them. Que mala leche.

Background info: Oli is the biggest practical joker ever. He's so clever and really listens to what people say. In the moment it takes for someone to make a statement and then inhale, he will have thought of a joke that could be played on that person based on what they have just said. It's a little psychotic.

He's tried several times to get me, but I always called him out. He got close once. I had asked him if the British pronuounced "item" as "eetem" because one of my students had said he thought that was true. I didn't believe it could be possible and Oli said it wasn't but that maybe in some regions of England they might use that pronunciation. I left it at that. Later, when we were all together I asked Timo if he said "eetem," and he said, "What? Do you mean like an eetem on a list?" I almost died. "Oh my God! ," "I can't believe this! You say 'eetem?! I was just talking to Oli about this and....." And then I realized who had set it up.....so he almost got me, but not quite.

So I got all overconfident and Oli realized this, and he then had the key to my downfall.

It started small. One day he said, "Hey, I have to wash my duvet (doovEt). Can I use the machine?"

I said, "Duvet (doovEt)? You mean duvet (doovAy)."

"No I don't."

"Yeah Angie, doovEt." Timo added. Matt nodded.

"Well, we say doovAy in the States." Todd said.

We agreed that it was one of those British-American pronunciation differences.

So for months (Nov-Feb), I brought up doovEt as a funny difference and sometimes said it when wanting to razz the Brits.

Then one night, running home, we saw an old lady with a walker. Matt turned to me and said, "Poor old dear with a Zimmer frame."

"You mean 'walker,'" I responded as we ran.

"Zimmer frame, chica," Matt returned.

"That's ridiculous" I said, "stop trying to fool me."

In the elevator, we ran into Oli.

"Ols, what do you call the metal things old ladies use to walk?" Matt asked.

I turned my upward glance from Matt to Oli waiting for his response. I caught a suggestive glance from the two of them. I could have sworn Matt had mouthed "ZImmer frame" to Oli.

"Zimmer fram!" Oli yelled, laughing.

"I caught you! See, you just can't get me, losers! Zimmer frame is sooo fake," I shouted, busting out of the elevator.

Then Oli's dad came out and I spent three days touring the city and reading books in the family room with him, since Oli had to work a lot. We were buddies; he asked me to go skiing with the fam over Easter in Andorra. After all this, Matt and Oli unveiled their deception and my gullibilty in front of my new pal.

Doing the dishes together one evening, we got onto the subject of Oli's practical jokes. I, being an overconfident braggart, call out, "Oh, but he's never gotten me. That son of yours is just no match for me!"

"She's right, Dad. I just can't get her." Then he and Matt turned to each other and melted into giggles.

"Ha! I said, you think it's funny that you suck so much?!"

"Yeah!" they said, dying of more laughter. "Tell him about doovEt."

"What? DuvEt wasn't ever a joke. You say duvEt and we say duvAy." I responded.

"You mean a duvAy, dear?" Ray (Oli's dad) asked.

"WHAT?!" I screamed. "You DID get me? AHHH!!!"

"And hey, Dad," Oli sad through victory laughter,"What are those metal things old ladies use to walk around?"

"Zimmer frames?"

"AHHHHHHH. You reverse got me! You didn't only get me to believe something false, you got me to disbelieve in something real!!!!"

I was crying from laughing and gagging so hard.

It was definitely the best fun I've ever had being wrong.

~