NEWS COPY
A list of the top 30 most common mistakes we Brits make has been compiled after a study revealed people in the UK make an average of 1,820 blunders per year.
The average Brit makes 35 mistakes every week, according to a new study, with everything from calling someone by the wrong name to sending an email to the wrong person among the five daily blunders made by UK adults.
But while most are minor slip-ups such as forgetting someone’s birthday or typing in the wrong PIN number, others admitted to more serious blunders like having an affair and doing something illegal. Some even considered getting married to be a mistake they have made.
It also emerged more than one in three have faced drastic consequences after a gaffe cost them their relationship, job or even their home.
Top 30 most common mistakes Brits make:
1. Called someone the wrong name
2. Bought the wrong thing
3. Bought the wrong size of clothing
4. Forgot someone’s birthday
5. Typed in your credit card pin incorrectly
6. Put an item of clothing on inside out
7. Not followed instructions/recipes
8. Sent a text message to the wrong person
9. Not set your alarm
10. Missed a train
11. Forgot to lock your house
12. Written an e-mail and deleting it by accident before sending
13. Lied to a partner
14. Forgot to lock your car
15. Not put money aside/into savings
16. Measuring something wrong when doing DIY/Buying new furniture
17. Sent an email to the wrong person
18. Missed a deadline
19. Hit the alarm off button instead of the snooze button
20. Sent the wrong attachment
21. Bet too much money and lost it
22. Drove down a one way street
23. Did something illegal
24. Got on the wrong train
25. Got married
26. Not gambled money on something, which then went on to come in
27. Messaged your ex
28. Had an affair
29. Lied on my CV
30. Lied in a job interview
The study, of 2,000 adults, found almost half feel like they make a lot of mistakes in everyday life with calling someone by the wrong name the most common slip-up.
Buying the wrong things, or getting something in the wrong size, forgetting someone’s birthday and typing in your credit card PIN number incorrectly feature in the top five.
Wearing an item of clothing inside out came sixth followed by not sticking to instructions or recipes properly, sending a text message to the wrong person and not setting an alarm.
Missing a train completed the top ten.
Other common gaffes include forgetting to lock your car or front door when you go out, driving the wrong way down a one-way street, getting on the wrong train and messaging or phoning an ex.
Getting measurements wrong, not sending an email when you thought you had and sending the wrong attachment are also on the list.
A spokesman for ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’, a film in which cop turned private detective Liam Neeson accidentally kills an innocent person, said: ”It’s only human to make a few mistakes every now and then, but when you add up the different blunders, it can be amazing to see how many you make over a period of time.
‘’And while most mistakes are probably fairly minor, occasionally, you can slip-up on something a little more important, which may have a much more serious outcome.
”No-one likes making mistakes, especially those which can end up with you feeling stressed or worried for days or even weeks afterwards.
‘’To make things even worse, sometimes a mistake can have an effect not only on your life, but on those around you, or even complete strangers – as was the case with Matthew Scudder in A Walk Among the Tombstones.
”Scudder, played by Liam Neeson, makes a very serious mistake at the beginning of his career as a cop which ended up affecting his future work and relationships from then onwards.
‘’But it’s how you deal with the mistake which is most important, and if you fix it in the right way, hopefully the error will soon be forgotten.’’
But some slip-ups are a little more serious, with some even admitting to doing something illegal, having an affair, or lying on a CV or in a job interview.
Worryingly, nine per cent consider getting married to be a mistake they have made in the past.
The study also found 35 per cent have had to deal with a drastic fall-out from a mistake they have made in the past, with three in ten of those saying it led to the break-up of their relationship.
Another one in four lost a friend as the result of a blunder, while more than half admitted a mistake has cost them financially.
Fourteen per cent of those who have faced serious consequences ended up out of a job while almost one in ten even lost their home.
But rather than moving on after their slip-up, more than eight in ten usually end up worrying about how it will affect them.
While 18 per cent only worry for a matter of minutes, almost one in ten spend weeks after the mistake fretting.
Another one in twenty even admitted they sometimes stress about it for years.
And almost half say they have made at least one mistake in the past they have never really forgotten about.
A spokesman for A Walk Among the Tombstones added: ‘’Matthew Scudder never forgets about the mistake he made, as it’s one that affects the rest of his life, but one he ultimately learns from.
The survey was run to coincide with the release of A Walk Among the Tombstones, which is available on Blu-ray and DVD on January 19.
ENDS
