mishear

Staff might mishear customers, or customers might mishear staff when ordering.

And wannabee singers often mishear the lyrics to Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space', believing she is singing "All the lonely Starbucks lovers" - and not "Got a long list of exlovers".

The space is filled with recorded sounds of a middle-aged couple crashing blindly into ontological and linguistic walls, a la Samuel Beckett: "I don't want to lose you"; "You've never had me"; "Why say anything?"; "There is nothing to say." The two people start to mishear each other; the dialogue repeats with each one taking the other's role, ad infinitum.

*Rebekah Creshkoff writes from Chemical Bank's marketing communication wing in New York City to reminisce, "You know how we mishear things as children.

But we think most people simply mishear them and repeat their mistake over and over again," The Sun quoted Mark Holmes, from Amplifon as saying.

"When they're debating tax problems in parliament all the Labour people will deliberately mishear and say things like 'Did you say taxi?'.

Bong insists he did not mishear Rodriguez and that he was, indeed, racially abused.

And there are lyrics we mishear. I bring up this subject because as I was driving in the car the other night I misheard a well-known ditty and almost swerved off the road laughing Roy Orbison''s I Drove All Night came on and I could have sworn that the Big O threatened to make a mess in his beloved''s house.

"Please let me be clear: I know what I heard and I did not mishear. Only Mr Rodriguez and I know exactly what was said and I stand by my original complaint."

But fans regularly mishear it as: "A year has passed since I broke my nose."

Sir, - Did Camelot bosses take a rise (or did I mishear?) at a time when The National Lottery has lost its attraction, so far as the general public is concerned.

This is a good thing, for skin cancer preventing reasons, but also because now if anyone asks if you have a bikini body you can mishear them on purpose and confidently reply in the affirmative.