Conversational scrap

[owlfish]

Overheard in an academic building last week:

"Is that a test tube?"
"No, a scalpel."

I wonder how it's possible to confuse these things?

I went to a lecture tonight in which the speaker spoke of the town's worthies. I hadn't realized that people did that any more. It was especially striking to realize that "worthies" included notable sportspeople, not just famous gentry.

Comments

[midnightmelody.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a (box of) test-tubes(s) vs. a (box of) scalpel(s), which need to be unpacked in different places?