Today, while at my tutoring job, a middle school kid couldn't find a word in the online dictionary. I told him he could check a regular paperback dictionary. His response was, "That's what you did in your day. That's not what we do in our day." I'm only 19. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, a student of mine used the phrase "well, you know, like back in your day" about defining "going out". I'm only 24. FML
Today, my dad accused me of being illiterate when I used a word he'd never heard of, saying it sounded like lazy slang, and that it wasn't a real word. He then yelled at me for being a "smartass who's always right" when I read aloud the definition from his 1978 copy of Webster's dictionary. Guess he's not enthused. FML
Today, I was reading a picture storybook to a kindergarten kid. She could pronounce more words than me, and corrected me. I'm about triple her age. FML
Today, while home from college for the weekend, my sister started whining about how I keep using "big fancy college words" and making her feel bad. My sister is 27 and teaches elementary school. The word I used was "ludicrous." FML
Today, I was helping my kid with homework after work. I tried to Google “third grade long division explained simply.” Autocomplete filled in “because I don’t understand it either,” which I read out loud without thinking. My kid stared at me and said, “So… who’s teaching who?” FML
Today, I realized that because of my construction job, I have spent such a huge amount of time with older, cynical guys that I keep uncontrollably using the phrase "fucking kids these days" regularly like an idiot. I'm 18. FML
Today, my 19 year-old brother called me a moron and told me to go read a book, after I corrected him when he said girls don't have colons. FML
Today, a four-year-old said a word that I didn't know the meaning of. I had to look up the definition. FML
Today, I was babysitting, and a little girl asked for help with her homework. I cheerfully began an explanation, only to freeze mid-sentence. I could not for the life of me remember how to do long-division. I'm about to graduate from Cornell University, and her little brother had to correct me. FML
Today, I was teaching a class when a student pointed out that I'd used the wrong "your/you're" while writing on the board. FML
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Top comments
paprikacha 9
Ah, the new generation. They worry me. -_-
DGross 8
Lol... I remember playing that game where you saw a page number on the bottom of a dictionary page and followed that clue to another page with another number and so on until you ended up at a picture of a penis or some other sexual word circled... But yea... now I just use my phone to look up something... wireless internet is the best.
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Comments (143)
paprikacha 9
Ah, the new generation. They worry me. -_-
dudeitsdanny 10
Agreed. Especially if they can't find a definition online. Where even non-existnt words have them. PS: Paperback dictionaries bring back memories =) Most of them involving weird smells when you flipped a page.
doink 0
The old book smell is my favorite smell in the world.
im2good25 0
and how is this an fml???
beepelati 5
this is really not that badd!
Secret_Fire_King 0
Back in the good old days.. :) .. Remember when year8's weren't 4ft tall and underweight..
MQ_was_here 0
Exactly Danny! The whole page turning sound is exactly the reason I don't support e-books. Plus, the smell of the pages has this allure to it too. I effin love books and that's the reason I boycotted the Kindle. One, so we don't make remarks like the kid in the FML and two, so we always have libraries. Imagine what the heckity-heck would happen to the libraries?! It's like that scene from Wall-e. Where that guy can't get over that he has to manually open a book and turn the page. *sigh*
paigeatsflesh 11
tell him to suck a dick, and get over it xD
amart402 0
uh 12 or 13 years ago? that is what you did. online dictionaries haven't been around that long.
Ecnash 0
12 or 13 years ago would put op in 1st or 2nd grade. not middle school.
Monikabug 9
The OP is nineteen as in 19. The middle schooler would be between the 6th and 8th grade, so between 11 and 14 years old depending on which grade.
Monikabug 9
So when you think about it, OP has not been out of middle school that long.
sc95060sc 0
how is this a fml? who cares wat a middle school student says
kaleid0scopeEyes 0
I'm 19 too and I remember when I was that age, we were told to bring pocket dictionaries to school for looking up words. Some kids had these little electronic dictionary things that were only used for looking up words, and I remember thinking that THOSE were high tech and took away the meaning of dictionaries. Now those things are obsolete compared to all the technology today.
GorgeousBabii09 0
lmao!! I though I was the only one
cookiepenguin 0
tell him " shut up or I'll drop-kick the teeth out of your mouth" and kick his ass
ImaginaryFoe 1
I love my Kindle. It's great for travelling or when I don't have both hands free. It hasn't stopped me buying books. I love the feel, smell, and sound of books. OP, get used to it. In the kid's mind, your day is over in much the way you probably think a 30-year old's day is over.
Pointy130 0
That doesn't worry me. To him, you're ancient! they have nobreal sense of time outside of comparing it to their own age.
fawfulster 11
Some schools still ask book dictionaries. So it'n not a matter of 10 years ago.
YourEvilHero 12
it is true tho I'm 17 and in middle school we used books
FYLDeep 26
Hit him with the dictionary and ask him how they do that nowadays.
stopreadingmynam 0
hey, not every middle school student is that stupid. I'm in 7th grade and that insults me.
DGross 8
Lol... I remember playing that game where you saw a page number on the bottom of a dictionary page and followed that clue to another page with another number and so on until you ended up at a picture of a penis or some other sexual word circled... But yea... now I just use my phone to look up something... wireless internet is the best.
dudeitsdanny 10
I remember those dicktionaries =) When I did that, though, i made them go through dozens of pages then in circles. =)
xtwizt3dxlif3x 0
ahh yes those were good times
felttip 0
And dictionary races? First to find the word?
jessicams 0
I usually got the "I just wasted your time" or something equally stupid. OP, you're seriously offended by what a middle schoolers said? Most are whiny brats. Get over it. Also, if you're going to keep tutoring, you need to grow a pair.
kaleid0scopeEyes 0
Haha the textbooks in my middle school were filled with things like that, usually you would have to turn to a bunch of different pages before finally finding the "secret message" (usually something like 'Mr. MacDermott is gay') or a picture of a penis. kids nowadays will never get to experience that joy.
unr3a1 0
Sounds like he was joking. Lighten up.
YayAmerica 0
This is stupid. His laziness obviously didn't actually make you feel old. If it did, you're really insecure.
duckeater22 0
You're a dick shut up
lovej4ever 0
so? are you afraid you're old or what? think of how your parents feel
strandedinalimo 0
Don't say that! I'm 19 too and I don't want to get old. *tear*.
srunano 4
I just noticed that my bday is a day before yours lol, your only one year older than me and trust me you have nothing to worry about, you look great
srunano 4
The reason for that is that some parents now a days just give into their kids tantrums, it's sad really because after they have been spoiled all their life they won't know how to do shit. And Moonfire your not a grandma don't let the little bastards get to you
ImaginaryFoe 1
You're only as young as you feel. Besides, getting older is better than the alternative of not getting older.
RicoXS 0
damn... I'm not too happy about kids finding paperback dictionaries obsolete, especially if the word in question isn't online...
trumpetGIRL12345 0
at my middle school we have speicial student dictionaries and they have words like playboy in them the deffinition of play is "a male who persues pleasurable activities for a living" (or something similar to that)
AJG390 0
I have to agree with the rest, this is kind of lame. You can't honestly think you're old if you're only 19. So why let it bother you?
cracktus 0
"Today, I was tutoring a middle school kid. He made a comment and I can't tell if he was cracking wise or is really just a moron. Either way I'm emo now. FML."
tristan1001 0
heh, dinially a fellow emo! EMOs rule!
GordonLC 0
you made me laugh :)
Kenziechristinee 0
hahahhaahahha
grog_fml 3
it's true though right?
Eddie_Paints 0
That's what my son would say.......til I took away his iPod,Blackberry,Laptop and PC! Then He'd be like.,,, Dad these pages won't scroll! lol!
arb1513 0
geez, that's a lot of gizmos for one child