Try To Appeal That Answer

(When we are waiting for my teacher to come to class, I overhear two girls talking about last night’s homework.)

Girl #1: “I hated this. It was too hard. What did you get for number 18?”

Girl #2: “Oh, yeah, I had to look that one up. I got apple.”

(Thinking the girl was making a joke or didn’t want her friend to copy her work, I let it go, figuring that Girl #1 was smart enough to figure out that it wasn’t the answer.)

Teacher: *walks in* Okay, class, let’s go over the homework.

(When we get to number 18.)

Teacher: “All right, who knows the answer for number 18? [Girl #2]?”

Girl #2: “Apple!”

Me: *facepalm*

Teacher: “Uh… no.”

Girl #1: “Yes, it is. ‘To apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court’ is to apple!”

Teacher: *pause* “Spell it for me.”

Girl #1: “A-p-p-e-a-l. Apple.”

Teacher: *much longer pause* “You mean ‘appeal’?”

Me: *double facepalm*