It is the feeling you get after waving or smiling at someone (Person A) you thought acknowledged you when it was actually meant for the person behind you (Person B). Embarrassment would be the closest thing to that feeling, but the event happens so often that it deserves its own term. What follows the incident is Person A chuckling and pointing at Person B, who they were actually interacting with. In worse case scenarios, Person A is a
crush of yours, and you realize that it was your
heart making a fool out of you in public. You sink in
despair and attempt to get out of there as quickly as possible. You begin to contemplate all the terrible choices you've made in life. Some would also use it to describe the feeling you receive from telling your waiter "thanks, you too" after he/she
said, "enjoy your meal". Ultimately, in both scenarios, you end up feeling like crawling under a table, screaming at the top of your lungs, and
never showing
your face to the public again.