I made a good one 3 weeks ago at an open house.  Someone told me his name and I commented about how he was in good company with that name as a good UFC fighter had the same name... turned out HE WAS THAT UFC FIGHTER!!!  I laughed and bragged about it to all my friends!

Other than that, I try to avoid making a faux pas bigger than it needs to be.  I'll appologize if appropriate and move on.  If someone else makes it, I ignore it (or get a good story out of it like Sam did).

Apologize ASAP.   The sooner the better.

Read somewhere.  An African diplomat was on a Taiwanese flight.  He asked" "Qu'est-ce que c'est?". The flight attendant said Taiwanese pan cakes.

Then he asked the soy bean drink. "Qu'est-ce que c'est". Taiwanese milk.

She farted.  She immediately apologied. "Taiwanese man-made gas. Sorry".

1. Faux Pas. Fix it and don't make it louder or bigger than it is.

2. Others. Fit it and don't make it louder or bigger than it is.

I tell a joke. Sometimes the other person doesn't get my joke, but what can you do?

Richie,

Admit, Apologize and move on...A

I always take a deep breath and try not to speak until I have had time to evaluate the situation.

Richie - I will either apologize for my mistake, or try to make light of it. Others faux pas, I will either ignore, or once again just try to make light of it.

1 apologize and move on

2 look right on pas (pun intnded) it.

 Good Tuesday morning Richie Alan Naggar . Apologize and  do my best to make it appear is if it never happened.

Good morning Richie. I make damn sure, I clean it up right then and there or shortly thereafter.

As quickly as possible.  

Richie Alan Naggar - apologize and move on. That's always worked for me. And to err is human (and I know I am just a human!)

with humility

I make a joke about it.

It depends on what I did and with whom!

I openly apologize and admit it was inappropriate, unprofessional, or anything else it might have been.  Hey, it does happen Richie Alan Naggar - thankfully not often.

When it is on someone else ... it depends on who it is.

Depending on the severity, generally they are ignored as we move forward.

I like Susan Emo comment.  Maybe it was the question you asked that was the faux pas.  N

1. Apologize and/or fix & move past, depending on severity.

2. Ignore and move past, ditto.

Both with humor if possible.
We are hopelessly human.

Jump right on it to get it fixed. If done by others? Was it done on purpose? Set the record straight. If done by me? Apologize. Not that that would happen.

I try to find the humor. Acknowledge the faux pas and apologize.   It depends on the situation, of course.  A handwritten apology can go a long way.