Picture the scene: you get home from work, stomach rumbling at the thought of dinner, and you come across a nice pineapple sitting on your doorstep.
Once you've got over the general weirdness of the situation and start to think about its meaning, do you catch on? Or do you just think a generous stranger has gifted you some exotic fruit?
One man definitely leaned towards one category, and admitted as much when he took to Reddit to share his story.
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In the post, shared on the 'Today I F**ked Up' thread, the man explained that all seemed normal when he came home from work at 7pm one evening - no pineapples in sight.
Just one hour later, though, his girlfriend came home and told him she'e found a pineapple by the front door, with a note saying 'welcome'.
Bizarre, but perhaps not as bizarre as the fact the man said he 'didn’t think much of it until the following morning when [he] saw it there' - indicating they'd decided to leave it on the doorstep overnight.
Admittedly, I'm not sure what I'd do in this situation, but - a life lesson for you here - ignoring the pineapple isn't going to make it go away.
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When he did start to think more about what the pineapple meant, the man considered that it could have been used as a marker for a potential robbery.
He explained: "A white spray paint X on the door would have been too obvious and criminals are getting smarter."
Not wanting any robbers to come barging in, the man took it inside before heading to work.
There, he told the story to his friend, and very soon learned that the pineapple was not a mark of a criminal, after all.
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He recalled: "At work, I told my friend about what happened and immediately he said you were invited to a swinger party. I was stumped. What? He proceeded to explain the story of swingers and pineapples."
The Reddit user was informed that pineapples aren't just a good addition to a smoothie, and that they can actually hold a lot of meaning in relation to sex.
He learned that placing a pineapple at your own door apparently indicates you're hosting a swingers' party, and an upside down pineapple means you're 'looking for swingers'.
As for the pineapple on the doorstep? Well, that means you've made the guest list.
The man explained: "If someone places a pineapple on your doorstep they’re inviting you to swing. If you leave it there upside down you’re responding to their invite accepting it."
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While you may never encounter a pineapple on your doorstep yourself, it's good to know the meaning behind it just in case you ever do find yourself in that situation.
Or, as with this story, to prevent yourself from sending the wrong message.
The thing is, no matter what the pineapple on the doorstep might have symbolised, it turns out the person who left it actually wasn't interested in swinging at all.
The fruit came courtesy of the Reddit user's friend, as they explained: "He was in town in a pub, got drunk, went past a small gift shop with the pineapple in the window and thought it would be a great decor for us. "We’re very close and give each other random gifts."
The friend ended up 'rolling laughing' when he learned the real meaning of the pineapple, so I guess it's all well that ends well. At least he'll know to opt for a different piece of fruit when it comes to gift-giving in the future.
Topics: Viral, Sex and Relationships, Food And Drink
Emily Brown