You (a) blow it on a project at work; (b) flub a name when making an introduction; (c) trip while trying to impress. What you do next means the difference between saving face and compounding the embarrassment. After a professional mishap, briefly acknowledge the error and move on, suggests Charles Purdy, author of Urban Etiquette (Wildcat Canyon, $15 at www.barnesandnoble.com). It may seem easier to pretend that nothing happened, he says, “but it’s worse in the long run in terms of how people perceive you. Show you’re better than the error you made.” When the flub is personal, apologize, then follow with a quick, pleasant exchange, advises Ilene Rosenzweig, coauthor of Swell: A Girl’s Guide to the Good Life (Warner Books, $24 at www.barnesandnoble.com). A slapstick fumble is best met with humor. “Part of maintaining your dignity is being able to roll with the punches,” says Purdy. Whatever the slip, avoid overapologizing. “That doesn’t do much for dignity, either,” he says. And speed is key, says Rosenzweig: “You don’t want people thinking about it too much.”