The Discount Hunters (With bonus irritants)

[Eireann]

I've had good luck speaking French in Italy, too. The real surprise was the time a man working in a bank explained something to me, in Italian, and I understood him. I try not to think about it too much.

[dragon_wings]

My sister said she used her Spanish most when she went to Italy on her honeymoon (and she and her hubby lives outside Los Angeles for a while).

[Fire_on_High]

Turned out the clerk also spoke French, and they had a short, delightful conversation in French.

That reminds me of a con story I heard a few years ago. Seems a group of Americans were sitting around a Japanese group, and neither group spoke the other's language. Then someone made a comment in Klingon, and found they had a language in common after all...

[blas]

My first Spanish word I ever learned was "puta".

Yeah, don't think I don't know what that word means.

Though, we have one very, very authentic Mexican restaurant close by where I live, and it's so funny that when I go there with my brother for drinks, they say "Hola Muchachos", but if I go there with my boyfriend or parents, it's "Hola Amigos!"

I see quite a few of the servers from there at the gym. They don't know a lot of English but at least they never called me a puta. Whew.

[wolfie]

To the ones demanding you speak Spanish, you can remind them you can go most places in the world and find people who can speak English, ALL Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots are required to speak it for example. Spanish...Notsomuch

That would blow the SC's minds - what language does an Air France pilot use to communicate with German air traffic controllers on a flight to Japan? English.

Had a run-in with a "use our language" type in Montreal. Canada has 2 official languages, English and French. Montreal is in Quebec, a province that has French only as its official language (although Montreal has more english-speakers than other parts of the province). English translations are in red.

I was in the (left) exit lane of a major highway, and I saw a truck creeping along in the leftmost travel lane with its blinker on, obviously trying to get into the exit lane (Montreal traffic is really bad), a few lengths behind me. I grabbed the CB microphone and asked "Blue Kenworth, you got it on?" (pretty standard way of asking if someone is listening to their CB). Got a response back (don't know if it was him or someone else) "C'est le Quebec, parle Francais!"This is Quebec, speak French!. My response to that was "Blue Kenworth, if you can understand English, this is Arquebus Motor Freight a couple lengths ahead of you - come on in front of me. Si tu comprend seulement le Francais, bonne chance changer les voies!If you only understand French, good luck changing lanes!". He immediately accelerated and pulled in front of me - I guess getting where he wanted to go counted for more than the use of his preferred language.

[PepperElf]

If it hasn't yet been said... don't forget #5 - those who speak perfect (or at least good-enough) English, but feign that they don't in order to wear the cashier down in getting discounts.

as seen by the scowls and cat-butt-face that results when you or a cowoker come up and start speaking to them in their own language.

Yeah, don't think I don't know what that word means.

change the 'a' to 'o' and call them it right back. it's not really an official word but i've heard it used by both Hispanics and Filipinos enough to know that it'll be understood.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Had a run-in with a "use our language" type in Montreal. Canada has 2 official languages, English and French. Montreal is in Quebec, a province that has French only as its official language (although Montreal has more english-speakers than other parts of the province).

A friend of mine was visiting Quebec and ran into a clerk with the "I don't speak English" attitude. His response was to start speaking in Hungarian. The clerk immediately learned how to speak English.

[AccountingDrone]

< I like it when in Montreal doing the tourist thing to be the typical american and be polite but speak only english and badly mispronounce s'il vous plait and merci and such so I can listen in on conversations >

That being confessed, when I am in Europe I tend to try and learn at least the basic politnesses in the language of whatever country we are in. I tend to get one of the tourist phrasebooks, it tends to make it easier to deal with the locals if it is obvious that I am trying to be polite and muddle along in whatever language is local.

[Der Cute]

Years ago when I went overseas to UK for a vacation, people kept telling me I was crazy. For traveling alone. For going overseas. For going to a foreign country. I just replied, "look. I can go to the Embassy. Or a cop on the street, they speak English like I do! It wouldn't be so easy for me if I was in France!"
because anything latin based..I suck at.

[Bella_Vixen]

The real surprise was the time a man working in a bank explained something to me, in Italian, and I understood him. I try not to think about it too much.

Back in the day, Becks and I worked at the same gas station. There was a guy who came in and spoke French. He'd talk to Becks in French and she'd answer in English. (It's funnier and awesomer than it sounds/reads, honest!)

[Merriweather]

Years ago when I went overseas to UK for a vacation, people kept telling me I was crazy. For traveling alone. For going overseas. For going to a foreign country. I just replied, "look. I can go to the Embassy. Or a cop on the street, they speak English like I do! It wouldn't be so easy for me if I was in France!"
because anything latin based..I suck at.

Well, you can communicate, but not everything is at it seems. I have 9 years worth of funny stories involving American vs. English

[AccountingDrone]

Well, you can communicate, but not everything is at it seems. I have 9 years worth of funny stories involving American vs. English

Two people separated by a common language

One time in Paris my mom and I helped a German tourist. I spoke to the gendarme and then to my mom, she spoke to the German tourist and to me. A but kludgy, but it worked