any cunning linguists? - Page 2

grynch · 08-01-2011, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae

I think when Americans abroad are considered rude, one of the main reasons is that they do not use please and thank you as often as Europeans.

From working in a London restaurant I realised it was a cultural difference and nothing to do with manners, but it's a surprise when you first encounter it. On the one hand you're treated like a servant, but on the other you get a bloody big tip! And the Americans you meet when you're not wearing work clothes are happy to divulge their whole family history (including salaries) as soon as you've said hello.

Thank you
Btw - I'm the youngest of 5 and make absolute oodles of money

grynch · 08-01-2011, 02:17 PM

Ohh and hello * LOL*

Sundae · 08-01-2011, 02:43 PM

Aaaah but you have an English wife.
I know the English.
They fight dirty.
And think dirty...

Hello! backatcha anyway.
Send me a bar of chocloate or a cuckoo clock sometime.
(I'm technically European, I am allowed to make crass generalisations)

Trilby · 08-01-2011, 03:14 PM

sundae - people from the midwest of the US say please and thank you all the time.

We're the friendly Americans! You're prolly getting a lot of a*holes from the coasts.

infinite monkey · 08-01-2011, 03:31 PM

I'se gonna say: I'm all about please and thank you, thank you very much. But Bri's right, you have some dubious coasties running around, probably with mucho expendable cash who don't feel they HAVE to say please and thank you, never having worked behind a cash register or the like.

Spexxvet · 08-01-2011, 03:42 PM

Youze guyz are coastists!

infinite monkey · 08-01-2011, 03:51 PM

OH, I know more Spanish (grassy ass, means thank you) and some German (donkey shit, means...um, thank you again?)

Well we didn't mean YOU, spexx.

Some of my best friends are coasties.

Gravdigr · 08-01-2011, 04:01 PM

I speak redneck, hillbilly, hippie, jive, wigger, Texan, a smattering of urban, and Merkin.

I do not speak or understand politics, religion, or bullshit.

Undertoad · 08-01-2011, 04:11 PM

six years of French study, left unused for so long it's all gone now.

DanaC · 08-01-2011, 04:14 PM

Used to be very good with languages as a kid. Have long since forgotten most of the French I learned though, and the Spanish. Learned some German in my 20s and have forgotten most of that too *laughs*

Spexxvet · 08-01-2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Well we didn't mean YOU, spexx.

Some of my best friends are coasties.

Why, thank you very much.

DanaC · 08-01-2011, 04:25 PM

Spexx is ok. He's our coastie :p

Clodfobble · 08-01-2011, 09:04 PM

Spanish, spanish, and more spanish. I'm not fluent by any means, but I can understand more than I can come up with on the fly, and I can almost always reorganize whatever I need to say using words I do know.

I think I've mentioned this before, but... way back when I worked in pizza delivery, about once a night we'd have a Spanish-only customer call in. Our boss would speak to them in English, but with a painfully stereotyped, drawn out Spanish accent. "Joo wanna peeesa por deeliberry, mang?" And I swear to god, most of them were able to understand.

ZenGum · 08-01-2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

I do not speak or understand politics, religion, or bullshit.

Sir, you repeat yourself.

I speak English, Strayan, some German and some Japanese.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Our boss would speak to them in English, but with a painfully stereotyped, drawn out Spanish accent. "Joo wanna peeesa por deeliberry, mang?" And I swear to god, most of them were able to understand.

Quite a lot of Japanese just is English with an accent. They even use a special phonetic script (katakana) to write foreign loan words, so they're easy to pick out.

Sando................Sandwich
Digi-Cam............Digitial Camera
Furatto Sheetsu....Flat Sheets
Pirro keisu...........Pillow case

Urbane Guerrilla · 08-01-2011, 11:35 PM

Spanish is at present strongest from at-least-weekly practice. Russian is still fairly solid, French now the weakest.

08-01-2011, 03:14 PM	#19
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	sundae - people from the midwest of the US say please and thank you all the time. We're the friendly Americans! You're prolly getting a lot of a*holes from the coasts. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

08-01-2011, 03:42 PM	#21
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	Youze guyz are coastists! __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

08-01-2011, 04:01 PM	#23
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	I speak redneck, hillbilly, hippie, jive, wigger, Texan, a smattering of urban, and Merkin. I do not speak or understand politics, religion, or bullshit. __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

08-01-2011, 09:04 PM	#28
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Spanish, spanish, and more spanish. I'm not fluent by any means, but I can understand more than I can come up with on the fly, and I can almost always reorganize whatever I need to say using words I do know. I think I've mentioned this before, but... way back when I worked in pizza delivery, about once a night we'd have a Spanish-only customer call in. Our boss would speak to them in English, but with a painfully stereotyped, drawn out Spanish accent. "Joo wanna peeesa por deeliberry, mang?" And I swear to god, most of them were able to understand. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

08-01-2011, 11:35 PM	#30
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Spanish is at present strongest from at-least-weekly practice. Russian is still fairly solid, French now the weakest. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

08-01-2011, 02:17 PM	#17
grynch the big Cheese Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Switzerland Posts: 390	Ohh and hello * LOL*

08-01-2011, 02:43 PM	#18
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Aaaah but you have an English wife. I know the English. They fight dirty. And think dirty... Hello! backatcha anyway. Send me a bar of chocloate or a cuckoo clock sometime. (I'm technically European, I am allowed to make crass generalisations)

08-01-2011, 03:31 PM	#20
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	I'se gonna say: I'm all about please and thank you, thank you very much. But Bri's right, you have some dubious coasties running around, probably with mucho expendable cash who don't feel they HAVE to say please and thank you, never having worked behind a cash register or the like.

08-01-2011, 03:51 PM	#22
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	OH, I know more Spanish (grassy ass, means thank you) and some German (donkey shit, means...um, thank you again?) Well we didn't mean YOU, spexx. Some of my best friends are coasties.

08-01-2011, 04:11 PM	#24
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	six years of French study, left unused for so long it's all gone now.

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