Partystar

So what stupid questions or conversations have you had?

When I lived in Texas (I was 15 at the time), someone said something along the lines of, "Wow, you speak really good English." I thought it was a compliment on my accent & said, thank you. They then said, "So, what language do you normally speak in England?" I was shocked to say the least!

Chorlton

This is Texas, "y'all". Its bigger than France, you know

Rushman

On a flight back to blighty I was seated next to a 17 yr old US kid on some kinda school trip.

The questiones asked.
Where are you from? London
Isn't that where the Queen lives? Some of the time
Do you know her? I know OF her
Have you met her? No
Is she English too? No, She's German and her
husband is Greek
Really? yes, really
(Bit of a thought pause)
Why do they live in England then? They coudn't decide whether
to live Germany or Greece
Do they speak English then? Yes
But with accents like yours right? Not quite, but similar
Ah they have German accents then? No
Greek? No
(Confused)
What accents do they have then? English
So your not English then? Yes, but I have a different
accent to them, just like
people from the South have a
different accent to you.
Have you met the Queen? Not since the last time you
asked
(I'm getting bored now)
Have you met Diana? Nearly.
Nearly??? Yes, I was chasing her car
thru a tunnel one day but
she got away.
(Nudged in the ribs by the wife)
She's pretty!! Not anymore
(Nudged harder and trying hard not to laugh)
Don't you like her? I never met her
Have you met the Queen?
(At this point I looked at the wife and said "For f*uck sake swap seats"!!)

Bob

quality

dragonfly

I have heared some classic comments and I have also had some pretty stupid questions asked by my patients, namely "where are you from Australia, NZ, Ireland no I'm from England this particular patient then goes on to say that it is interesting how England took all their place names from the USA I told her to go back to school and read her history books again. I have also been informed how well I have learnt to speak English since I have been in the USA I tell them to reread their history books and not to embarrass themselves with stupid comments!

Shahlax

An American aquaintaince told me about spending her honeymoon in Europe, including the UK, France and Italy. Then she asked me what language do they speak in England, and I said, "Well, English". Then she said, "Oh really, when I was there they spoke something else...(pause)...oh, sorry, that was Italy, they don't speak English there". I was like, "Yep, they speak Italian, it being Italy". If an educated woman who has been to Europe is so ignorant, you can't blame the masses who don't own a passport!

traceyparker1

My favorite is:

Where are you from? Wales
Is that in England? No, but it is in Britain
Oh, its close to Scotland right? Or is it Ireland? Yeah, kind of...
I had a friend there, Mavis, do you know her? Yup...

Angry White Pyjamas

My aunt betsy lives there. Do you know her? She runs the Polish Tartan Shoppe

Maz

I have actually been asked if I know "Bob Smith in Beeer-ming-HAM" when someone realised I was from England. If I'd been able to contain my laughter I would have said "Why yes I do!!" LOL

An acquantance once asked if France was in London. I nearly said yes there too. I love screwing with people.

cindyabs

To be fair, the same thing happened to my ex and I when we were on Kos for a week. Everybody had an uncle or a cousin or some relative that had emigrated to the US. They would then ask if we knew of them (this after saying they had moved to Chicago or New York City).

Wintersong

In the interests of keeping this a thread about stupid comments, not necessarily being restricted to Americans, I will tell you all a short story about an old work colleague of mine.

This was a very sweet girl but she wasn't well known for her prowess in the brains department. I think she was Scottish but she might have been English, I can't really remember.

Well, one day I was doing a crossword in a newspaper on my break. She was in the staff room with me and I filled in some answer which had a geographical clue. She began to complain about her lack of geographical knowledge and I, in an attempt to bolster her ego, said "I'm sure you do know some geography. What's the capital of France?"

Her answer...




Wales.

Maz

OMFG you are kidding! ROFLMAO That's hilarious!

geordiegirl2

We've just been into Bank of America today and were served by a lady whose business card read vice president, she asked us where we were from and after a lengthy conversation about England she said, which language do you speak at home, before i could answer she said its French isn't it!!!

woodsey

One of my daughters English friends was telling us a tale about someone she knows and was desperately trying to think of the correct word to describe them, looking most confused she said "you know, people from Wales....Waleish people".... :scared:

I've also had the "what language do you speak in England? Your English is very good" comment, from a lady in the supermarket and from the guy fitting our new kitchen "I'm not too good with anything outside of America, so tell me again which bit of London is Europe in?"..at least he admitted he was crap though.

I've also had the usual "do you know so and so from such and such a place?" although this once happened in a taxi in San Francisco and bizarrely I did know them, turned out he went to Brighton Poly with my Palestinian Uncle..

AmerLisa

Well said Cindy! The number of times I've had people in the UK "assume" I lived in LA because I was from California was mind boggling.... When I told them it was more south east, they'd look at me with that glazed look and then I'd say "think Disneyland" and somehow it was all better. Except then they more than likely thought I was from Florida.