"You Can Barely Speak English"
Jul 15th 2004, 2:40 pm
#16
Not living a 9 to 5 life
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,061
Originally posted by Pulaski
I've had similar comments, .... until I realized that Americans think that I said Ukraine. I have since conditioned myself to say "Britain" when asked where I come from as, strange though it may seem, most Americans (round here at least) don't use "UK"/ "United Kingdom" to describe my home country.
I've had similar comments, .... until I realized that Americans think that I said Ukraine. I have since conditioned myself to say "Britain" when asked where I come from as, strange though it may seem, most Americans (round here at least) don't use "UK"/ "United Kingdom" to describe my home country.
I would certainly never say I'm from England because it's bad enough that the American media contstantly refer to the UK or Britain as England in the news.
Jul 15th 2004, 4:00 pm
#17
jingling
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 18,123
Re: "You Can Barely Speak English"
During a summer job, I worked as a cashier in a convenience store. One day, this man comes in, who I couldn't understand because he had a very strong southern accent. 
Man: Do y'all have some ay-kuh-hoe?
Me: Excuse me?
Man: Do y'all have some ay-kuh-hoe?
Me: Have what?
Man: Y'know, ay-kuh-hoe? Ay-kuh-hoe!
Me: Huh???
Then my coworker comes over and says "Oh, "alcohol!" It's over in this aisle, sir."
I still don't know how she got that!!!
Man: Do y'all have some ay-kuh-hoe?
Me: Excuse me?
Man: Do y'all have some ay-kuh-hoe?
Me: Have what?
Man: Y'know, ay-kuh-hoe? Ay-kuh-hoe!
Me: Huh???
Then my coworker comes over and says "Oh, "alcohol!" It's over in this aisle, sir."
I still don't know how she got that!!!
Jul 15th 2004, 11:53 pm
#18
Just around the next bend
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,276
We are currently on vacation in Texas, and someone in a store asked me where I was from. Feeling playful, I replied "Arkansas", and he said "That would explain the accent!"
My daughter however, has been complimented on her "improving English" by one of her teachers at school
Debbie
My daughter however, has been complimented on her "improving English" by one of her teachers at school
Debbie
Jul 16th 2004, 1:30 am
#19
UK & US Citizen
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 1,276
Originally posted by ElsieTheMaid
I've had "can you say something in English?"
Most of the time when people ask me where I'm from, I tell them Kansas City, Missouri. Half of them actually believe me.
I've had "can you say something in English?"
Most of the time when people ask me where I'm from, I tell them Kansas City, Missouri. Half of them actually believe me.
They say, "yes"
I say, "well keep going East about 3,000 miles"
Jul 16th 2004, 2:27 am
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Scotland
Posts: 106
I always just say I'm from East Texas, if they push it any further I just add "way east" 
Jul 16th 2004, 2:46 am
#21
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
My wife says that she is from 'Back East', so I have taken to using that phrase as well.
She means Delaware.
Her colleagues think you has acquired an English accent, nope.
She means Delaware.
Her colleagues think you has acquired an English accent, nope.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat099; Jul 16th 2004 at 3:11 am.
Jul 16th 2004, 2:01 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 111
Originally posted by dbark
We are currently on vacation in Texas, and someone in a store asked me where I was from. Feeling playful, I replied "Arkansas", and he said "That would explain the accent!"
My daughter however, has been complimented on her "improving English" by one of her teachers at school
Debbie
We are currently on vacation in Texas, and someone in a store asked me where I was from. Feeling playful, I replied "Arkansas", and he said "That would explain the accent!"
My daughter however, has been complimented on her "improving English" by one of her teachers at school
Debbie
Am I the only one finding this stuff extremely amusing?
Ola
Sweden.. Switzerland.. Swaziland?
Jul 17th 2004, 11:47 pm
#23
Arizona Sun Devil
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Posts: 14
This thread is great...
Don't get me wrong, i like Americans, but they can be so dumb. A girl who cut my hair once asked me "What language do you guys speak in England?", she was a hairdresser though :-)
I've also had an american guy comment on how good my English was to say i'd just moved here from England...
Do they not get.. ENG-lish.
Come on..
Don't get me wrong, i like Americans, but they can be so dumb. A girl who cut my hair once asked me "What language do you guys speak in England?", she was a hairdresser though :-)
I've also had an american guy comment on how good my English was to say i'd just moved here from England...
Do they not get.. ENG-lish.
Come on..
Jul 18th 2004, 12:34 am
#24
.
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Originally posted by Pulaski
I've had similar comments, .... until I realized that Americans think that I said Ukraine.
I've had similar comments, .... until I realized that Americans think that I said Ukraine.
Jul 18th 2004, 1:44 am
#25
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Nevada b4 California b4 Colorado b4 Valley of plastic and sand, b4 London
Posts: 2,025
Re: "You Can Barely Speak English"
Originally posted by RoB1833
I was taking a complaint from an employee today who had been fired. The conversation went backwards and forwards over and over again as to why she had been fired and that it was policy in her case to fire employees immediately.
Anyway at the end of the conversation, as she wasn't hearing what she wanted to hear she said to me "Can I speak to someone else, I mean you can't hardly speak English!!!"
Bloody cheek!!!
This from a red-neck!
Of course I said "I am English!"
She didn't stay on the phone..... I only have a light northern accent.... gave my co-workers a good laugh though!
I was taking a complaint from an employee today who had been fired. The conversation went backwards and forwards over and over again as to why she had been fired and that it was policy in her case to fire employees immediately.
Anyway at the end of the conversation, as she wasn't hearing what she wanted to hear she said to me "Can I speak to someone else, I mean you can't hardly speak English!!!"
Bloody cheek!!!
This from a red-neck!Of course I said "I am English!"
She didn't stay on the phone..... I only have a light northern accent.... gave my co-workers a good laugh though!
Jul 18th 2004, 2:08 am
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi there.
I just popped in from the Canadian forum. This thread is great. I'm glad hear its not just an issue up in the frozen north. My wife was once asked in a cold call if she could speak English!
She confuses them all the time. Try this-
Canadian: Where did you move from?
Mrs G: England
later
Canadian: So you are English then?
Mrs G: No, Scottish
Canadian: Eh?
Mrs G: You asked me before where I moved from, not where I was born.
Gets them every time!
I just popped in from the Canadian forum. This thread is great. I'm glad hear its not just an issue up in the frozen north. My wife was once asked in a cold call if she could speak English!
She confuses them all the time. Try this-
Canadian: Where did you move from?
Mrs G: England
later
Canadian: So you are English then?
Mrs G: No, Scottish
Canadian: Eh?
Mrs G: You asked me before where I moved from, not where I was born.
Gets them every time!
Jul 18th 2004, 11:00 am
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 111
A girl I once talked to in a bar in Arkansas was very (VERY) impressed that I was from Sweden, and acted like she knew exactly where it was. She told me she had been there last summer skiing, I asked where in Sweden, and she mentioned a mountain that I've never heard about. I thought she was trying to say it in Swedish, so I kinda pretended that I knew what she was talking about.
2 minutes later a friend of her joins the conversation. "Hey this guy is from Sweden!!!" girl 1 says, girl 2 says "REALLY?!?! We have been there..!! How far from Geneva do you live?". I say "That's Switzerland", and they both look at each other and girl 1 says "Oh.. we were in Switzerland, weren't we?".
It's not very unusual that Americans mix up Sweden with Switzerland. Not very unusual at all actually (70% probability). But that they've actually been to Switzerland, i.e. travelled overseas to another country, and still mix it up with Sweden, is quite.. weird.
However, most Americans I've met have been quite young and maybe older (but not too old) educated people have a better picture of the world.
It should, however, be mentioned that I've also met British people that have no clue where Sweden is. This happened last time last weekend when a guy asked me if Sweden is south of Finland (Estonia).
I also met a Vietnamese-American who asked me if "British" is the native language in Sweden. Funny funny.
Cheers,
Ola
Sweden (now Isle of Wight, U.K.)
2 minutes later a friend of her joins the conversation. "Hey this guy is from Sweden!!!" girl 1 says, girl 2 says "REALLY?!?! We have been there..!! How far from Geneva do you live?". I say "That's Switzerland", and they both look at each other and girl 1 says "Oh.. we were in Switzerland, weren't we?".
It's not very unusual that Americans mix up Sweden with Switzerland. Not very unusual at all actually (70% probability).
But that they've actually been to Switzerland, i.e. travelled overseas to another country, and still mix it up with Sweden, is quite.. weird.However, most Americans I've met have been quite young and maybe older (but not too old) educated people have a better picture of the world.
It should, however, be mentioned that I've also met British people that have no clue where Sweden is. This happened last time last weekend when a guy asked me if Sweden is south of Finland (Estonia).
I also met a Vietnamese-American who asked me if "British" is the native language in Sweden. Funny funny.
Cheers,
Ola
Sweden (now Isle of Wight, U.K.)
Jul 18th 2004, 2:32 pm
#28
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: US
Posts: 300
Originally posted by timshaw2206
This thread is great...
Don't get me wrong, i like Americans, but they can be so dumb. A girl who cut my hair once asked me "What language do you guys speak in England?", she was a hairdresser though :-)
This thread is great...
Don't get me wrong, i like Americans, but they can be so dumb. A girl who cut my hair once asked me "What language do you guys speak in England?", she was a hairdresser though :-)
Jul 18th 2004, 5:00 pm
#29
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Millington, TN
Posts: 533
I've had that once too from one of the staff in the apt complex - even worse, I was talking about international wire transfers to a colleague in accounts to find out the fee for incoming and she said "Oh, y'all just kill me with those pounds things you have over there!"
Just last night some guy said to me hey is it true that in Scotland you have statues of William Wallace in your yards! LMAO. God only knows where he got that from.
I think since I came here I have met one person that has been outwith the US and Canada - and they were in the military!
Just last night some guy said to me hey is it true that in Scotland you have statues of William Wallace in your yards! LMAO. God only knows where he got that from.
I think since I came here I have met one person that has been outwith the US and Canada - and they were in the military!
Jul 18th 2004, 6:05 pm
#30
"Where are the shovels?"
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Oregon
Posts: 568
We should probably think ourselves lucky that our first language is English. Was talking to a German woman in a Hotel lobby a few weeks ago and she was moaning about how no one here understands her (she had broken English, but it's fairly clear) and I replied "yeah I know what you mean, I'm from Scotland, get the same problem a lot" she then snapped back "Well I'm sorry but it's just not the same! At least you speak the same language as them!"
Germans
Germans