"You Can Barely Speak English"
Jul 12th 2004, 11:04 pm
#1
Professional Mover
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Derry, NH Via Salem, NH via Ma, NC, ex Manchester, UK.
Posts: 670
"You Can Barely Speak English"
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!
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 13th 2004, 12:31 am
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
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 13th 2004, 1:30 am
#3
Corpsicle
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 648
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!
Sometimes my accent has a effect of calming down angry callers. I've had a few women go from being upset, to saying how hot my accent it, and completely forgetting about their issues.
I'm such an asset to me company
Jul 13th 2004, 4:37 am
#4
Time Lord
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Lansing, MI
Posts: 1,032
I've had someone tell me on the phone that my English was terrible. Got a few giggles out of that one.
Jul 13th 2004, 12:23 pm
#5
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: PA
Posts: 5
Re: "You Can Barely Speak English"
I hear you there I remember a particularly obnoxious telemarketer telling me I couldn't speak English, few choice words to be had there, strangely enough they never called back!
It can be useful for those annoying phonecalls as I just tell them I am here on vacation and couldn't possibly be interested in whatever they are selling me.
Still have been here three years everyone still comments on my accent but my family back home think I sound like a yank - no pleasing some people I guess!
Claire
It can be useful for those annoying phonecalls as I just tell them I am here on vacation and couldn't possibly be interested in whatever they are selling me.
Still have been here three years everyone still comments on my accent but my family back home think I sound like a yank - no pleasing some people I guess!
Claire
Jul 13th 2004, 2:17 pm
#6
Time Lord
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Lansing, MI
Posts: 1,032
I've lived here for 4 years now, and I still can't do an American accent! Whenever I've tried it sounds like a strange amalgamation of Irish and Welsh.
Jul 13th 2004, 2:42 pm
#7
Not living a 9 to 5 life
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,061
Re: "You Can Barely Speak English"
Originally posted by RoB1833
<<snip>>
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!
<<snip>>
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 13th 2004, 2:45 pm
#8
Blindside Fumbler
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Tampa
Posts: 967
I was asked by a car salesman if I could read English...
Jul 13th 2004, 5:25 pm
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Washington, DC via Cornwall
Posts: 193
Sometimes when I tell people that I am from the UK, they ask me how I know English.
Jul 13th 2004, 6:12 pm
#10
Maño-Americano
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: In the heart of the Ozarks
Posts: 10,216
Re: "You Can Barely Speak English"
Originally posted by NC Penguin
Can you imagine the reaction if we Brits made a retort like that to Southerners or Americans, in general?
Can you imagine the reaction if we Brits made a retort like that to Southerners or Americans, in general?
Jul 13th 2004, 6:19 pm
#11
Blindside Fumbler
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Tampa
Posts: 967
Or will y'al speak English
Jul 13th 2004, 7:28 pm
#12
"Where are the shovels?"
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Oregon
Posts: 568
Hasnt happened to me yet...if it does my answer will be "no I don't speak English badly, it's an accent...I'm sorry if you can't tell the difference (or what an accent is)...what's your excuse?"
Jul 14th 2004, 2:18 am
#13
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,442
Originally posted by Oggie Oi!
Sometimes when I tell people that I am from the UK, they ask me how I know English.
Sometimes when I tell people that I am from the UK, they ask me how I know English.
Jul 15th 2004, 1:42 pm
#14
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 111
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 don't know how many times I heard Sweden getting mixed up with Switzerland when I was in Arkansas for 4 months. Or questions like "do y'all speak English there?" or "is that in Europe?". But mixing up the U.K. with Ukraine is just hilarious.. I alsmost fell off my chair when I read that.
Cheers,
Ola
Sweden (U.K. this summer)
Jul 15th 2004, 2:02 pm
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
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.
Most of the time when people ask me where I'm from, I tell them Kansas City, Missouri. Half of them actually believe me.