RANDOM THINGS YOU HATE

[Zu]

On which note, I’ll add PEOPLE USING ENGLISH WHEN THEY GO TO A COUNTRY WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE FIRST LANGUAGE to the things I hate list. Make an EFFORT!

I went to France with two friends a few years ago and I was so utterly ashamed that they insisted on ordering everything in English at every single restaurant, not least because I could have done it for them IN FRENCH. Not even a fucking BONJOUR

 

[Alla]

On which note, I’ll add PEOPLE USING ENGLISH WHEN THEY GO TO A COUNTRY WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE FIRST LANGUAGE to the things I hate list. Make an EFFORT!

Are you for real?

 

[Zu]

Are you for real?

Yes, I am. At least learn a FEW WORDS!

 

[Alla]

I mean, I speak English in Sweden (applies to many other countries) because everyone speaks it there, how am I going to make an effort and try to speak a language I have no idea when I can communicate in English?

 

[Zu]

I mean, I speak English in Sweden (applies to many other countries) because everyone speaks it there, how am I going to make an effort and try to speak a language I have no idea when I can communicate in English?

I’m not saying that EVERYTHING has to be in the tongue but learning and using hello, yes, no and thank you isn’t beyond ANYONE

 

[lolly]

DOS CHEESY CHIPS POR FAVOR

 

[Alla]

I’m not saying that EVERYTHING has to be in the tongue but learning and using hello, yes, no and thank you isn’t beyond ANYONE

Well every time I go to Sweden I wear a stinky boa and loudly sing Så nära walking down the streets, I think that covers it.

 

[Zu]

Actually it’s people not even learning how to say (and saying) “Do you speak English?” in the relevant language before launching into English which is my main irritant. At least ASK. I’m not so insanely demanding that I expect everyone to be FLUENT

I imagine that Spaniards don’t launch straight into Spanish when abroad unlike the PIE AND MASH PLEASE CUNT brigade from the UK

 

[Zu]

La Zarra wrote a note on Instagram announcing she was giving up gluten, but it kind of read like she was ending her life.

It did have a certain DALIDA SUICIDE NOTE edge to it

 

[Alla]

I think we see it from different perspective for obvious reasons. English is a language that is damn easy to have a basic level, extremely easy compared to any other language I know, and they speak it in every hotel around the world (except Russia), so why should I struggle to say something in a near-impossible-to-learn Finish, or Icelandic, when I can use English? I made an effort to learn it for a reason, bitch. Although I think it's sensible to learn the most basic things like thank you or 2 beers, please. Specially if you go to Russia and thank you (Спасибо) sounds in Spanish exactly like "she's a bottom", so in Moscow I always said spasibo pointing at my friend.

 

[RJN]

@Zu 2's point makes sense but really only applies to native English speakers imo

 

[Marina Salty]

On which note, I’ll add PEOPLE USING ENGLISH WHEN THEY GO TO A COUNTRY WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE FIRST LANGUAGE to the things I hate list. Make an EFFORT!

Tbh I feel sorry for the waiters when foreign people try to dazzle them with their language skills.
99% of the time they're like this.

 

[straightorbroken]

I think we see it from different perspective for obvious reasons. English is a language that is damn easy to have a basic level, extremely easy compared to any other language I know, and they speak it in every hotel around the world (except Russia), so why should I struggle to say something in a near-impossible-to-learn Finish, or Icelandic, when I can use English? I made an effort to learn it for a reason, bitch. Although I think it's sensible to learn the most basic things like thank you or 2 beers, please. Specially if you go to Russia and thank you (Спасибо) sounds in Spanish exactly like "she's a bottom", so in Moscow I always said spasibo pointing at my friend.

I've instantly learned that for life

 

[joanne]

yesterday i went to my local supermarket and i am quite certain that i asked "haben sie jalapenos?" and he replied, "yes, i will show you, SIR". i'm living my ultimate i don't speak German but I can if you like, AW!! fantasy.

 

[Zu]

@Zu 2's point makes sense but really only applies to native English speakers imo

Oh it absolutely only applies to people whose first language is English

 

[Lucille]

It also kind of depends on the country, you would never ask someone in Amsterdam if they speak English, because of course they do.

 

[Zu]

It also kind of depends on the country, you would never ask someone in Amsterdam if they speak English, because of course they do.

When I was there with two other friends (no longer friends after an inexplicable and violent row they had in the hotel about an umbrella) a waitress was very off with them for speaking English to her from the get go (although maybe she sensed they were deranged even though the umbrella incident had yet to happen, hence offness) so they might speak English but I think it’s good manners to ask even if it’s presented as SPEAKY VOO ENGLISH PLISS?

 

[jivafox]

When you ask if they speak English in France

 

[Zu]

yesterday i went to my local supermarket and i am quite certain that i asked "haben sie jalapenos?" and he replied, "yes, i will show you, SIR". i'm living my ultimate i don't speak German but I can if you like, AW!! fantasy.

You probably didn’t pronounce the ñ and pronounced the j as you would in jam. Instant giveaway

 

[Zu]

When you ask if they speak English in France

Oh I (inevitably) just love how inflexible the French are. VIVE LA RÉPUBLIQUE !

 

[Lucille]

You never know if they’ll be more disgusted by you speaking English, or more disgusted by you attempting French, always such a thrill!

 

[Zu]

You never know if they’ll be more disgusted by you speaking English, or more disgusted by you attempting French, always such a thrill!

Quite the lucky dipper!

 

[Lucille]

Me: Je voudrais un vin rouge

French Waitress:

 

[Zu]

Of course we havd a whole variety of facial expressions from MADAME which very adequately sum up the French response to someone using poor French or barking English at them

Not least that video of her responding to that man waving and smiling at her

 

[jivafox]

 

[Zu]

EVERY TIME!

Also here. SMILING BUT NOT

 

[jyxz]

You probably didn’t pronounce the ñ and pronounced the j as you would in jam. Instant giveaway

I was about to add the ‘people who prounounce jalapeños with a hard J’ to the list

 

[Zu]

i'm living my ultimate i don't speak German but I can if you like, AW!! fantasy.

 

[ZenGiraffe]

When I was in Paris, for some reason my brain decided if I didn't know something in French, to say it in German. Since ALL FOREIGN is interchangeable.

My friend, fluent French speaker, just sat and watched me fall apart at restaurants.

Much prefer the German approach of taking one look at me and speaking English out of pity.

 

[RS]

Back when I was a scared little twink living in Paris and was assaulted everytime I tried to speak in French or asked if they spoke English, I learned that it doesn’t matter what language you speak, if you smell blood, you have no chance of surviving…

 

[Zu]

Back when I was a scared little twink living in Paris and was assaulted everytime I tried to speak in French or asked if they spoke English

and , even though this potentially sounds like quite a sad and disturbing tale

ACTUALLY ASSAULTED?

 

[Zu]

I did warn @RaspberrySwirl (pictured below) that flaunting his wares on le Marais in a mesh unitard might end in tears

 

[VoR]

I sometimes find trying to speak Swedish in Stockholm quite discouraging. If you drop so much as a syllable, nine times out of ten they'll just roll their eyes and switch to fluent English in a flawless American accent at the drop of a hat.

 

[Zu]

I sometimes find trying to speak Swedish in Stockholm quite discouraging. If you drop so much as a syllable, nine times out of ten they'll just roll their eyes and switch to fluent English in a flawless American accent at the drop of a hat.

Speaking German in Berlin is EXACTLY the same, even if you get it right

 

[octophone]

People who "dance like no-one's watching". Mate, there's folk all around you, stop waving your arms in people's faces and bashing into folk. Calm down.

 

[RS]

I sometimes find trying to speak Swedish in Stockholm quite discouraging. If you drop so much as a syllable, nine times out of ten they'll just roll their eyes and switch to fluent English in a flawless American accent at the drop of a hat.

That’s actually true. It’s partly because we think we’re doing you a favour, and partly because why waste time on trying to communicate when you could easily switch to a language that both parts understand.

 

[RS]

ACTUALLY ASSAULTED?

Well that had happened a couple of times but more due to the rough area I lived in and less due to language barrier.

 

[joanne]

People who "dance like no-one's watching". Mate, there's folk all around you, stop waving your arms in people's faces and bashing into folk. Calm down.

if you don't want arms waving in your face perhaps you shouldn't have come to the gayest club in town, Jessica.

 

[VoR]

That’s actually true. It’s partly because we think we’re doing you a favour, and partly because why waste time on trying to communicate when you could easily switch to a language that both parts understand.

Oh I get that, but struggling through and figuring out how to communicate beyond your limited vocabulary is the only way to become fluent, and I feel like I very seldom get the opportunity!

Last time I was over I ended up going for dinner with @Suomi and a bunch of middle-aged Swedish ladies who know one of his friends. Myself and HerSereneHighness were the only non native Swedish speakers at the table, so the conversation was mostly in Swedish. I was really quite shy at first because I'd crashed and burned with my clumsy efforts in a few retail stores, but because they gave me a chance and didn't default back to English, I ended up able to engage in far more of the conversation than I expected!

 

[RS]

Oh I get that, but struggling through and figuring out how to communicate beyond your limited vocabulary is the only way to become fluent, and I feel like I very seldom get the opportunity!

Of course!

An adjacent topic is speaking to other Scandinavians. I always switch to English, especially with Danes, and I know some of them get offended but I really just don’t understand them.