phases that make me want to smack someone

1) What, praytell, do y'all consider a "middle European" accent? There are a lot of countries, languages and dialects (hence accents) in the center of Europe.

2) Castillian Spanish accents are extremely rare in the United States. Y'all should watch on 'o them thar formerla one races to hear a true spanish (as opposed to hispanic)accent.

3) Which Mexican accent do you find offensive? There are several. I had several employees from Mexico, and I had one who spoke to me and translated the others for me. I could understand Miguel, but couldn't understand three of his compatriots (also from Mexico) as they had a different accent to their Spanish. I almost got into an altercation with them one day because of a misinterpretation, after which I relied on Miguel.

The accent thing doesn't just apply to Spanish-speakers speaking English, that's for sure. I have a friend from Argentina, who, when we first met, asked "You speak Spanish?" When I replied, "No, Francais - mais un petit peau," he replied, "Ah, no Francais, me. You speak Mexican?" Clearly to Argentinians, they speak Spanish, Mexicans speak their own language.

There's pretty much nothing folks normally say that make me want to smack them. Fight the urge to correct them? Sure. (In instances that I DON'T correct them that is.) Smack anyone? Nah.

I actually enjoy accents, my daughter has a friend from the south that says "yes mam" to me all the time, I think its endearing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cataholic

WOW! I can't really generate the type of animosity towards people for using incorrect speech that y'all can.

---

I agree - I just don't get this excited about what people say. And I am around a lot of ignorant people in my work.
I get annoyed when little woman call in a schedule a MAMM-EIO-GRAM -
its a MAMM-O-GRAM.... but violence????
Remind me not to open my mouth around some of you.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shais_mom

I get annoyed when little woman call in a schedule a MAMM-EIO-GRAM -
its a MAMM-O-GRAM.... but violence????
Remind me not to open my mouth around some of you.....

---

Would you be annoyed if I called in to schedule my annual "squish-o-gram?" I got my reminder notice on my birthday this year - NOT a welcome present.

at least squish-o-gram would be pronounced
correctly! :D
and not adding and EI in it! :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by K9soul

I guess I judge someone's caring, class and concern by how they treat me and how they behave towards me, rather than what words they do or don't say when greeting me or saying goodbye. I'd be pretty reluctant to have a conversation with some of the people in this thread after reading it through. Never know when I'm saying or pronouncing something in a way that gets me judged or is angering someone to the point they want to hit me :rolleyes:

---

I agree. Some of these "complaints" seem really petty. I actually go out of my way to not criticize someone's speech, probably to a fault. My co-worker often says something is a *mute* point rather than a *moot* point. I have yet to point out her error to her because I don't want to appear condescending.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maya & Inka's mommy

What I hate is that some women always say "honey" or "hon", whether they know you or not!

---

LOL! I had to laugh when I heard this. I have to say being called "honey" or better yet "babe" gets me (not enough where I want to smack anyone though.)
We had a girl at work who called everyone "Babe" ALL the time. I finally got tired of it one day and said, I'm sorry but my name is Anna not "Babe".
She really got offended :o

So now it's a running joke at work for us to call each
other "honey", "babe", "sweetheart" or things like that.

Otherwise I can't think of anything that bothers me. I say Ya'll and I'm not even from the south:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Karen

The accent thing doesn't just apply to Spanish-speakers speaking English, that's for sure. I have a friend from Argentina, who, when we first met, asked "You speak Spanish?" When I replied, "No, Francais - mais un petit peau," he replied, "Ah, no Francais, me. You speak Mexican?" Clearly to Argentinians, they speak Spanish, Mexicans speak their own language.

There's pretty much nothing folks normally say that make me want to smack them. Fight the urge to correct them? Sure. (In instances that I DON'T correct them that is.) Smack anyone? Nah.

---

I don't know why, but this reminded me of a story. We had a Euchre (card game) tournament through work as a fund raiser. A friend of mine brought a couple they are friends with, and the woman was not orginally from the US. We would change tables and partners on the outcome of each game. At one table, the freind started speaking Spanish. One of the guys at her table was getting impatient, wanting to play. He told her you can speak English, or your native language, I don't care, let's just play.

She asked him why he thought Spanish was her native language. He said, well, you have an accent, and you are darker complected. She let him dig himself a nice little hole with the conversation. Then said, by the way, I'm not Hispanic, I'm from Romania, I just teach Spanish!

One thing that took me some getting used to is the pronunciation of Aluminum. In our little corner of the world, it is generally pronounced
A-lum-in-um. The chemistry manager at work always says Al-u-min-ium, which I believe is a more European pronunciation(?). Totally confused me what he was talking about!


There are phrases that I find unusual, or pronunications that make me heisitate, but certainly nothing that makes we want to slap anyone!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CathyBogart

My ex and I used to get in HUGE fights about this.....He'd say "I'll pick you up in a bit" so I'd shower and get dressed...and two hours later I'd still be waiting." :mad:

---

That is what me & the boyfriend goes through every time we have a conversation on-line.. we don't fight about it, though, but I always tell him not to say that if he doesn't think he'd be actually ready, I told him, "in a bit" means, 20 minutes later, NOT 2 hours later, and he always apologizes for that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by critter crazy

Whatever! I am not arguing with any of you!!
I was offended! Sue me for crying out loud!!

I guess I am not supposed to be offended by someone Saying they want to slap me cause of the way I talk!!!

---

I was confused up until you said you were offended by her Mexican/Spanish comment b/c I thought you 2 just had a running commentery going on and maybe had become friendly off board. B/c it seemed like everything you said she thought was funny. :confused:
I understand you were offended. You have every right to be offended. Just b/c someone else was not offended doesn't make her statement less offensive. Someone telling you are wrong to feel that way - is just as wrong as what she said.

When I was in high school I used to say
"I seen" all the time - until one of my friends and my mom corrected me everytime it came out of my mouth. It took me a long time to break the habit and I would have to think everytime I attempted to say it.
Now I say I have seen or I saw. And now its just a slight annoyance when I hear it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shais_mom

I was confused up until you said you were offended by her Mexican/Spanish comment b/c I thought you 2 just had a running commentery going on and maybe had become friendly off board. B/c it seemed like everything you said she thought was funny. :confused:
I understand you were offended. You have every right to be offended. Just b/c someone else was not offended doesn't make her statement less offensive. Someone telling you are wrong to feel that way - is just as wrong as what she said.

---

I was trying to make it funny, her original statements about wanting to slap people did make me mad, but I just tried to let it go, and make it a joke. But this comment about mexicans has made it worse, and I am indeed offended. Its not funny anymore.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by critter crazy

Whatever! I am not arguing with any of you!!
I was offended! Sue me for crying out loud!!

I guess I am not supposed to be offended by someone Saying they want to slap me cause of the way I talk!!!

---

I agree, I think pretty much all of the statements made are offensive. The way people talk (many times this has to do with where a person grew up) has nothing to do with intelligence or "class." I think the notion of actually hitting someone based on the way they talk is a lot less "classy" than anything anybody could say.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pembroke_Corgi

I agree, I think pretty much all of the statements made are offensive. The way people talk (many times this has to do with where a person grew up) has nothing to do with intelligence or "class." I think the notion of actually hitting someone based on the way they talk is a lot less "classy" than anything anybody could say.

---

Well said.