Today, I met one of our donors at a company gala. One guy said he was from Trinidad. He had an accent, so I told him that his English sounded great for someone from a foreign country. He then told me that English is the official language in Trinidad. Don’t think we’re getting funds anymore. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, I was at the airport trying to help a man get to the right terminal. When he finished he turned to tell me "Don't worry, your English is pretty good, considering you're not American". English is my only language. FML
Today, I was instructed by my boss to welcome the 2 new foreign business partners since I am the only one who could speak their language. When they arrived I greeted them in their language. One of them scratched his head and asked his companion in plain and clear English, "What did he say?" FML
Today, a tourist from an English-as-second-language country taught me a new word. In English. FML
Today, a client came in and was struggling to speak properly. He said, “Sorry, no good English” so I offered a Spanish speaking colleague who could assist. He frowned and said he was from Greece. He threw a fit and got my manager involved. I got a write up and have to do an online sensitivity training. FML
Today, I gave a presentation to a group of international clients. Wanting to impress them, I tried to say "Thank you" in their language, which I thought was Portuguese. Turns out, I was speaking Spanish to a room full of French Canadians. Their confused faces were priceless. FML
Today, a customer asked me if I was English, because I was struggling to understand what he was saying. I said yes. He then called me a liar, and said I must be "one of them Polish immigrants." Oh, and he also had a thick Scottish accent. FML
Today, I was talking online to this guy, and everything was great. He then sent a voice message and his accent was a deal breaker. FML
Today, I was verbally abused by a tourist because neither I nor anyone else in my country can speak "proper English". We're in England - clue's in the name, dipshit. FML
Today, two American guys attacked me for not speaking their language. I'm from England, and they said I'm speaking my own language wrong. FML
Today, I got a phone call, and the person on the other line started speaking French. I assumed it was my friend, since we usually speak French with each other, so I said in French, "What do you want, asshole?" It wasn't my friend. It was a representative for the exchange program I'm applying for. FML
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Top comments
Crowned Sataness 12
I'm sure he knew you meant no insult. you can't be expected to know the national language for every single country. especially if you're American, where the school system doesn't even teach you your own
RichardPencil 32
No more Sugar Trini-daddy? You could have recovered by saying "Those Tobagonians sure suck, am I right?"
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Comments (6)
RichardPencil 32
No more Sugar Trini-daddy? You could have recovered by saying "Those Tobagonians sure suck, am I right?"
Anderling 33
It’s almost as though every single place that speaks English will have its own unique accent based on geography, the surrounding languages and any other languages that are official in that country or something.
sarsuela 29
It's almost as though there are hundreds of countries and it is not reasonable to expect one to know all of the official languages or something.
Anderling 33
England conquered so much of the planet that there are 55 countries that celebrate their independence from it and many more that are still crown territory. It’s a safer bet to assume that an accent you can’t place as definitively foreign is a native English accent you haven’t heard than to assume it isn’t.
Brightside86 31
Im sure this isn't the first time, the Trinidad accent is very noticable.
Crowned Sataness 12
I'm sure he knew you meant no insult. you can't be expected to know the national language for every single country. especially if you're American, where the school system doesn't even teach you your own
Earl_KarmasBitch 36
America doesn't have a national language. I agree that it's a pretty big sign of a poor schooling system that most Americans don't know that.
JillianJuneBug 39
If it makes you feel any better I didn’t know that either
idragosani 17
Bad form to comment on someone's accent like that. YDI.