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-   -   any cunning linguists? (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=25593)

sexobon 08-02-2011 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lola Bunny (Post 748143)
Now that the thread has strayed, my post will seem boring and off topic. Just to add to the original question of the thread, I learned French and Chinese but lost most of it from years and years of lack of use. I now can only speak English and Vietnamese fluently.

One of my French instructors was from Vietnamese aristocracy. Her father was an Ambassador and she went to school in France. Another instructor, who was from France, had a husband who was a soldier killed in Vietnam. Small world.

Urbane Guerrilla 08-03-2011 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinite monkey (Post 747965)
Ugh. . . I hated being called 'barmaid' when I bartended. No one called the male bartender 'barbutler.'

Though etymologically, maybe they should.

Sundae 08-04-2011 04:26 AM

A butler is FAR above a maid!

Urbane Guerrilla 08-05-2011 09:16 PM

Butler <-- M Fr. botellier, the guy who handles the bottled goods -- his duties about serving milord's table seem to have started out as something like a sommelier's.

monster 08-13-2011 07:11 PM

English, French and a little German. In general I find Americans to be far more obsessive aabout their manners -sending notes to thank people for thank you notes sent for gifts that were given inperson and thanks said at the time..... but yes, ordering is different. I always thought I'd never say "can I get....", or "I'll take a...." but I do. I aleways say thank you, though. "May I have...." tends to throw waitstaff off balance and then you have to go through 10 painful minutes of how they love your accent and where are you from and how they're saving to go to England......

limey 08-14-2011 02:59 AM

English (Br), Russian (fluent), French (better than it ought to be after years of neglect).
But then I do work as a translator of Russian.


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