Just thought I would start a thread about dumb questions you asked the locals in a foreign (to you) city that they basically rolled their eyes at you, thinking "dumb (insert country here)". For myself, I remember in Paris for the first time, I asked a local where Monmartre was and they looked at me like I was crazy and said I was standing in it. Oops!

This didn't happen in Europe, but on my husband's first trip to Las Vegas, he asked a pit boss what time the casino closes. Before I could jump in an answer, the stone-faced pit boss told him that the last time that casino closed was the day of the Kennedy funeral. He said that all casinos in Nevada closed for 20 minutes that day. DH was so embarassed.

(I am blushing even now) When I sweetly suggested that I expected change from a 20 Euro bill... and all the guy did was give me coins. I forgot to remember, Euro's are in coins!

Well, a person speaking impeccable French with a Parisian accent asked me if I could direct her to Eglise St Sulpice.

Since I was standing under the sign pointing to St Sulpice, I was able to answer without having to think.

P_M, your husband should't feel silly! On one of our trips to Nevada, it was in Reno about 10 years ago, we stayed in a smaller hotel/casino, and they did close the casino from midnight to 6 am.

When I was in Paris I was in desparate need of a package of Kleenex to carry around. I walked into a pharmacy. It was very small, so I had to ask the person behind the counter, as there weren't many display shelves. I first asked her if she spoke English as I was way too exhausted to try to figure out what to say in my mediocre French. She did, a bit. So, I asked for "tissues". I tried to explain what I wanted, with gestures. She asked if I wanted something for removing makeup. I was stumped.

Brilliant husband of mine simply says, "Kleenex?" and she produced a small pocket pack, exactly what I needed.

Now why couldn't I think of that????

DH and I were in Salisbury, England. We were walking through the park near the cathedral and needed directions to our B&B. DH asked a well dressed gentleman if he spoke English! We still laugh about it from time to time.

Same story-- but not foreign-- I once asked a cop in NYC where I was. He looked at my Fla plate--looked at me-- and said "Would you believe New York City.

My sis-in-law was in Switzerland recently. She realized she needed a strapless bra, so she went to a department store. SIL had a hard time communicating with the salesperson in the clothing department, so she was directed to a lady at the jewelry counter, who spoke some broken English. SIL tried explaining in words, as she was too embarassed to use gestures . The salesperson finally got it. "OOOOOHHHHH, YES! Would you like gold-plated or silver-plated?"

ttt

My very fist day in Europe - I arrived in Paris and took the bus to Rue Cler. While looking for my hotel a woman came up to me asking for directions - I just held up my suitcase, smiled and shrugged.

A story I like came from one of my London Walks guide. He had a woman from New York ask why the traffic signals make a beeping noise when they change. He replied "That's for the blind." She said "In New York we don't allow the blind to drive!"

I have been stopped 3 different times by tourists in Washington, DC, while walking past the White House, and asked how to get to the White House.

Ann41,
That is a classic - it's happened to me dozens of times (usually foreign visitors). In fact, I've had people ask me that while I was sitting on a bench in Lafayette Square. It boggles the mind.

rj007 wrote:

>A story I like came from one of my London Walks guide. He had a woman from New York ask why the traffic signals make a beeping noise when they change. He replied "That's for the blind." She said "In New York we don't allow the blind to drive!"<


rj007, I heard that exact same story on a walk in London, except we were told it was a man from Texas who said that. The guide told that story right after asking me where I'm from from, which is Texas.

Recycling is getting fashionable in the UK...

Years ago we got off the train for a bit in Brienz, Switzerland on our way to Interlaken. We walked around a bit, got back to the train station just a couple of minutes before our train, but I couldn't find a list of what trains came to which platform. I went up to the window and kept trying to ask the guy in a horrible attempt at German which platform: "vitch Gleis Interlaken?" etc, pointing wildly and trying in various combinations, while the guy just kept staring at me and shrugging. Finally the guy at the window said in perfect English "I know what you're asking, I just don't know which platform the train will be on". He was a student from Boston working there.

Many years ago, when I was in Spain, we three friends had to go to the bathroom. I said lets go to a department store and find one there. When we got there, none of us knew what the word was. We tried to say something in spanish for ladies room, women's room, bathroom and just got blank looks. Finally I crossed my legs and shook, the woman laughed and said pee pee. And then directed us to the toilet room. From that time on I always use the word toilet when I travel

spring33 - why is it Americans have a seemingly irrational aversion to the word "toilet"? Bathroom/restroom seem the most banal euphimism for a word which in no way warrants one.
I find it rather amusing a alternatively endearing or infuriating!

Dr D.

Dr. Do Good, speaking only for myself, I always learned that the toilet was the stool itself, and not the entire room. When I took my first trip to Europe in high school, I was a bit shocked that everyone kept talking about the "toilets," because it sounded like they were only talking about the stool. At some point I figured out that was the way to refer to the bathroom, so now I use that word when I'm in Europe. It's just another way the English language is different on our side of the pond.

And I'm just charmed out of my mind when the Brits refer to the toilet as the loo or the WC, since neither phrase bears any resemblance to the modern equipment.

Colloquials and idioms are common in every language.