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Old 3 Sep 17, 11:49 PM  
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Sparksy72
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Language Barriers

I have just come back from a 12 day road trip through Boston, Portland, Burlington, Essex, Niagara, Spencerport NY and back to Boston. I had so many issues with ordering food/drinks and it completely threw me, I am Australian but have lived in the U.K. for the past 10 years and didn't realise that understanding my accent would be so difficult for the locals to understand. Is it just me?

It got to the point that when I tried to order a cup of water from the Starbucks in Boston Airport that I gave up, in spite of 2 other American customers intervening on my behalf ( I had also ordered coffee and a frappaccino) after 15mins I was beside myself after being given a cup of boiling water, I just gave up. Has anyone else had these issues with communication?

Edited: I have never had these issues in Olrlando or New York

Edited at 11:53 PM.
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:00 AM  
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Sorry re the frustration.

Funnily enough some people in US generally have asked if we are Australian, so maybe we sound similar.

Had some language issues in US, but not just in New England. Probably more the expression than the accent. For instance asking people if they are in a queue gets some puzzled looks. I think "waiting in line" is the usual phrase.
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:06 AM  
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'warder' is always a difficult one for us too - I even try it in my best Mary Poppins English and the waitstaff often look at me as if I spoke Martian! DH doesn't even bother now and leaves it to me as they just used to stare at him when he used to speak!
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:09 AM  
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Thank you for your reply! I wasn't cross but just could not understand why I wasn't able to be understood 😬 My DH said I should not use 'brand names' e.g. My son asked for a Fanta in Speculator NY in a local tavern and it was confusing but apparently orange soda was more easily understood. From then on I didn't use 'brand names' when ordering. However when trying to ask for a cup of water in Boston airport no one knew what I wanted? I found it really strange, especially as we had spent 2 weeks in Hvar Croatia prior to this trip and had no language issues. M x
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:11 AM  
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Originally Posted by dee slack View Post
'warder' is always a difficult one for us too - I even try it in my best Mary Poppins English and the waitstaff often look at me as if I spoke Martian! DH doesn't even bother now and leaves it to me as they just used to stare at him when he used to speak!
Lol! Maybe your husband and I are related! Honestly I just gave up and the poor Americans trying to help me couldn't understand why they wouldn't give me a cup of water! I give up
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:15 AM  
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My Wife says I sound like a Labrador with laryngitis
So much so she does the ordering at restaurants.

However I do know I am very deep voiced plus I talk fast so maybe that's the problem.
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:23 AM  
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Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow View Post
My Wife says I sound like a Labrador with laryngitis
So much so she does the ordering at restaurants.

However I do know I am very deep voiced plus I talk fast so maybe that's the problem.
😆 She obviously loves you but wants the right meal from the menu! Smart lady!

I tried to order a coke float for my DS at York (nubble lighthouse) and it didn't come with the rest of my order. When I asked where it was the person that served me told the person delivering my order that he didn't know what I was asking for (despite it being on the menu &#128556 so he just didn't make it 🙄. Honestly, it was just one thing after another! I told my husband that all our ordering was now his responsibility
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:26 AM  
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Originally Posted by Sparksy72 View Post
Lol! Maybe your husband and I are related! Honestly I just gave up and the poor Americans trying to help me couldn't understand why they wouldn't give me a cup of water! I give up
might just take paper and pen next visit and save all the frustration!
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Old 4 Sep 17, 12:37 AM  
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Originally Posted by dee slack View Post
might just take paper and pen next visit and save all the frustration!
Absolutely! I would I have done that if I had thought of it! Thank you for the tip Michelle xx
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Old 4 Sep 17, 10:15 AM  
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Last time we went I found that I was understood more easily than DH. He is very Dundonian whereas I have the generic softly spoken north east Scots accent. I did have to really think about my use of words though, I confused a poor American woman by telling her that my crying daughter "just needs a shoogle". I was careful to use American English terms after that!
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