T1B

Was sitting at a restaurant the other day and the couple behind us were conversing in (I think) Spanish. I'm sure that that the guy was at least bilingual because when I went to sit down, I spilled my glass of soda all over my table. I said "SHIT!", and he commented to me,"IT happens." Anyway it got me to thinking that of course in SW FL a lot of folks speak Spanish, and so what? Got me to remembering in my youth that my Dad, Grandmother, and Great Grandfather all could converse in German. Was a great way for them to gossip, I guess. without us young 'uns knowing what they were saying. I recall going for walks with my Great Grandfather Otto Kuhn and he'd stop to talk to a few folks along the way in German. Several of my Italian-American friends in high school had parents that spoke Italian in their homes. I worked one summer with a couple Polish guys and they would chat with each other in Polish. I had a girl friend (before MrsO) whose family spoke French.
The only language I took in high school was Latin because I figured I'd never meet a Roman.
My point being that it has never been uncommon to hear people talking in a language other than English. My beef is with all the signage. I don't recall signs in German, Polish, Italian, or French in my past. Quebec Canada being an exception of course.
What were your experiences?

Pig Latin and Pidgin English.

Shit and fuck are the new Rosetta stone.

I even hear slopes using them in their speech.

Wolfman wrote:...the couple behind us were conversing in (I think) Spanish.

You're not sure if the language they were speaking was Spanish?

:?

German. Also took Latin in HS and by growing up in northern Mehico I picked up enough Spanglish to have a decent conversation. Can't write Spanglish at all though.

Shlomart Ben Yisrael wrote:

Wolfman wrote:...the couple behind us were conversing in (I think) Spanish.

You're not sure if the language they were speaking was Spanish?

:?

Come on. Wolfie lives in Florida.

How much exposure to Spanish to you get in Florida?

Austrian.

--Barry Obuttfuck

Could have been Portuguese, there are Brazilians here.

Took Spanish in hs. Been to Montreal and know just enough French to read a map.

Wolfman wrote:I recall going for walks with my Great Grandfather Otto Kuhn and he'd stop to talk to a few folks along the way in German.

Probably passing espionage information back to the homeland....

Mikey wrote:
How much exposure to Spanish to you get in Florida?

Yeah, no one of Latin American descent in Florida.

I have heard that Spanish and Portuguese are very similar, but, not to my ear. They are spelled quite closely, but, I always thought that Portuguese sounded very different. This may have something to do with the majority of my spanish exposure being Puerto Rican, which, according to other hispanics I know, is pretty much unintelligible to them.

Personal exposure is a lot of Puerto Rican as a kid. I can swear fluently in puerto rican, a good bit of Portuguese in jr/sr high school. Took 2 years of dumbed down Latin which was a complete waste. Should have listened to my gramps at the time who told me I should be taking spanish instead. Grandparents on mothers side spoke Italian to one another when they were pissed or just didn't want us to know what they were saying. I gave the same advice to my daughter that I got from gramps, she, of course, didn't listen and took 6 years of French in jr/sr high. Then got into UConn as a French major before coming to her senses. She now works with troubled "urban" kids and admits that she should have listened to me about taking Spanish. Would be a big help in her field.

In addition to swearing rather well in puerto rican, I can order a beer in most of the western european languages.

Bilingualism becomes just part of the scenery, if it's not there something seems out of place but you don't know what. French is mandatory till grade 10 and total French immersion is an option for anyone till high school (in theory). To not speak or understand French, you have to make a serious effort.

Can order a hamburger and chips in Spanish.

Can tell you to put your hands up or alert people about U-boats in German.

I took French in high school and college.

Living in So cal and travel to Mexico, I don't speak more than a couple words of Spanish, although I should learn.

My best friend and I since childhood have our own language we call gibberish. We still speak it to each other on occasion for fun.

Sudden Sam wrote:
Spanish when in Tampa.

Must be a mistake -- Mikey has suggested that there aren't any Spanish-speakers in Florida.

For the record, my experience with Tampa is similar to yours, but we'll need verification from Mikey.

trev wrote:My best friend and I since childhood have our own language we call gibberish. We still speak it to each other on occasion for fun.

I think you are confusing gibberish with being hammered.

Dinsdale wrote:

Sudden Sam wrote:
Spanish when in Tampa.

Must be a mistake -- Mikey has suggested that there aren't any Spanish-speakers in Florida.

For the record, my experience with Tampa is similar to yours, but we'll need verification from Mikey.

I guess you didn't get my sarcasm.

Or maybe you did, pendejo.

I'm involuntarily fluent in IKYABWAI. I also frequently communicate in the language that was used to author the Voynich manuscript.