Recent | Best Of
Hopeful tourist to hotel employee: We came to see kangaroos in their natural habitat, which way is the outback?
Hotel Front Desk
Vienna
Austria
Overheard by: flamingriver
20-something American girl, loudly and excitedly, pointing at statue: Ohmigod! Ohmigod! Ohmigod! There's a statue of Jesus! They've got a statue of Jesus Christ! Ohmigod!
Unimpressed 20-something Greek girl: That's a statue of Zeus. (slight pause) You fucking retard.
National Archaeological Museum
Athens
Greece
Overheard by: Bleep
American tourist #1: What's your background?
Tourist guide: Aboriginal.
American tourist #1: No, as in "where were you born?"
Tourist guide: Here, in Australia.
American tourist #1: But you're black!
Tourist guide: Yes... I'm aboriginal.
American tourist #1: But I thought you guys were all extinct! Are you, like, the last one?
American tourist #2: Jay, shut up. It's idiots like you that make us look stupid. He's messing with you, there are no aboriginals.
Adelaide, Australia
Tourist: Wait, so you can't smoke cigarettes, but you can smoke pot?
Local guy: Welcome to California!
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Overheard by: Arielle
60-something tourist holding map, looking bewildered: So why is it called lemon chicken anyway?
Canberra
Australia
Overweight redhead Southern lady #1, looking through Switzerland t-shirts: Y'all, Ginger... I think this size is a li'l too small...
Overweight redhead Southern lady #2: Naw, I think that looks 'bout right.
Random lady: I thought we went on vacation to get away from the Southerners, not go find some more...
Lucerne
Switzerland
Overheard by: marisawin
Canadian girl #1 to tour operator: Where can we do tours of Auschwitz?
Tour operator: Um, well, Auschwitz is in Poland, so...
Canadian girl #2: No, but we mean the one the Germans set up for the war. The German one.
Tour operator: Yes, I understand, but they set it up in Poland.
Canadian girl #1, after pause: Are you sure? We came to Berlin just to see it.
Berlin
Germany
Overheard by: Jit
American tourist: It's so quaint here. All the pretty houses. It's so romantic.
German host: Uh-huh.
American tourist: What I don't get, though, is why they built it if they don't even charge money for people visiting it.
German host: I think the people living here would feel weird about that.
American woman: Wait, people actually live here??
Regensburg
Germany
Middle aged Midwest tourist, extremely wistfully: I wish I would've gotten her that marionette...
Wall Drug
Wall, South Dakota
Overheard by: Melissa
Artsy tourist to touristy-looking woman: More cats, more money!
Outside Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
Istanbul
Turkey
American tourist male: It must have been horrible being locked up in a place like that.
American tourist female: It couldn't have been that bad. They had to at least let them out to go to the bathroom.
Dungeon Cell
Tower of London
England
Overheard by: fnordy
Large female tourist in plaid bermuda shorts: You know what's wrong with California? Too many windows!
Quincy Market
Boston, Massachusetts
Overheard by: Isotope Feeney
Fat tourist mom: Nah... I don't wanna eat there.
Fat tourist dad, wistfully: Well, it's not McDonald's.
Outside Marcy's Diner
Portland, Maine
Overheard by: townie knows best
Tour guide: Where is your group going next?
Tourist: The Vatican.
Tour guide: Oh? You are lucky, the Pope is not there.
Florence
Italy
Overheard by: Burlabo
Tourist: It's like Times Square with less fat people!
Piccadilly Circus
London
England
Overheard by: Stuart
Guy in "I heart NJ" shirt: Could you take our picture?
German tourist: Sure.
Guy in "I heart NJ" shirt: Thanks a lot, man.
German tourist: You luv New Jer-see?
Guy in "I heart NJ" shirt: Hell yeah!
German tourist: You za own-lee vun!
London
England
Overheard by: Joyful One
Mom tourist: We're going to go see the Washington Monument, do you know who it's named for?
Son tourist: Yes, our first President, George Washington
Mom tourist: That's right. (pause) He's dead now.
Washington, DC
Tourist: So, basically, people go to Castro to stare at the gay people making out?
Passenger: Well, the gay people feel more comfortable making out there... Because people aren't staring at them...
Berkeley, California
American tourist, overlooking Grand Canal: It's like... It's just like Las Vegas!
Venice
Italy
Overheard by: Pumpkin and Peanut
Australian tourist: God, it's so hot in here. I can't wait to get out of here and take these pants off.
Church security guard, overhearing: Yes... that is very difficult to do in a church.
Vatican City
Overheard by: LeBron
American tourist to girlfriend: No, it's a special species of blue rabbit that can survive in space.
Girlfriend: Wow!
Kaaba Cafe
Prague
Czech Republic
Teenage tourist girl to friend: Wanna play connect the dots with my track marks?
Friend: (laughs nervously)
Teenage tourist girl: Also, if you do that stupid thing with your water glass again, I'm gonna strangle you, and throw you in a pit and put a dead dog on top of your grave. Pass me that cheese?
Pizzeria
Rome
Italy
Tour guide: The vestal virgins would be raped and buried alive if they were no longer virgins. If they let the fire go out, they would just be buried alive.
Tourist: I dunno if that's any better.
Little old Japanese woman: Hey, at least the first way you get some thrills.
Colosseum
Rome
Italy
Host to dumb tourist: Would you like to sit inside or in the garden?
Dumb tourist: What's the weather like in the garden?
Host: I'm going to guess that it's the same as outside the front door you just walked through.
Restaurant
Charleston, South Carolina
Overheard by: Crash
Tourist to park ranger: How do I get to Mt. Desert Island from here?
Park ranger: Ummm, you're standing on it.
Tourist: No, I'm not.
Park ranger: Yes, you are.
Tourist: This is ridiculous, I'm going to report you to the government.
Park ranger: No, really, you're on the island.
Mount Desert Island, Maine
Tourist chick, looking at rescuer on poster: Wow, if I knew I'd be rescued b a guy as hot as that, I would just jump.
Grand Canyon West Rim
Arizona
Overheard by: Long way down
Tourist: Are you a good Muslim or a bad Muslim?
Haunted Mansion, DisneyWorld
Orlando, Florida
Overheard by: Eric
Tourist woman to wheelchair-bound local: Can you point me in the right direction?
Wheelchair-bound local: Yep, it's straight down that way.
Tourist woman: Okay...but is it walkable?
St. Lawrence Market
Toronto
Canadia
Overheard by: kingdubby
Tourist, yelling at husband who went to magazine kiosk : Get the magazine! Not the paper! Magazine! (husband comes back with paper) *Sigh* Men...they're the same everywhere.
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Confused tourist lady, looking at anime convention kids in costume: Excuse me? Do you know what all of this is about?
Local: Yeah, the whack-job convention is in town.
Confused tourist lady: The...the..."whack-job" convention? (looks at costumes) Whack-jobs?
Local: (smacks forehead and turns away)
Washington, DC
Overheard by: Sarah Boyd
MTA worker to tourist mom buying tickets with daughter: 10 dollars.
Mom: Oh, but she's a student.
Worker, looking at daughter: Oh! How nice for you! (looks back at mom) Ten dollars please.
Subway Station
New York City, New York
Overheard by: Glad thats not my cheap-ass mom
Indian tourist outside strip club: So you pay money, and a lady dances for you.
Mum: Well, that sounds delightful.
Whitechapel
London
England
Overheard by: Chinese cockney
American tourist to friends: I hope this park has shade and air conditioning.
Barcelona
Spain
Overheard by: Kate
Metro cop addressing large crowd waiting for the orange line: Keep moving down the platform. Move down, please!
Tired tourist mom: Move down, honey.
Little girl: Why?
Tired tourist mom: Because we're sheep, that's why.
Smithsonian Station, DC Metro
Washington, DC
40-something tourist woman: But is it beneficial for your toaster?
40-something tourist woman #2: Umm...do I really have to answer that?
Underground Mall
Montreal, Canadia
Overheard by: Yes, yes you do.
Middle aged tourist with shopping bags moving towards a small puppy: Well, my oh my, aren't you the sweetest looking thing in the world!
Puppy: (barks)
Middle aged tourist: Oh, go fuck yourself!
Bangkok
Thailand
Overheard by: Adair
Canadian tourist girl #1: Wow! That's such a cool bridge!
Canadian tourist girl #2: Wow! It totally goes all the way across the river!
Millenium Bridge
London, England
Overheard by: Michael Oakes
Swedish tourist: We came here for the chicken, but will remember it for the toilets.
Swiss Chalet
Toronto
Canadia
Overheard by: Glad I didn't go downstairs...
American tourist: Where's north here?
Local Swedish friend: (points north)
American tourist: It seems north changes everywhere I go, in Hungary it was that way (points), in Aspen it was that way (points) and now in Sweden it's that way (points).
(Swede stares in disbelief)
Stockholm
Sweden
American tourist: Why did they put the castle so close to the airport?
Outside Windsor Castle
Windsor
England
Tourist lady, as train approaches the end of the line: So how are they going to turn this train around?
Daughter: They don't have to. It can go in either direction.
Tourist lady: Well, are they at least going to turn the seats around?
Subway
Washington, DC
Hotel concierge: So, how did you enjoy The Big Easy?
Tourist lady: Oh, New Orleans is a wonderful city. I just wish I knew what it smelled like...
Drunk guy: "Ass." That's the word your looking for. The city smells like ass.
Bourbon Street
New Orleans, Louisiana
Midwestern American: Well, we never did find out if he was a racist or not, but there's not a whole lot left of him to find out now.
London
England
Overheard by: doe
Tourist mom: I'm fascinated by religions. I always read about them. But I've been watching this four-hour documentary on the Mormons and I can't really get into it.
Daughter: Why not?
Tourist mom: Well, every time I watch it I fall asleep.
Temple Square
Salt Lake City, Utah
Effeminate tourist guy on cell: So yeah, it was rigidly pressed in the watershed...
Cottage Street
Bar Harbor, Maine
Obese middle-aged tourist to husband: I called him and told him we're at passenger pick-up 2. He called and asked where we'd be, and I said passenger pick-up 2, that's where he can find us. It's just easier to find us when he gets here. Passenger pick-up 2. And it's cold. That's why I brought this vest. I brought this vest in case it got cold, and it got cold. I'm going to button it up. Did you hear me? I'm going to button it up. There, it's buttoned. (husband ignores her)
Newark Airport, New Jersey
Overheard by: EthanK
Tourist mom: What would Carol think of all this?
Seven-year old son: Her name is Coral, and I told you we broke up!
eavesdropdc.blogspot.com
Loud, fat american teen: I have to take the biggest leak ever. Pause. And then I want to check out those hedgehogs.
Market in Freiburg, Germany
Half-drunk tourist girl: You're lying! Nobody has all that happen in their life!
Half-drunk guy with NY accent: I'm from Brooklyn! We all live unbelievable lives!
Parker House Bar
Boston, Massachusetts
Overheard by: annikee
Fat American female tourist to new best friend: If ya didn't like the Vatican, you're gonna hate the Louvre!
6th Floor, Hilton Arc de Triumph
Paris
France
Overheard by: Pope Andrew I
American backpacker girl, about her new hostel boyfriend: So, as of this afternoon, he's one step closer to not being a virgin.
Dutch girl, shocked: What about your period?!
American friend, walking up: Don't worry. Just do it. He won't even know what's going on anyways.
Loki Hostel
La Paz
Bolivia
Guy with luggage: What's the temperature tonight?
Guy without luggage: Two.
Guy with luggage: Two? Two! Why the fuck do people live here!?
Brown Line
Chicago, Illinois
Tourist: Is it solid silver?
Salesman: Let me show you. First, do you know how to tell the difference between solid silver and silver plate?
Tourist: No.
Salesman: This is solid silver.
Dodgy Souvenir Shop
Egypt
American chick #1: Ohmigod! Look at those white cows! I've never seen cows like that before!
American chick #2: Maybe they're albino... Or it could be a special British type of cow.
Guy sitting behind them: ... Those are sheep.
Bus, Southern England
Overheard by: pretends to be Canadian
Middle-aged American tourist woman: The rooms here have strange plugs, I simply cannot use my curling iron! This is outrageous... I want to see the manager immediately!
Hotel Restaurant
Munich
Germany
Overheard by: Dru
White tourist: I'm really sorry -- I don't have any change. If I did, I'd give you some, but I don't, so... sorry. Good luck with everything...
Black dude: Cracka, I'm ain't homeless!
Hynes Convention Center subway stop
Boston, Massachusetts
American guy: Could you stamp my passport, please? It's a hobby of mine.
Passport checker to coworker, in German: These damn Americans always want something. Look, they've all got booze and bags and t-shirts. Now they want stamps.
American girl: Sir, I'd like mine stamped, too.
Passport checker, in German: I bet that girl was here to fuck guys. American girls become sluts in Europe.
American girl: Sir, that's not very nice!
Passport checker, still in German: I hate it when they know German. Then we can't talk about them!
Airport
Cologne
Germany
Lost woman: Excuse me, can you tell me what state I'm in?
Mall of America
Bloomington, Minnesota
Overheard by: ugh...tourists
Tourist to waitress: How do we get to the bad part of town?
Shout-out: feeds.feedburner.com
Overheard by: kyle
Dutch tourist as four very fat tourists waddle by: I bet they're American.
Hong Kong, China
Overheard by: i was thinking the same thing
American tourist #1, approaching Piazza de Michelangelo: Oooh, is that the David? Like, the real David?
American tourist #2: No, that's not the real one. The real one doesn't have arms.
Florence
Italy
Overheard by: Lex
Canadian tourist #1: Guys, you know what the States have that most of Canada doesn't?
Three others: What?
Canadian tourist #1: Black people...
Buffalo, New York
Overheard by: Bored At Work
Tourist #1: No, there is more than one kind of virginity.
Tourist #2: What?
Tourist #1: You know, like anal-ginity, Argentina-ginity, Ameri-ginity. All kinds of '-ginities.'
Tourist #2: Wow, that's sick, man.
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Midwestern tourist: Excuse me, are there any malls around here?
Local teen, in exaggerated accent: We don't have malls in these here parts. Malls tempt the young ones to siiin. [Tourist leaves, scared. Teen then grumbles without accent] Fucking tourist.
Broadway and 4th Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee
Overheard by: pedestrian
Tourist at Folklife Festival: You're just looking for an excuse to take a picture of a black person.
Shout-out: eavesdropdc.blogspot.com
American tourist: It all started when I said, 'Hey, Dave, are you up for a sword fight?'
Temple Bar
Dublin
Ireland
Old man: Are you going somewhere exciting?
Girl with suitcase: Not really. But when I get there, I'm getting laid.
Shout-out: overheardinpdx.blogspot.com
Overheard by: aaron
Passenger to Muslim agent lady: People must get freaked out when they see you.
Ticket counter, Newark airport
Newark, New Jersey
Overheard by: OOC
Tourist: What's a gable?
Tour guide: A peak in a roof.
Tourist: So, a gable is a roof?
Tour guide: Uh... Yes.
House of Seven Gables
Salem, Massachusetts
Tourist girl on cell: I found the house I want to live in when I move to DC, but then I found out it was the Smithsonian...
Washington, DC