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Any Working Girl Knows That.
Crazy, overweight French prof: Ma boîte est dans un endroit très triste.
Student: Your box is in a sad place?
Crazy, overweight french prof: Oui, but which box?
Student: (giggles)
Crazy, overweight French prof: Box is another word for office!
Simon Fraser University
Canadia
Overheard by: so that's what they're calling it these days
Categories: Body parts | Canadia | Crazies | Language barrier | Teachers | Words | Posted 2011-08-30 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Well It Works in Her Favor!
Girl: I'm hanging out with Claire today, that's why I can't stay later.
Guy: Is Claire the one with the awesome accent?
Girl: She has a speech impediment.
Seattle, Washington
Overheard by: Leonard
Categories: Girls | Guys | Language barrier | Maladies | Questions | Relationships | Washington | Posted 2011-06-16 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
...Question Mark.
Teen: I couldn't tell if he meant "stop, exclamation point," "don't, exclamation point," or if he meant "don't stop, exclamation point."
Friend: What did you do?
Teen: Look, that handjob wasn't going to finish itself, and I have a reputation, so I had no choice.
Friend: You're a goddamn trooper.
Syracuse Mall
Syracuse, New York
Overheard by: Just Exclaming!
Categories: Friends | Language barrier | Masturbation | New York | Words | Posted 2011-05-15 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Americans Mistakenly Believe Silence Can Be Improved Upon
Russian girl: When I read in Russian, nothing can stop me. But when I read in English, I need silence.
American girl: That's what the music is for!
Train
Moscow to Nizhniy Novgorod
Russia
Overheard by: Adam Nathan
Time to Invest in Some Bose Headphones, Dear Reader
Female heard through the wall, after giving blow job: That's all you have to say? "Thanks?"
Male, through wall: Moshi-moshi.
Female, exasperated: See, that's your problem! Half the time you don't even speak English anymore!
Male: That was "thank you" in Japanese.
Female: Oh.
Norman, Oklahoma
Aren't You Glad We Can Talk Like This?
Girl: Woah, when did you get here?
Boy: Everywhere.
Girl: I asked when.
Boy: Oh. Uh. All the time.
Spokane, Washington
Categories: Girls | Guys | Language barrier | Questions | Stupidity | Washington | Posted 2011-03-27 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
You Mean, Like, Jersey Shore?
Marine with no game to clearly uninterested sales clerk: And we marines say "semper fi" to each other, do you know what that means?
Sales girl: Yeah, it...
Marine, interrupting: It means "always faithful." It's like Russian or some shit... No. Maybe Italian... Yeah, it's Italian.
Mall
Birmingham, Alabama
Tyra Banks, During Every Taping Of America's Next Top Model, Encapsulated.
Black professor: Actually, it wasn't neither... Excuse me, I had an Ebonics moment. Please forgive me.
Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi
Categories: Education | Language barrier | Mississippi | Stupidity | Teachers | Words | Posted 2011-02-02 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Don't Even Get Them Started on the Pussy Products.
Little girl: Can I have the nose now?
Guy: Yeah, sure, it probably has everyone's snot on it now, though.
Older girl: Ew! Oh my gosh, mental image!
Guy: What do you want me to say? I'm speaking their language.
Older girl: Say "nose... products." It has "nose products."
Guy, laughing hysterically: Nose products?
Older girl: Yes, nose products.
Little girl, holding out fake vampire teeth: Here, take my mouth products.
Kids' Playground
Manhattan, New York
Categories: Body parts | Girls | Guys | Health & Hygiene | Language barrier | New York | Questions | Posted 2011-02-01 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Especially Not About a Peanut Being Neither a Pea Nor a Nut
Six-year-old boy in coffee shop: Mom! I did not come here to talk!
Shout-out: feeds.feedburner.com
Overheard by: he's got an agenda
Categories: Family ties | Kids | Language barrier | Overheard in Minneapolis | Parenting | Posted 2010-12-04 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
If No One Hears Them, Are They Really Dead?
Man: There are mutes dying all over the world, and they can't say anything! So here I am...
Providence, Rhode Island
Categories: Death & dying | Guys | Language barrier | Rhode Island | Weirdness | Posted 2010-12-02 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Translation: That's Lazy Screenwriting
Student: This morning I watched Walker, Texas Ranger. They're always going around talking to Native Americans.
Professor: That's good.
Decorah, Iowa
A New Grammar Book by Tyra Banks
Drunk girl in bar: Dammit, bitch! Talk legible!
Memphis, Tennessee
Overheard by: James
Categories: Bars & Clubs | Drunks | Girls | Insults | Language barrier | Tennessee | Posted 2010-10-06 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Let Sleeping Girls Lie, Dude
Boyfriend: Hun.
Girlfriend, just waking up: Mmm?
Boyfriend, hugging her: Mine.
Girlfriend: Mmm-hmm.
Boyfriend: Am I gonna have to become an organist to understand you?
Girlfriend: Hmmm?
Boyfriend: You know, so I can understand your pitches and stuff.
Girlfriend, lower pitched: Mmmm.
Boyfriend: See? Like that!
Jersey City, New Jersey
Categories: Couples | Language barrier | New Jersey | Words | Posted 2010-09-08 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Rhode Island's a Very Small State, Dear Reader
Girl, waiting for Italian professor: How can she know Italian well enough to teach it when she can't even speak English that well?
Rhode Island
Overheard by: Doesn't Speak Italian
Categories: Education | Girls | Language barrier | Questions | Rhode Island | Posted 2010-08-10 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
For the Last Time, It's Called a "Tax Audit"
Party girl: It's a pow-wow!
Party guy: Dude, everyone knows it's not a pow-wow without a fire.
Party girl: I have a sombrero.
Party guy: No, no, that's a fiesta!
Salisbury, Maryland
Categories: Language barrier | Maryland | Sorority types | Words | Posted 2010-07-08 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
We Know, Eminem.
30-something guy: I can't speak English, but my prose is fuckin' smooth.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Overheard by: hb
Categories: Compare and contrast | Guys | Language barrier | Massachusetts | Posted 2010-05-23 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Just Pretend You're in New York
Girl, seeing random guy screaming gibberish: What was that?
Guy: Don't worry about it.
Bellingham, Washington
Categories: Girls | Guys | Language barrier | Washington | Weirdness | Posted 2010-04-28 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
I Know I'm Flakey, But I Was Just Itching to Shop.
Foreign chick on cell: I'm at the gonorrhea. (pause) No, I'm at the gonorrhea. Yah... In yewstun. I'm at deelurds in the gonorrhea.
Dillards, The Galleria
Houston, Texas
Overheard by: OMG She had VD
Categories: Foreigners | Language barrier | On the phone | STDs | Stores | Texas | Weirdness | Posted 2010-03-30 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
I Always Thought a Zeppoli Was That Big Machine on Ice Rinks
Guy: Yeah, this woman over at the Sun-Times building used to make this focaccia bread for us, it was great. But she was Italian-American though, she didn't know, she didn't even know what a cannoli was!
Friend: What!?
Guy: Yeah! And, like, zeppoli, she didn't know what a zeppoli was either! And those are like the two big things, y'know?
Friend: Oh, man!
Guy: That's what happens! That's what happens when you mix up the blood!
Chicago, Illinois
Overheard by: SOB: Stale Off the Boat
What Does Martin Short Have to Do with Anything?
Five-year-old boys, in unison, about female lion strutting around: The mamacita is awake! The mamacita is awake!
Harried mother: I said let's not say that word... Let's say "elfman" is awake!"
San Diego Zoo
California
Categories: Animals | California | Kids | Kids | Language barrier | Moms | Parenting | Words | Posted 2010-01-20 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
When I Drink, I Become Fluent in Arabic
Drunk boy, about text message: That doesn't say anything.
Drunk girl: Yes, it does. It says, "hey, what's up?"
Drunk boy: No, it doesn't.
Drunk girl to sober girl: Does this say, "hey, what's up?"
Sober girl: No. It says, "al aloof ah."
Brantford
Ontario
Canadia
Categories: Canadia | Drinking & drunks | Drunks | Girls | Guys | Language barrier | Words | Posted 2009-12-23 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
She's Canadian.
Hipster girl: Oh, look, there's a movie theata here too!
Hipster guy: Movie "theata"? Wow, you do have an accent... but your sister, she's really got an accent!
Hipster girl: Actually, she has a speech impediment.
Boston, Massachusetts
Categories: Compare and contrast | Family ties | Health & Hygiene | Hipsters | Language barrier | Massachusetts | Words | Posted 2009-11-22 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Ah Yes, Spanish-- The Language Of Pretention.
Worker #1: So he told me to put my zapatos on!
Worker #2: Zapatos? What the fuck is that?
Worker #1: Apparently it's Spanish for "shoes." I mean, how pretentious!
Worker #3: What is it with Americans? Like 99% of Americans speak Spanish. It's not like they're anywhere near Spain!
Worker #2: Hang on, why weren't you wearing any shoes?
Sydney
Australia
Overheard by: Not-American
So It's Likely He's Very Drunk.
Little girl: He's drunk, I swear!
Teenage sister: He's not drunk, he's a foreigner.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Overheard by: Julia
Categories: Colorado | Drinking & drunks | Kids | Kids | Language barrier | Siblings | Teens | Posted 2009-11-19 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
...Let's Relax with Some Margaritas.
Russian professor: Grammarlicious definition makes them "gringo locos." (pause) Now that you've all been permanently scarred...
Arizona State University
Categories: Arizona | Colleges & Universities | Education | Language barrier | Teachers | Weirdness | Words | Posted 2009-11-13 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
A Delight to Hear, but Generally Incomprehensible
Woman: Ireland was amazing!
Man: Do they have accents there?
Woman: Yes.
Man: Like British accents?
Woman: Like Irish accents.
Man: They have those?
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
That's Also Sad, but for Different Reasons
Girl #1: It so sad that racism is still a problem in Canada.
Girl #2: I know what you mean, the other day my mother-in-law went to a variety store, and she, like, couldn't get served in English.
Toronto
Canadia
Overheard by: Sad York Student
Categories: Canadia | Family ties | Girls | Language barrier | Race | Shopping | Stupidity | Posted 2009-10-30 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
...Ever Since She Became a Character on Laguna Beach
Latin professor: Can anyone use a Latin interjection in a sentence?
Student: Lo! Look at that angel!
Latin professor: Yes, that is a very common interjection.
University of Denver, Colorado
Categories: Colleges & Universities | Colorado | Education | Language barrier | Students | Teachers | Words | Posted 2009-10-10 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
We Told You It Was a Lousy Safe Word
Little girl on playground: Ow! Ow! Ow! Doesn't this word mean anything to you?
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Categories: Colorado | Kids | Language barrier | Questions | Words | Posted 2009-09-01 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Why I Could Never Teach Middle School
13-year-old preppy white girl: It be sneakah time, ya'll!
Deptford Mall
Deptford, New Jersey
Categories: Kids | Language barrier | Malls | New Jersey | Preppies | Stupidity | Teens | Whiteys | Posted 2009-08-31 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Ever Watch Any Of Bush's Speeches?
Four-year-old: Mommy, that girl speaks English!
Mother: Yes, she does.
Four-year-old: But nobody here speaks English. Does she really speak English?
Mother: Of course she speaks English! She's white!
Shout-out: overheardlines.blogspot.com
Overheard by: katie
Categories: Kids | Language barrier | Moms | Overheard Lines | Parenting | Race | Should have used a condom | Posted 2009-08-25 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
One Problem with the Global Village
Boy to hot girl: Hey, how's it going?
Hot girl, in French: I'm speaking in French so that you won't know what I'm talking about and will think that I can't speak English.
Boy, in French: Oh really? I know French too!
Bus
New York City, New York
It's All the Hair in Their Ears.
Husband, reading aloud from newspaper: Honey, did you know that women use an average of 30,000 words a day, while men only use 15,000?
Wife: That's probably because we have repeat everything to men.
Husband: What?
Australia
Overheard by: Mikyla
Categories: Australia | Compare and contrast | Couples | Language barrier | Questions | Science | Sexuality | Words | Posted 2009-08-09 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
A Tale, Told by an Idiom.
Finnish lady: They waited years to diagnose him so now of course he's got a lot of luggage.
American lady: Wait, don't you mean baggage?
Finnish lady: Luggage?
American lady: Baggage.
Finnish lady: Baggage, luggage.
Brazilian man, totally bewildered: Suitcases?
West Hollywood, California
Overheard by: Sprightly
Categories: California | Foreigners | Health & Hygiene | Language barrier | Maladies | Women | Words | Posted 2009-08-09 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
...Given the Painful Inflammation Of My Chamber Of Secrets
Angry British guy on phone: My name's 'arry. No! 'arry! 'arry! Dammit, no! 'arry, like 'arry Potter! Thank you.
Girl nearby: You just made my life a little better.
Arizona
Overheard by: Meg:)
Categories: Arizona | Books | Girls | Guys | Language barrier | Names | On the phone | Posted 2009-07-04 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Scientists Call It "Nature's Junk Drawer"
Professor: So does anyone know what the word "matrix" means in Latin?
(silence)
Professor: Well it means "womb." Now, why might that be? Let's think about it...I mean, I guess a womb is a pretty good place to put...things.
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
Categories: Body parts | Colleges & Universities | Education | Language barrier | Questions | Students | Teachers | Virginia | Words | Posted 2009-06-23 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
At Least She Correctly Identified Them As Birds.
High school girl, looking at seagulls feeding: That ain't crows, them are ducks!
Shout-out: talovich.blogspot.com
Overheard by: Yugan
Categories: Birds | Compare and contrast | Default | Girls | Language barrier | Other sites | Students | Posted 2009-06-10 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Grabbing Other Women's Butts Is a Cultural Thing.
College girl from England: Hey, whoa, are you drunk?
College girl from Prague: No! I'm Czech!
Royal Holloway University of London
England
Categories: Colleges & Universities | Default | Drinking & drunks | England | Foreigners | Geography | Girls | Language barrier | Questions | Students | Posted 2009-06-05 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Sadly, Not Even the Scots Understand Their Accent
Girl #1, playing boardgame: You steer a boat with this.
Girl #2: An udder?
Edinburgh
Scotland
Overheard by: Ben seven
Categories: Compare and contrast | Default | Girls | Language barrier | Scotland | Words | Posted 2009-03-24 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Aren't You Glad We Can Talk Like This?
Girl #1: So, during history I was blowing bubbles with my gum and...
Girl #2: Who's bubbles?
Girl #1 (continuing, uninterrupted): I got it all over my glasses just as my history teacher looks at me! He just stood up there laughing for a good five minutes, and no one knew what he was laughing at because I managed to get it back in my mouth before anyone could see.
Girl #2: Wait, what?
Eugene, Oregon
Overheard by: nyssa
No Need to Get All Paulette Goddard on Me
Teenage girl: Mom, you have to buy me this book!
Mom: No, I don't, and I shan't.
Teenage girl: You what?
Mom: I shan't.
Teenage girl: "Shan't"?
Mom: Shan't.
Teenage girl: "Shan't"?
Mom: Shan't.
Teenage girl: "Shan't"?
Mom: Yes. Shan't.
Teenage girl: That's a word?
Mom: Yes.
Teenage girl: What's it mean?
Mom: It's a contraction of "shall not", as in "I shan't buy you that book."
Teenage girl: Ugh, fine! Enough shan'ting already!
Borders Bookstore
Olathe, Kansas
Your Editors Will Watch Drew Barrymore in the Weakest Of Romantic Comedies
20-something girl freaking out after hanging up cell phone: I can't do this! I can't talk to him right now! Will you pretend to be me?
20-something friend: I can't! He'll know because of my lisp!
Chipotle
Lawrence, Kansas
Overheard by: Alexandra
Categories: Compare and contrast | Default | Friends | Girls | Kansas | Language barrier | Offers and requests | Questions | Restaurants | Posted 2009-02-14 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
At Least I've Stopped Singing the Score to The Mikado
Asian tranny, bowing to group of exiting patrons: Thank you, puh-rease come again!
Very femme male waiter, exasperated: Oh, shut up!
Restaurant
San Francisco, California
Categories: Asians | Compare and contrast | Default | Employees | Guys | Language barrier | Restaurants | San Francisco | Words | Posted 2009-02-13 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
You Bet Your Honduras!
Customer pointing to guacamole: Can you put some of that Guatemala on it?
Chipotle
Washington, DC
Categories: Customers | Default | Food | Geography | Language barrier | Restaurants | Washington, DC | Posted 2009-02-11 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
The Main Problem Is the Language Barrier
Young man: I love living in Honolulu, but everything's so expensive. I can barely afford just to live. It's actually pretty common to buy milk for eight dollars a gallon!
20-something girl: Wow! Really? What's the exchange rate there?
Young man (looking rather baffled): It's about one to one.
20-something girl: Oh, well, that's not too bad.
Denver, Colorado
Overheard by: Brian
Porn Overload Eventually Destroys Your Ability to Read
Customer looking up at menu board: Umm, I'll have the "German chock a lotta cock."
(girl scooping ice cream looks horrified)
Customer, now pointing: The "German chock a lotta cock." It's right there.
Ice cream girl: It's pronounced "German chocolate cake."
Cold Stone Creamery
Fountain Valley, California
Overheard by: RL
Categories: California | Customers | Default | Geography | Girls | Language barrier | Names | Offers and requests | Penis | Stores | Posted 2009-02-06 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Wait 'Til She Learns Sweden Also Has Universal Healthcare
Jersey girl #1: And then she was like, "What's a Guido?"
Jersey girl #2 (blissfully): I like to think there's a world where people don't know what Guidos are. I bet there'd be unicorns.
Manasquan, New Jersey
Categories: Animals | Default | Geography | Girls | Language barrier | New Jersey | Questions | Weirdness | Posted 2009-02-03 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
The Perils of Kiddie Prozac
Dad to little girl: I'm going to feed you to a puppy.
Little girl: Dad! I don't want to eat a puppy.
Dad: I'm not going to feed you a puppy, I'm going to feed you to a puppy.
Little girl: Oh, that's okay, I like puppies.
Brunswick
Melbourne
Australia
Overheard by: Claire
Just Remember: "There Are No Small Parts..."
Girl #1: Why is it that so many midgets end up getting into acting? There must be a shortage of midget actors...
Girl #2: Shortage?
Sault Ste Marie
Ontario
Canadia
Ivan the Terrible Eventually Did a Barbara Walters Interview, to Clear Things Up
Girl #1: He's massive?
Girl #2: Yeah, I heard he impaled someone!
Girl #1: I just meant he's tall.
Vienna
Austria
No One Respects the President Anymore
Guy on headset: I'll talk to you later. I hope your speech impediment improves.
Vienna, West Virginia
Categories: Default | Education | Guys | Language barrier | West Virginia | Wishes | Posted 2009-01-01 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
We'll Get You a Milk and an Epi Pen and Let's See What Unfolds
Five-year-old in cafeteria during kindergarten lunchtime: Mr. Greg, my mom didn't put juice in my lunch. Can I get a drink from the cafeteria?
Mr. Greg: Sure, I'll get you something. You want milk?
Five-year-old: Yeah.
Mr. Greg: Regular white milk or chocolate?
Five-year-old: Chocolate.
Mr. Greg: Okay. You're not allergic to chocolate, are you?
Five-year-old: Yeah.
Mr. Greg: You are? Oh, then I'll get you white milk. Are you allergic to white milk?
Five-year-old: Yeah.
Mr. Greg: Oh, then I'd better see if they have juice.
(Mr. Greg goes into the kitchen and comes back with orange juice)
Mr. Greg: Here's some orange juice. You're not allergic to orange juice, are you?
Five-year-old: Yeah.
Mr. Greg: Do you know what "allergic" means?
Five-year-old: No.
Elementary School
Los Angeles, California
Categories: California | Default | Food | Guys | Kids | Kids | Language barrier | Offers and requests | Questions | School [Elem., Middle, & High] | Teachers | Posted 2009-01-01 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Tonight's Movie: Merde on the WestJet Express
Flight attendant: So I'm gonna let the lady in the box [the recording] take it away in French, then I'll finish up in English, because we like to save the best for last!
Entire plane: Oooooooooooooh!
Lady at the back (in French): We're still in Quebec, you know!
WestJet Flight
Montreal
Canadia
Categories: Airports & flights | Canadia | Compare and contrast | Default | Flight attendants | Geography | Insults | Language barrier | Public Transportation | Women | Posted 2008-12-30 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Leave It to the Ivy Leaguers to Really Get to the Crux of an Issue
Frat boy: That's all I want, a girl from, like, some poor village in southern Italy, doesn't speak a fuckin' *word* of English, and I can bring her home, and she can lie in my bed all day, and fuck me, and make me gnocci.
Plain blonde girl: Do you really like gnocci?
Yale Berkeley College Dining Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Categories: Colleges & Universities | Default | Food | Frat boy types | Geography | Language barrier | Massachusetts | Questions | Relationships | Sorority types | Wishes | Posted 2008-12-25 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
But, Then, Who Would?
Guy talking about Belgium: They probably would not speak weasel with their Flemish brothers.
Chicago, Illinois
Overheard by: i think i missed something
Categories: Default | Family ties | Geography | Guys | Illinois | Language barrier | Posted 2008-12-20 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
The Best Apples Don't Go Into Applesauce. Or Teaching
English teacher (about Don Pedro in Much Ado about Nothing: "Don" in Spanish means "wicked cool guy."
Tantasqua High School
Fiskdale, Massachusetts
Overheard by: Kat
Categories: Default | Education | Language barrier | Massachusetts | School [Elem., Middle, & High] | Teachers | Words | Posted 2008-12-09 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Then We March Through Georgia!
Foreign language professor on first day of class (in Russian): By the end of this year, I will have you singing like Russian whores!
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Categories: Colleges & Universities | Compare and contrast | Default | Education | Geography | Language barrier | Teachers | Tennessee | Posted 2008-10-25 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Perhaps the Little Beret Was a Poor Idea?
Girl #1: Yeah, so, my vagina keeps talking to me.
Girl #2: Really? What does it say?
Girl #1: I don't know--it keeps speaking French.
Shout-out: www.overheardatmcgill.com
Overheard by: just trying to get a muffin
Categories: Default | Friends | Gender issues | Girls | Language barrier | Overheard at McGill | Vagina | Weirdness | Posted 2008-10-09 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Now Say That Again While Flexing Your Bicep
Dumb girl: Oh, I love The Flintstones. How do you say "yaba-daba-do" in Portuguese?
Portuguese stud: Yaba-daba-doooooo!
Dumb girl: God, that's awesome! I love Portuguese!
Pasadena, California
Categories: California | Default | Feelings | Foreigners | Girls | Language barrier | Questions | Students | Stupidity | TV shows | Words | Posted 2008-10-02 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
...Until I Heard Her Reciting Beowulf in the Shower
English teacher: Yeah, I dated this girl one time and she took a class and learned middle English. She memorized the beginning of The Canterbury Tales in middle English so she was like, "Do you want to hear The Canterbury Tales in middle English?" And I was like "yeah!" and she said it, and it didn't even sound like English. It was crazy, like chanting or something. I was about to propose to her just then. But I got over it.
Rock Bridge High School
Columbia, Missouri
Overheard by: Kelsey
Categories: Default | Education | Feelings | Language barrier | Missouri | Relationships | School [Elem., Middle, & High] | Teachers | Posted 2008-09-13 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Why Arsenal Is Losing the Battle for Hearts and Minds
Englishman in Manchester City shirt: Oi, is that a Manchester United shirt?
Eight-year-old Japanese boy: Herro.
Englishman in Manchester City shirt: Hello, you cunt.
Japan
Categories: Asia | Asians | Clothes | Default | Foreigners | Gym rats | Insults | Kids | Language barrier | Questions | Posted 2008-08-31 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
And No Claws This Time, Please
Cat being carried by a morning walker: Meaow! Meaow meaow!
Morning walker: Yeah yeah yeah, okay. Then what happened?
Cat: Meaow!
Morning walker: Really? So what did you do?
Joggers Park
Vashi, Bombay
India
Categories: Animals | Creepsters | Default | India | Language barrier | Weirdness | Posted 2008-08-31 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
You Just Can't Get Good Sign-Fetish Porn Domestically
Short brunette teen girl: Haha.
Tall blonde teen girl: What?
Short brunette teen girl: I have clearly been watching too much porn cause I can actually read that sign in Spanish.
Missisauga
Ontario
Canadia
Overheard by: was the sign advertising a strip club?
Elmer and Mrs Fudd Are Justifiably Proud of Their Daughter
PSU freshman (attempting to flirt): Wow, that's an amazing accent! Is it British?
Cute freshman who says Rs like Ws: Actually, it's a speech impediment.
Shout-out: overheardinpdx.blogspot.com
Overheard by: ellen
Categories: Compare and contrast | Default | Insults | Language barrier | Overheard in PDX | Questions | Students | Posted 2008-06-25 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
And Who You Callin' a Dias?
Old man with mullet to brown child in stroller: Buenos dias, niñito.
Woman pushing stroller: We're black. He knows English.
Gallivan Center Trax Station
Salt Lake City, Utah
Experimental Music Has Really Jumped the Shark
Little kid in stroller: Ouaf! Waf! Ggrrr! Ouaf!
Mom: Oh yeah! Yeah!
Little kid in a stroller: Ouaf! Waf! Ggrrr! Ouaf!
Mom: Yeah! That's it. Yeaaaah!
St Laurent Boulevard
Montréal
Canadia
Overheard by: Augustime
You Slept with Him in Chinese?
[Chinese girls whispering.]
Girl #1 yells: What?! You slept with him last night and didn't come home until three this morning?!
Girl #2 yells back: In Chinese, stupid!
Bus
Chicago, Illinois
Categories: Asians | Bus | Etiquette | Friends | Girls | Illinois | Language barrier | Offers and requests | Questions | Sex | Posted 2008-06-04 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
I Mean I Have a Case of the Cups
American guy: Hmm, what should we have for desert?
French girl: I've been craving crab cakes. With frosting.
American guy: Uhh, you mean cupcakes?!
3rd St West Hollywood
Los Angeles, California
Categories: California | Food | Foreigners | Girls | Guys | Language barrier | Questions | Words | Posted 2008-05-22 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
It Doesn't Translate Well
Muslim girl: Ramadan Mubarak!
Girl: What does that mean?
Muslim girl: It means, like, "Yay, it's Ramadan!"
Girl: So, like ... "Yay, I'm not eating or having sex most of the day!"?
Ottawa
Canadia
Categories: Canadia | Comebacks | Girls | Holidays | Insults | Language barrier | Questions | Religion | Religious fanatics | Words | Posted 2008-05-03 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Like Having Grandma Sit on Your Face
Hostess describing rose and black lady tea combo: Smells like rose, tastes like lady.
Beijing
China
Categories: China | Default | Food | Language barrier | Sensory experiences | Women | Words | Posted 2008-03-29 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Where to Begin?
Husband to wife showing him Greek Bible: Honey, if English is good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.
Barnes & Noble
Cincinnati, Ohio
Overheard by: aharon
Categories: Christianity | Couples | Default | Idiots | Language barrier | Ohio | Stores | Stupidity | Posted 2008-03-28 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Good Thing "Shut Up, You Cow" Is Easy to Convey with Body Language
Large white lady to small Mexican husband: I'm bleeding. [Pokes hubby, who ignores her.] Heyyy, I'm bleeding from my neck! Don't you care?! [Hubby puts headphones on and looks out window.] I wish I knew you didn't speak English before I married you!
Shout-out: overheardinpdx.blogspot.com
Overheard by: corwin
Categories: Airports & flights | Assholes | Default | Fat people | Gripes | Health & Hygiene | Language barrier | Oregon | Overheard in PDX | Women | Posted 2008-03-21 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
And Then Put It Back, Unused
Teen girl #1: Lemur? What the hell's a lemur?
Teen girl #2: Lemur is French for 'light.' You know, like the candlestick on Beauty and the Beast -- lemur.
Teen girl #1: You're so smart. How do you know this shit?
Teen girl #2: I took two years of French.
Lemur Exhibit, Denver Zoo
Denver, Colorado
But No One Who Speaks German Could Be a Mean Guy!
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
Categories: Assholes | Germany | Insults | Language barrier | Tourists | Posted 2008-02-18 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Nominative Is Like a Big Old Bland Burrito
German teacher: Mmm, ahhh-gentive! It's like a spicy taco!
Alexandria, Virginia
Overheard by: bekkaroo
Categories: Education | Language barrier | Teachers | Virginia | Posted 2008-02-08 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Does This Have Anything to Do with Political Philosophy?
Professor: Does anyone know how to write an underscore in Elvish? In high school my friends and I used to have arguments about how much should be phonetic and how much should be character by character. I would spell 'tree' chee, and my friend would spell it tree, and I would say, 'But the T sounds like a ch--!' and he would say, 'That's because you're a damn foreigner!'
Shout-out: overheardatumbc.com
Categories: Books | Education | Language barrier | Maryland | Teachers | Posted 2008-02-06 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
It's Fun to Express Yourself without Risk of Being Understood
Black student #1, to teacher: Ayo, man! Naw, naw [babbles on, but no one can understand].
Teacher: ... What?
Black student #2: Man, I'm black and I didn't even understand that!
Manassas, Virginia
Categories: Black people | Language barrier | Students | Virginia | Posted 2007-12-11 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Then She Tried to Light Me on Fire
Bimbette #1: Is Norwegian to Swedish like English to Spanish?
Bimbette #2: No, it's like... Like... It's like Spanish to Italian.
Bimbette #1: Ohhh. Wait, isn't Italian a dead language?
Bimbette #2: Ummm, I think that's Latin.
Bimbette #1: Ohhh. You know, my Spanish teacher once told me I was like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
Berkeley, California
Overheard by: Denim on Denim
Categories: Bimbettes | California | Language barrier | Posted 2007-12-05 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
I Don't Think They Know That
College girl: I'm taking this online Arabic course... Did you know their alphabet is just all, like, smiley faces?
Providence, Rhode Island
Categories: Bimbettes | Language barrier | Rhode Island | Posted 2007-11-16 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Are They Applying Lip Gloss Over There?
20-ish European guy: So, do you like Angela*?
20-ish Asian guy: We're pretty good friends, yeah. But what do you mean 'like' her?
20-ish European guy: You know -- like-like her.
20-ish Asian guy: Oh, no, no, no, no, no! We're just really good friends. I never really thought of her that way. Why? Do you like-like her?
20-ish European guy: I dunno. I think I like-like her, but I thought you like-liked her. [They walk away, still talking.]
Woman: Is it just me or did those foreign guys sound like 12-year-old American girls, but, y'know, with funny accents?
Charity pancake breakfast
Hope, Alaska
Overheard by: I'd say closer to 10
Categories: Alaska | Foreigners | Language barrier | Posted 2007-10-11 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
If You Insist
Girl arguing her bad translation is correct: Wait, this sentence says, 'I am... To be... Entered'!
Grad-level French class
California
Overheard by: Not Willing
Categories: California | Language barrier | Students | Posted 2007-09-30 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Enschuldegung, No Habla Escargot
Student #1: I think I want to go to Asia after college.
Student #2: Why?
Student #1: Because I really want to improve my Spanish, and the best way to do that is to live in the country.
Student #2: That's a good idea.
Shout-out: overheardatcornell.blogspot.com
Overheard by: paralyzedindisbelief
Categories: Language barrier | Overheard at Cornell | Students | Posted 2007-09-05 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
Hamburgers, That's How
Non-native presenting for speech class: Everyone has cows in their life. Cows at home. Cows at work. Cows in our families. Cows can take over everything. But how do we get rid of the cows?
Teacher: Chaos. It's pronounced 'chaos.'
Truman College
Chicago, Illinois
Categories: Class | Foreigners | Illinois | Language barrier | Teachers | Posted 2007-04-04 | Email | Quote | Link | Del.icio.us | Facebook
