Difficult time understanding Indian accents

Aishah

Correct, Captain! Snakes is the common mis-spelling here for Snacks.
One of the most confusing items I've ever come across was 'Spinach Bebicon' - I thought this had a kind of Italian-Spanish ring to it and decided to order it. It wasn't available. When I asked exactly what this dish was, it took some time for me to understand the explanation. It was 'Spinach Baby Corn!!'

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global_yatri

i'm laughing so loud - great snakes indeed!

so last part of intestine the indian way does rhyme with mine - something to do with how we stress the second syllable in general as opposed to how in the u.s. the first syllable gets emphasized.

and reading the last few posts reminded me of a sign we saw i think at the taj mahal restrooms (or maybe sikandra?): JAINS ONLY

(obviously it was meant just for "gents")

machadinha

... Or maybe it was the bug-free loo?

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mirjamd

One more funny Indian English misunderstanding...

One day my Indian friend told me: "I think you are very boring" I was used to her being very honest, but this was a bit too much... So when I looked at her annoyed and asked her why she said that, she answered: "You're looking sleepy". Then it struck me that she meant I was BORED.....
My ego was saved

Nick-H

...when lacking mental stimulation, my music teacher used to call me and say, "Nick I am very boring; have you got any questions for me?".

He used to keep things in his packets too (pockets, that is). Mrs. N is prone to that one too.

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dzibead

Huh? In the U.S., the first syllable does NOT get emphasized - at least not in this word. It's pronounced "in TESS tins" in the U.S.

Aishah

'Boring' use is similar to the 'owing' one here. Mr K says 'I am owing x 1000rupees' and I have a heart attack. After much interrogation it means x has to give Mr K 1000 rupees. That one really drives me crazy! More funny ones - 'picnic' for 'pregnant', 'makemytrip' is pronounced ALWAYS despite repeated teachings, 'megamaker'????

global_yatri

oops - quite right... testy word that, eh! (in-tess-tynes)

never heard of packets being used for pockets though; and how about the whole thing with "taking" versus "giving" like in the context of classes or exams - no logic there i don't think!

simv

The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and room-service at a hotel in India.




Room Service (RS): "Morrin. Roon sirbees."

Guest (G): "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service."

RS: "Rye..Roon sirbees..morrin! Jewish to oddor sunteen??"

G: "Uh..yes..I'd like some bacon and eggs."

RS: "Ow July den?"

G: "What??"

RS: "Ow July den?...pryed, boyud, poochd?"

G: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please."

RS: "Ow July dee baykem? Crease?"

G: "Crisp will be fine."

RS: "Hokay. An Sahn toes?"

G: "What?"

RS: "An toes. July Sahn toes?"

G: "I don't think so."

RS: "No? Judo wan sahn toes??"

G: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo wan sahn toes means."

RS: "Toes! toes!...Why jew don juan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we bodder?"

G: "English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast.' Fine. Yes, an English muffin will be fine."

RS: "We bodder?"

G: "No...just put the bodder on the side."

RS: "Wad?"

G: "I mean butter...just put it on the side."

RS: "Copy?"

G: "Excuse me?"

RS: "Copy...tea...meel?"

G: "Yes. Coffee, please, and that's all."

RS: "One Minnie. Scramah egg, crease baykem, Anglish moppin we bodder on sigh and copy....rye??"

G: "Whatever you say."

RS: "Tenjewberrymuds."

G: "You're very welcome."

machadinha

...

camelgirl

This thread is a howl (as in laugh hysterically). My eyes are tearing from laughing so hard.

There is an English as a Second Language (ESL) adult class where I used to live. I volunteered to meet with students AFTER their class to practice talking English. When they put me with a student from Japan and South India I could barely understand either of them BUT they understood each other

This thread it both funny and very educational--makes me feel better about having so much trouble with all the different kinds of English around the world.

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edwardseco

Accent and language are so subtle. I gave up on complicated lectures in English. My accent (Texish) was impossible for those schooled in the King's English. Did a much simpler presentation in Hindi. Not too far in the audience was howling with laughter. This isn't the usual response to a discussion on the advantages of cattle artificial insemination. Turns out with my accent and the subtle colloquial meanings in Hindi unknown to me I had given an X rated academic lecture (be careful with the verb to sit). I was invited back for next year's convention..

karuna

LOL.

I've had that "boring" thing too. And once a lady helping me with a sari chided me because my petticoat was "Toulouse".

My favourite one, had me wondering for ages, was being asked if I wanted to go to the Jew.

"What?"
[loudly and clearly for the dumb foreigner] "JEW! JEW!"
[wondering if maybe Delhi has a famous synagogue] "I'm sorry, I don't know what that means."
"Jew! With animals...."


He just could not hear the difference between J and Z. In fact if I said "Zee", the American way, he would write the letter G.

But then, I get laughed at for not understanding all the different T sounds in Hindi. Apart from T for tomato, which is very distinct, I just can't distinguish the different sounds and every time I write in Devanagari I have to ask which T to use.

machadinha

Dang, where are those laughing even harder smilies

Nick-H

My confusions with food:

Would I like Cod? --- curd, not fish.

Would I like Prons? after I realized, I corrected her: Prawns, Padma, Prawns.

"No, Nicky, Prons!"

Now I am the last person to raise issues when I am being treated to lunch, but I can pronounce (although not spell), my own language! Has anyone else encountered this insistence that the Indian version is the correct one?