People who order food in the language it's from...

[mugs]

This is how I order:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge9aXvKXoXE

 

[lxskllr]

This is how I order:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge9aXvKXoXE

:^D

I find that speaking louder helps with the translation also :^D

 

[lxskllr]

this is america gawd damnit! speak american!

 

[zanejohnson]

i speak spanish if im at a mexican restaurant.. hell i speak spanish all the time.. my mother is full blooded mexican, i look completely white however and it's always a surprise to ppl when they here me speaking fluent spanish...

 

[mcurphy]

However, one time my dad insisted on ordering in Vietnamese at a Vietnamese restaurant despite the fact that the waiter was Korean-American, and my dad speaks perfectly good English. I felt rather embarrased translating for the confused waiter.

Haha, that's awesome! Your dad sounds like a pretty cool guy.

 

[yhelothar]

When I order chinese food at panda express or similar place, I pronounce the names in native chinese.

I would like tzow mien
chow men?
ya

Occaisionally the person working there speaks chinese and would just talk to me in chinese.

 

[MichaelD]

You think you have it bad!

I took Latin, all my homies are dead!

:X

This is actually funny. Only smart people will understand the joke. And if you're currently taking Spanish...you're not smart...you're just part of the problem.

 

[MichaelD]

i speak spanish if im at a mexican restaurant.. hell i speak spanish all the time.. my mother is full blooded mexican, i look completely white however and it's always a surprise to ppl when they here me speaking fluent spanish...

And when you offer pay the bill by trading a gram of blow and your phone number "for some fun later" to the overweight waitress...then what happens? Spanglish or not, homeboy, you'll never get over like Rover because you're just_too_white. HOmeeeestrooomeeee. How's rehab/divorce court/anger management/animal husbandry/community service BTW?

 

[sdifox]

I was working in the foodcourt of a mall in Toronto back in high school days and I had a old white guy ask me where I was from and when I told him from Taiwan, the dude started speaking to me in Taiwanese with perfect intonation and local accent. Bloody guy lived in my home town for 20 years. Them priests are dedicated

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Usually ridiculous.

 

[angminas]

I give the stuff my best pronunciation. I refuse to speak Spanish in Mexican restaurants, because I know just enough to get by. If I started something in Spanish I'd get a barrage of dialog, and wouldn't know what the hell they were saying :^D

Try not speaking it so well. I speak just enough Spanish that I can usually use it at work when necessary. I tend to say the same things over and over again, so I am able to speak those parts well. In certain instances I can sound almost native, but that's not always useful, because I'll get the barrage. I speak slowly and carefully and tell people I comprendo un pocito, and that usually keeps them from rattling on or using unfamiliar words, complicated grammar, etc. I also try to sound very cheerful and friendly so that people won't be offended by my slipups (for instance, I call everyone tu because I don't know the usted forms of very many verbs).

 

[Tiamat]

Nothing wrong with ordering food in the language (assuming you can properly speak the language) spoken by those serving the food. Guarantees you get exactly what you wanted, and I've found you get better service.

 

[ew915]

i speak engrish when i go to panda express or pfchang

 

[Jzero]

If you're not a native speaker, I think it just makes you look pretentious.

If you are a native speaker, have at it. You can often get things that aren't on the regular menu if you know how to ask.

 

[IronWing]

I'd like a brat don't cha know.

 

[Locut0s]

I try to use the native pronunciation, that is country of origin, for as many things as possible, not just ordering is restaurants. Well within reason anyway

 

[skyking]

I use Spanish every chance I get. I do ask for things not on the menu just to see what might be available.

 

[angminas]

If you're not a native speaker, I think it just makes you look pretentious.

Na, bro, being pretentious makes you look pretentious. If you're trying to impress people with your 1337 Spanish hax, you're going to look like a doofus. Like always, when people talk about stuff they don't understand, as if they understand it. But if you approach such a situation with humor and fun and humility, you'll get a great reaction almost every time.

At least, everywhere I've ever lived...they say people are less polite in big cities, but I haven't spent enough time going to restaurants in big cities to really comment on that. But even if they're not nice, I'd still rather be unpretentious.