I'm not sure how I feel about the Philly cheese steak shop's Please order in English sign. I'm not at all surprised that the person whom the reporter chose to quote claimed that in the United States we speak "American."
Yes, yes, English as spoken in the United States has its linguistic variations that are its own. Someone from, say, Manchester, could handle walking into a fast food restaurant and ordering a value meal, but might have just as many problems ordering a Philly Sub "wit" as would I.
4 comments:
Texas banned the teaching of German in its public schools during World War I. After the war, there was a movement to overturn the ban. Supposedly Governor Miriam "Ma" Ferguson said, when asked if she supported the ban or not, "If English is good enough for our Lord Jesus Christ, it is good enough for the schoolchildren of Texas."
I may not agree with the sign, but I don't see what the big deal is. Certainly, the BBC only picked up the story because they wanted to paint Americans as intolerant.
Oh, come on. Does Geno's really have a problem with off-duty mimes walking up to order "un bifteck de fromage, avec, s'il vous plait"? What silly posturing. It won't make one real fan of Pat's cross the street.
(And you're right... ordering in English isn't the problem, if you don't know how to order a cheesesteak in South Philly... makes the Billy Goat guys look like amateurs.)
I just love what we Americans get all hot and bothered about.
One person in the article complained that Geno was from immigrants, he should understand. What I know of European immigrants of that generation is that they got here and learned English as fast as they could and many of them refused to speak their native tounge.
Welcome to America. Keep your traditions, your language, your everything, but don't be put out if I can't understand you when you try to order a hot dog and apple pie.
And like Geno said, the only real English they need is cheese. It probably helps keep the line moving. How irritated would you be waiting behind a non-english speaker as they tried to order a cheese steak by pointing at everything?
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