I went to a new grocery store today and actually found cilantro! I was so, sooooo excited... You have NO idea how rare ingredients necessary for making delicious, authentic Mexican food ARE here in The Nawth Country.
Anyhoo, I took my purchases to the register and when the cashier got to the cilantro she asked, "Is this parsley?"
"No," I replied, "it's cilantro."
She rang it up and then said, "Are you from England?"
<insert screeeeeeeeeching sound like a car squealing to a halt>
Me: *blink* *blink*
Me: *looking behind me to see if she's talking to someone else*
Me: *looking back at her to see if she's kidding*
Me: "Ummmm... no? Why?"
Her: "Your accent."
Me: *choking back loud, obnoxious, insulting guffaws* "My what, now?"
Her: "Where are you from?"
Me: "California..."
Her: "Ohhhh... I was just wondering because of how you said 'cilantro.'"
<insert really long pause while I mull this over in my head>
Me: *finally* "What's wrong with how I say cilantro?"
Her: "Well, you say 'ci-laaaaaawn-tro.'"
Me: "Uh huh... and what do YOU say?"
Her: "Ci-LA (a as in apple)N-tro."
Me:
Her: "That's all... I just thought you might be English or something."
Me:
Seriously... Rendered. Speechless.
I have been mistaken for many things in my life (okay, so I actually haven't, but still) (I actually sat here and tried to think of something I've been mistaken for but couldn't come up with anything) but I've never been mistaken for sounding English. Not even kind of, a little, or remotely. (Not that I would mind, because I totally dig the accent and swoon every time Simon Cowell opens his mouth, even though he is an ass because it's my absolute favorite accent in the world.)
I'm half flummoxed, half amused. (Okay, wholly amused.)
English.
Right.
*bucksnort*
Cheerio, y'all.
Am now picturing you in various hats...and still laughing :)
ReplyDeleteOh believe me having spent a winter in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I can so see the pleasure in your voice at finding that gift of the gods there in your grocery section. Ever had boiled fajitas! Ugh it was scary that this anglo was the best Mexican food chef in a city of 1.3 million. And yeah that Ce-LAN-tro issue came up there. It is like listening to my Okie relatives describe Spanish based words. Fa-GEET-ahs anyone??? *shudder*
ReplyDeleteI can't get past "boiled fajitas..." Oh honey... say it ain't so...
ReplyDeleteCathy, sweetie, dahhhling... please, DO picture me with a hat with a large, unattractive bird perched on the rim... I do believe it's called a FACINATOR... (due, no doubt, to the facination factor if wearing a bird on one's head). Hip hip...
ReplyDeleteMistaking Spanish pronunciation with British . . . hilarious! There again, at least one British friend of mine pronounces "taco" as TACK-o. :::Gouging out eardrums::: Well, and a Joisy SIL knows nuttin' from El Niño and La Niña. She sez "El NEE-no" and "La NEE-nah". Dem Eastern folks, LOL!
ReplyDeleteOMG Deb... BWAAAAAA!!! EL NEE-No? That's freaking insane! My in-laws don't even try... my FIL actually refers to Mexican food as "that wet back shit." Seriously. Doesn't that just give you the warm fuzzies?
ReplyDeleteOMFG . . . unbefreakin'lievable . . .
ReplyDeleteAt least the SIL gets the Spanish "e" sound for "i" correct. She *could* be sayin' "El NINE-oh" and "La NINE-ah".
When I was in junior high, the sweet lady bathroom custodian mentioned how she'd once been traveling to San Jose, but had become lost and needed to ask for directions. Nobody could figure out where she wanted to go, because she was pronouncing it "San Josie" instead of "San ho-SAY". Poor thing, LOL!