tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613074932646876035.post8735171569288057019..comments2024-03-19T09:26:54.922-04:00Comments on Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity: A waiter who speaks EnglishJoe Royhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06551170698136259266noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613074932646876035.post-3001996672342137872011-08-11T20:09:56.672-04:002011-08-11T20:09:56.672-04:00For Anon2: I am so glad you found a place where yo...For Anon2: I am so glad you found a place where you feel you are getting your money's worth in service. I hope you are more comfortable and feel better respected.<br /><br />Anon1: I never really thought about whether or not waiters were speaking in standard dialect. I just always wanted good service and to feel comfortable. Oh, and to love the food!Judaye Streetthttp://talesfromunderamiddleagedwoman.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613074932646876035.post-13781115812837718382011-08-08T20:44:38.957-04:002011-08-08T20:44:38.957-04:00I had to laugh at the first comment to this post. ...I had to laugh at the first comment to this post. Crappy English is endemic - at all levels of restaurants, in my experience, at least here in the States. In most cases, the poor English is intentional and intended to send a message: "I may be here serving you, but I disdain you, even though you are paying my salary." My husband and I used to splurge several times a year at a wonderful local chef-run restaurant that offered authentic country French cooking and ambiance ($100+/head without wine or drinks) - very similar to what we experienced in France. We stopped going when they replaced the knowledgable waiters with Val-Speakers. Pay $300+ to be insulted? Not me, thanks. Our short list of English-speaking restaurants has since been narrowed to the local diner and one other local bistro-type place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613074932646876035.post-31303267938121758492011-08-04T21:26:31.986-04:002011-08-04T21:26:31.986-04:00Apparently, wishing people to express themselves i...Apparently, wishing people to express themselves in standard dialect is terribly offensive. Linguist Steven Pinker has explained that language is used as a means to convey status. The paradigm nowadays is not to show you're educated or that you have good manners but that you are "cool". So people sometimes overact, which can be annoying –you do not need to impress everybody.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613074932646876035.post-24161795181963976722011-08-04T16:31:14.083-04:002011-08-04T16:31:14.083-04:00Perhaps you should eat out less if you cannot affo...Perhaps you should eat out less if you cannot afford to dine in a restaurant with waiters up to your standards. Just a thought.Judaye Streetthttp://iwannalearntowrite.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com