# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/321 "2026-02-18T03:30:49Z")
It’s “Chinese New Year” because I’m Chinese and that was the ticket to lots of red envelopes when I was a kid. Since then? It’s a habit. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/322 "2026-02-18T03:36:51Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > What’s Spanish for taco, enchilada, burrito, carnitas, chili verde…? I see people using “wrap” a lot for what is obviously a burrito, just with non-Mexican ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/323 "2026-02-18T04:28:51Z")
Regarding the Savannah Guthrie / Today Show poll: It lacked an accurate option for me. I used to watch Today regularly, years ago. I will, on occasion, now catch a few minutes of it. I know Savannah Guthrie’s name (and knew it before the kidnapping), but honestly know very little about her. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/324 "2026-02-18T04:32:38Z")
I know Guthrie from when she was on MSNBC. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/325 "2026-02-18T04:34:38Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Regarding the Savannah Guthrie / Today Show poll: > > It lacked an accurate option for me Oh no, I forgot to include the “other” option! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/326 "2026-02-18T05:19:47Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > It lacked an accurate option for me. Also not sure the point of declaring whether I like or dislike a person who is currently experiencing a nightmarish and traumatic crisis. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/327 "2026-02-18T05:22:34Z")
I call it the lunar new year because I’m not Chinese, and I’m sometimes talking to people of other ethnicities who celebrate it. But I’m also going to my brother’s Chinese new year party this weekend, because his wife is Chinese, and her father is cooking. If you refer to it either way, I’ll know what you mean. I’m not familiar with the spring festival one. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/328 "2026-02-18T12:21:52Z")
I knew Guthrie well from her appearances on MSNBC (now “MSNOW”), but not from the Today Show, which I haven’t seen since my grandmother was alive in the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/329 "2026-02-18T12:34:47Z")
I’ve seen chunks of the Today Show from time to time over the years but have never been a regular watcher. Before the kidnapping, I did know who Savannah Guthrie was but didn’t know anything about her other than “Today Show person.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/330 "2026-02-18T16:45:54Z")
I know Savannah Guthrie from stuff. I can’t tell you which stuff but I’ve seen her over the years. I can’t remember the last time the TV was on when it’s Today Show time. I wouldn’t be able to tell you the current lineup. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/331 "2026-02-18T16:49:08Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > It lacked an accurate option for me. > > Also not sure the point of declaring whether I like or dislike a person who is currently experiencing a nightmarish and traumatic crisis. It’s not asking if you like her as a human being, but as a celebrity. And i don’t think she’s likely to see or care about those poll results. Yes, it’s rude to criticize people in the midst of a crisis, but “rude” only matters if it affects the person. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/332 "2026-02-18T18:17:36Z")
I always say “please” and “thank you” to Gemini. I do so when talking to my employees, no need to fall out of the habit. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/333 "2026-02-18T18:40:56Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > In foreign countries, i do a lot of smiling and pointing at the menu when i order. A ‘ **Point & Pray** restaurant’ - Point at something & pray you’ll like it. I’m not ordering Haggis here, I’m not ordering it in another country, at least intentionally. > [@Loach](#): > > Maybe I know enough menu Spanish to order. But if she assumes I know more Spanish than I do then I’m quickly over my head. This. I could maybe order in the native language but if/when they start asking me questions I’d be in over my head & then would look like a gringo fool pretending I know whatever language. > [@Loach](#): > > I would start in English since this is America and I’ve never been in an ethnic restaurant where the point person doesn’t know enough English to take an order. Change English to native language & I agree 100%. I’ve heard that American Chinese isn’t like Chinese Chinese food, but what is German Chinese like? She spoke German & Chinese & I spoke English, back in the day of dead-tree translation dictionaries. I wanted non-sparkling water; took a hell of a time trying to figure out the right word - Flat? flip-flip-flip; nope. Tap? flip-flip-flip; nope. Eventually made her understand I wanted _dishtil wasser_ ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/334 "2026-02-18T19:58:31Z")
I do think dotcom company seems dated but I’m also not up on terminology and might easily be wrong. I think whether it’s Chinese or lunar New Year or possibly something else depends on who you’re talking with and the context. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/335 "2026-02-18T19:59:43Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > In foreign countries, i do a lot of smiling and pointing at the menu when i order. > > A ‘ **Point & Pray** restaurant’ - Point at something & pray you’ll like it. I’m not ordering Haggis here, I’m not ordering it in another country, at least intentionally. Google Translate is entirely good enough to read menus in most countries. For instance, in Japan, it not only told me what the items were, but also the food safety warnings. (Friends took me to a chicken sashimi place. I kid you not, they fed me raw chicken.) So I’m not really praying, i usually know exactly what I’m pointing at. I just don’t trust myself to say it with a clear enough accent for the server to understand me. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/336 "2026-02-18T20:15:42Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Google Translate is entirely good enough to read menus in most countries IF you have access to it. I was in a bar/restaurant Friday evening; had no choice but to watch the TVs on the wall because the one bar my phone was showing me wasn’t enough to pull up any intertubez, & that was in the US in a small city with population in the upper-teens where I had such crappy reception. I also looked, they had wifi but it was password protected so I couldn’t get on that, either w/o assistance. Add in a foreign country where a specific phone plan may or may not work & I wouldn’t count on it working 100% of the time. Even with being a native English speaker & an English menu there was one item I couldn’t figure out. I think it was some sort of loaded fries, but loaded with what? There was no description; I’m sure the regulars know what it is & was probably named after some long-ago patron who like it but what was _it_? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/337 "2026-02-18T20:24:33Z")
1. i also have Google Fi, which works in most countries 2. if you download a language before you leave, you don’t need Internet access to use Google translate. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/338 "2026-02-18T21:15:41Z")
Oooh, that brings up a good point, we have xfinity (becuase it’s dirt cheap), a MVNO of Verizon. Probably takes some extra digging to see what’s included / turn something on if I want to use it internationally. (Canada is the only thing currently in our foreign travel plans but I believe they are included in domestic Verizon…need to confirm, though) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/339 "2026-02-18T21:45:15Z")
Anyway, my experience is that waiters, salespeople, etc. want to take your business, and so long as you are unambiguous in your request, and you treat them with respect, they will deal with your lack of language ability fairly gracefully. Sure, their are rare exceptions. But smiling apologetically and pointing almost always work. And everyone understands Hindu-Arabic numerals, and will show you the price using them. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/340 "2026-02-18T22:27:50Z")
I’m fine with “drive safely” but here in Wisconsin we say “watch out for deer”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=18)