# International Doper Knowledge Exchange **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2002, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818 "2002-08-01T04:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/21 "2002-08-01T21:36:35Z")
Wow, **Coldfire** , I had no idea Dutch was just Latka Gravas speaking english :D. Me, I’m an American, you know enough about us. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/22 "2002-08-02T01:07:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > This either means “Go to hell”, or “Go to Switzerland”. What’s the difference, really? The difference is that Switzerland has chocolate and hell has carob. ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/23 "2002-08-02T04:11:19Z")
**Celestina-san** , hajimemashite. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. To answer your two questions… Yes, you could also say “Eigo ga dekimasuka?” And yes, you are right, you should say “Sore WA nan desuka?”. I’ve never been good at using my particles…and it gets worse the longer I’m over here! Please note…I live in Matsuyama, a city far from Tokyo with less than half a million people. It has its own dialect (Iyo-ben) which is what I use most of the time. I don’t have much reason to use polite Japanese. Of course, this is all just an excuse to cover up the fact that my Japanese SUCKS! ---
**Author:** ![lothos2002](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@lothos2002](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lothos2002)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/24 "2002-08-02T05:02:14Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Francesca \* \*\*\*\*Do you speak English? \*\* DO… YOU… SPEAK… ENGLISH? \*\*It was all your fault \*\* I’m terribly sorry, it was all my fault. BRILLIANT! (for Americans: it’s funny, because it’s true) ---
**Author:** ![xejkh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/22d042/32.png) [@xejkh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xejkh)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/25 "2002-08-02T11:00:21Z")
Singapore, and I refer you to the local lingo proudly known as **Singlish**. **hello** oi / hello / hi **goodbye** bye **thank you** tankyou (tank - you read together) **Where is the bathroom?** toilet (is) where? (refrain from reading the final “t” in the toilet) **Do you speak English?** I spik good england (again, drop all the _k_ and _d_s) **I’m a tourist, I can do whatever I want.** – say it in your best American/ British accent: “I’m a tourist, I can do whatever I want.” 🙂 **F** \* off!\*\* (nin) na beh / na bu (as in the planet in Star Wars, but it means to _ahem_ someone’s father/mother. Use it at your own risk!) **It was all your fault** My fault izzit? (do not pronounce the _t_s) **What is that?** What’s dat ting? (“What’s that thing?”) / se mo lai de? (Chinese, with Singlish influence)/ Apa itu? (Malay) **3) An interesting/funny/not well-known fact about your country** We can speak English, but it’s just that Singlish is more fun. Oh, and we are not in China. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/26 "2002-08-02T11:34:25Z")
**Germany** **Hello** : Guten Tag or Hallo. In Bavaria, where I am from we say “Servus!” **Goodbye** : Auf Wiedersehen or Tschuess **Thank You** : Danke Schoen or just Danke **Where is the bathroom?** : Wo ist der WC? or Wo ist der Clo? **Do you speak English?** : Sprechen sie English? \*\* I am a tourist, I can do whatever I want\*\*: Ich bin Tourist und kann tun was ich will **Fuck Off!** : Fick ab, Du! **It was all your fault** : Du bist selber schuld! **What is that** : Was ist das? **Interesting fact** : When tipping round off the amount to the nearest Euro, and don’t leave your tip on the table. Also the **Autobahn** _does_ have speed limits in certain areas, so be mindful of them. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/27 "2002-08-02T11:43:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jean Grey \* > \*\* > **We don’t actually worship Coca-Cola here.** \*\* Uh, **Jean**. Shouldn’t that be **Co-Coler**? 😃 Quai ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/28 "2002-08-02T11:45:45Z")
That’s **Quasi** not **Quai**! :smack: I’m German, not Chinese! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@blinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinx)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/29 "2002-08-02T12:41:42Z")
I’m from Denmark, here goes: **hello** : Hej **goodbye** : Farvel _thank you[/]: Tak **Where is the bathroom?** : Hvor er toilettet? **Do you speak English?** : Taler du engelsk? **I’m a tourist, I can do whatever I want.** : Jeg er tourist, jeg kan gøre lige hvad jeg vil **F** off!_\*: Gå af helvede til! **It was all your fault** : Det var alt sammen din fejl **What is that?** : Hvad er det? **Any other phrases you feel would be necessary or comical** : Rødgrød med fløde **An interesting/funny/not well-known fact about your country** : Nothing funny or interresting happens here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/30 "2002-08-02T12:58:07Z")
Hmmm. It just occurred to me that I spelled out the **F** word where the OP had inserted asterisks. If it’s a problem, can someone fix it for me, please? Danke Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/31 "2002-08-02T13:05:52Z")
Oops, I screwed one up! F\*\*\* off! is S\*\*\*\* sekiya! F\*\*\* off in Korean is: Yat Mogorah! (literally, “eat candy”… dunno why…) ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/32 "2002-08-02T13:09:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Astroboy14 \* > **F** _ off! is S\*\*\*\* sekiya! > > \*\* Argh! ISN’T! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/33 "2002-08-02T13:38:54Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Astroboy14 \* > **F** _ off in Korean is: Yat Mogorah! (literally, “eat candy”… dunno why…) \*\* My sweet wife does not, of course, utter such coarse expressions as “f\*\*\* off,” nor does she tell me to eat candy. But when I’m bothering her, she often says “Choli-ga!” She says this to me several times a day, actually. It means something like “go away,” but a little nicer than “f\*\*\* off.” ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/34 "2002-08-02T16:50:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Uh, Jean. Shouldn’t that be Co-Coler? Why yes, as a matter of fact, you are correct. 😉 (And I believe that saying “why” at the beginning of a sentence is another Southernism.) And thanks for helping with the definition, **Celestina**. It means all of that and more. ---
**Author:** ![JonTheHasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7bcc69/32.png) [@JonTheHasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonTheHasher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/35 "2002-08-02T22:42:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quasimodem \* > \*\* …the **Autobahn** _does_ have speed limits in certain areas, so be mindful of them. > > Quasi \*\* I wasn’t there long, but near as I could tell, the whole damn system had speed limits…'cause it was all under construction! ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/36 "2002-08-03T05:57:56Z")
1. What country are you from? Canada 2. Translate the following (this way, we can have at least rudimentary knowledge of the other languages): hello-hey goodbye-ciao, bye, see ya thank you - thanks Where is the bathroom?- um do you have a uh bathroom or something? Do you speak English? Do you speak english? ENGLISH? E-N-G-L-I-S-H? I’m a tourist, I can do whatever I want. - I’m American and I’ve seen real celebrities! F\*\*\* off! - F\*\*\* off! It was all your fault- I didn’t do it! What is that? - _gasp_ _pointing and inaudible noises_ Any other phrases you feel would be necessary or comical Eh? What’re you all on aboot? I’m gooin back to me hoose. (actually I’ve never heard anyone say aboot, gooin, or hoose. However “Eh” is quite common… :() 1. An interesting/funny/not well-known fact about your country Um, we invented lacrosse, hockey and basketball… Britney Spears, N’sync and the Backstreet Boys are not canadian. HA! Take that. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/37 "2002-08-03T06:03:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Um, we invented lacrosse, hockey and basketball… Not so fast there. Basketball was invented by a Canadian, but 30 miles from my hoose in Springfield, MA. That’s why the Basketball HOF is there and not Toronto. And lacrosse was first played by Native Americans in the Great Lakes region, which is shared by our two countries. How do you like them apples, eh? 😛 And don’t brag about not producing crappy pop stars when you’ve contributed Anne Murray and Celine Dion. How aboot that? ---
**Author:** ![wyldelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@wyldelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wyldelf)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/38 "2002-08-03T06:25:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blinx \* > \*\*I’m from Denmark, here goes: > > **Do you speak English?** : Taler du engelsk?\*\* I spent a very short while in Denmark on my travels and used that phrase to death. Along with “unskyld” (have no idea if I spelt that right or if it was even near to saying “sorry”. While I was there I managed to pick up most of the pleasantries but my crowning glory was my skill at saying (now forgotten) “sorry but I am drunk and I am Australian” … which was more than likely my very poor way of saying “I’m a tourist and can do whatever I want” in Danish. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/39 "2002-08-03T20:50:38Z")
…compliment **Monica** on a very interesting and fun thread. I’ve enjoyed reading and being a part of it! 😃 Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818/40 "2002-08-03T22:14:58Z")
If in denmark and an english speaker, don’t forget to bring your camera into the lift with you. If you do you will miss your chance of having your picture taken under a flashing sign saying “I Fart” Every home should have one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-doper-knowledge-exchange/121818.md?page=3)