From my post in this thread:
I work in an office but a few times a year I get asked to sell our music at a stand during a conference. I always find it amusing (the first couple of times anyway) when I’m standing directly behind a cash register and a customer holds up a cd saying “Can I pay for this here?” :rolleyes:
“Nope this is a fake register that we use to dupe people into thinking that they can actually buy our products. Better luck next time”.
Well, having never heard of “chicken fried steak”, I can sympathise with the waitress’ bemusement. So:
- what is it?
- how does one prepare it?
- why is there a reference to “chicken”?
It’s steak pounded thin, breaded, and fried, a la fried chicken. It is steak, fried like chicken. Thus, chicken fried steak.
Oddly enough, I just had a long argument with my sister about this the other day, when she ordered it for her toddler and was surprised to receive steak. I managed to talk her out of yelling at the waitress, but I still don’t think she really believes me.
**Smeghead ** - thanks for the explanation. I’ve never come across such a dish. We do similar things (i.e. crumbed and fried) with veal and chicken and call them “veal schnitzels” and “chicken schnitzels”. So I suppose I’d think of it as a “steak schnitzel”.
I don’t get asked dumb questions so much as random weird ones. Somehow, I’ve gotten a reputation at work as the smart one (must be from hanging out with you guys) who knows how to find stuff on the Internet (Google, people!). This means that I get questions out of the blue like:
What’s the proper way to hold you hand when giving a Hawaiian ‘peace’ gesture?
What’s alanine amino-transferase, and what does it mean if your levels are too low?
Is there a golf shop at the Arnoma hotel in Bangkok?
What’s the difference between leading, tracking and kerning?
What’s a viscous coupling unit, and how does it work?
When was DaVinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ finished?
What countries have had the most Boston Marathon winners?
What kind of clothes does Jude Law wear when he’s at home?
Keep in mind that I’m just an ad copywriter.
Larger chain restaurants such as Cracker Barrel and Denny’s will call it “Country Fried Steak” on the menu, since chicken fried steak seems to be too confusing. Everyone I know still calls it chicken fried steak, though…and the waitron will usually know what you mean if you order it that way.
The other day, I found myself explaining to a highly respected plasma astrophysicist how to edit a text file. I would have thought that as someone who writes a lot of magnetohydrodynamics code in C++ and FORTRAN that he would have to know how to do this already, but apparently not.
Anyway, he asked me how to open a text file. Knowing that this fellow is a bit of a trainwreck, computer-wise, I decided to go lowbrow and suggested that he use the default RTF viewer, but he said that he didn’t like that one.
Then I said, “Well, I usually just use emacs. It’s included in OS X—”
“What’s emacs?”
(The thudding sounds you hear are the jaws of people who have a clue what I’m talking about hitting the floor.)
“Uh, it’s a text editor. Do you usually use vi instead?”
“Vee eye? No, I don’t think so. Is that for Mac?”
I honestly don’t know how this guy has edited text files for the last twenty years! I asked him what used before, and he said that he wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t available on his current computer.
Another video store one.
Verbatim:
Clueless customer: “Do you have that one… with that guy?”
Me: “Um… (looking at the new release wall) First Knight”?
CC: “YEAH!”
I still can’t get over that one.
Oh, no. You don’t know about www.actsofgord.com. You poor thing. Haven’t been there in awhile, but I recall that the Book of Vengance is the best.
OK, it’s not a video store, but…
“how long will this printer cartridge last?”
Um. Depends on how much you use it.
Or, it’ll last exactly 30 days, after which it will spontaneously combust.
Anyone who asks this kind of question would probably be more accepting of the latter answer. :rolleyes:
These happened to my husband while he was at work. He works at a computer store:
Husband: May I help you find something?
Customer: Yeah, where are your pens?
Husband: Pens? Like ballpoint?
Customer: Yes.
walks customer over to small display of office supplies
Customer: No. You guys had an isle full of pens and pencils.
Husband: Sir this is all we have.
customer pulls out a piece of paper and a “Office Depot” credit card
*customer looks at my husband’s shirt which clearly states the store he works at and it isn’t Office Depot.
Husband: Office Depot is behind the Oshman’s about a 1/4 mile down the road from here.
customer leaves redfaced
husband is standing in front of a display full of monitors that “Spiderman” is playing on to show video quality
Husband: May I help you find something?
Customer: Yeah, where are your computer monitors?
Husband turns towards the display and points
It amazes me at how many people just don’t pay attention to things around them. I get a chuckle when he comes home and tells me the latest story.
Well, the one question I never thought I’d be asked at work, at my old job in California:
Boss: “Have you ever considered having a sex change?”
Woohoo! An actual conversation I had just this morning.
Dumbass: Where can I find our policy on (whatever)?
Me: Ummm… perhaps in the policies and procedures manual.
DA: What page?
Me: Ummm… perhaps you can find it by looking in the table of contents at the front of the policies and procedures manual.
DA: Is that in front of the manual?
Me: Tables of content usually are.
DA: Can I bring the manual to your office so you can look it up for me?
Me: Ummmmm… no just look it up in the table of contents. You’ll find it, page number and all.
DA: Well, can you tell me what page it’s on?
Me: I’m not looking it up for you. I believe you can handle it.
Then, a few minutes later I get a call from another staff member.
Staff: DA just called me and asked me what page number so and so policy is on in the P & P manual. Is he really that dumb?
Me: Welcome to my world. I spent 5 minutes telling him to look it up in the table of contents.
S: That’s what I said.
Me: Gee, wonder who he’ll call next.
S: Giggling uncontrollably while hanging up.
Ah… work is good! :rolleyes:
Another one of those “the asker is close enough to the desired item to get bit by it” tales:
At Faire, I get asked where stuff is. A lot. I don’t wear anything to identify myself as someone who actually helped build the place, but apparently I must look like a map. Some of it, I can kinda understand. “Privies” is Faire-speak for the restroom. Not an obvious term for the person who’s never been to a Faire, but that’s what we call 'em.
Last year, I was in the “food court” area. It’s set up as a ring, with all the food on the inner side of the ring, and various merchants and grassy spots to sit and eat along the outer side. At one end of the inner side is a bank of privies. A patron and his lady comes up to me and asks where the bathroom is. They are standing not twenty feet from the entrance to the privies, but doesn’t notice it. Nor do they notice the characteristic slamming of the doors or the smell.
I unfold myself to full height and width and say “My good sir, pray tell what you mean by a bath room? I had a bath two months ago, and it was in the river. The washer women did scrub me most well and vigorously. Tis a shame that I must wait another month before my next bath as the wenches were most beauteous and pleasurable!” I look as if daydreaming about the fun times with the washer women for a beat and continue "Ah! Now I know. Now I know what it is you speak of when you want a bath room. You wish to use the facilities! They are most easy to locate in our fair shire, my good sir. Simply follow this path around yonder bend. The path will continue to bend, and ye must follow it, not to ever depart the path. There will be many taverns along the way, hoping to tempt you with their succulent delights, but tarry not, lest you be misled and sent along the wrong path. By and by, you will happen upon a large banner with the word PRIVIES emblazoned upon it. It is a most fantastic banner, in glorious colors of brown and a sumptous green. Pass under the banner and ye shall find the room for your bath.
The patrons thank me and head off in the direction I indicate, for a roughly 300-yard walk in the wrong direction. Had they gone the other way, they’d be there in about five paces.
[bugs bunny]
Aint I a stinker!
[/bugs bunny]
I used to work in a department store type shop, and every darn day of the week a customer would ask me if an item of clothing would fit someone they know/are related to, who wasn’t with them, and whom I had never seen …
Another member of staff in same place once asked me if my hair was real. Wuh? Apparently he thought my plait (braid) was a “wig”. But yesterday he’d seen me, with my hair loose …
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a corporate trainer for a large technology firm.
This morning during our new-hire class, one of the students got a phone call on his cell. We frown on them having them turned on during class, but whatever. He takes it anyway.
Turns out it’s from the Human Resources department. They’re happy to inform him that they’d like to hire him on.
For the same job he already has.
At the same company.
I told him he should hold out for a better offer.