Hello Bob and welcome to,in my opinionated opinion, the best board on the www. This is for you and all the lurkers out there waiting to pounce on yet another of my apocryphal stories (myths?).
I got this from a diplomat's daughter. Granted, it was over a couple of glasses of wine, but she swore it was true and had happened to a gal she knew. I've never found it on urbanmyths.com Here goes: A young woman was taken on a whirlwind trip by her American diplomat father who was busy, busy, busy with diplomat stuff. She was along as his dogsbody and to do stuff he could not ask his busy aides to do. Personal things. She spoke very little French and no other languages but her own. Shopping for Dad became a challenge. After a bit she solved her problem by uttering this line whenever she entered a shop as they whirlwound their way around Europe. "Does anyone here speak English?" It worked like a charm and she managed very well thanks to the bilingualism of the Europeans. One morning, after an all night flight, Dad sent her out at an ungodly early hour to pick up yet another needful thing. She ran into nearest open shop and uttered her so-far-successful phrase to two startled ladies. One lady smiled sweetly and said "We all do my dear, we're British." She was in London!
OK, I am braced. Have at me! wow
