In the absence of anything else coming to my mind after this week.. here are two 'conversations' I just loathe and will always make me argumentative, or more likely, scarce from the speaker....
"You know I went into bar in Wales, and everyone there just switched into speaking Welsh when they saw me... "
Er, no, they were almost certainly speaking Welsh before you arrived. That's how a small but significant number of people in Wales communicate. And even if it were true, its their conversation so if they don't want you eavesdropping then thats their business and their right. And anyway, its not as if Welsh is a private code. If you want to listen in - and as a would be writer I'm often of this mine - you know, you can actually buy books on the Language in Shops. Even in England.
But silence and retreat is probably the best approach, just to save energy. I suspect many people who will start with this conversational piece are also the sort who think communicating with a foreigner one just needs to speak louder. Or at least their descendents.
"Its not that I mind gay people, but its such a shame they have 'spoilt' such a lovely word like gay'.
Well, no. You can still use the word gay in its original meaning. English is a language of synonyms where context is all. BUT, even if it were so, given the years of persecuation that homosexual people have suffered, if all they ever claim in retribution is one word I suspect we should be thankful - those of us who, by some freak of nature prefer the opposite gender. The French Peasantry asked for more than a few heads.
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