Idiots

Woman upon seeing a Mariachi band walk by: Why do they have tambourines on their legs?

— Manhattan

Woman (night of the New Hampshire primary): KERRY WON!!!!
Friend: What, American Idol?

— Manhattan

Guy: If you’re a cokehead you can really climb the corporate ladder. That’s all those guys making six figures.
Girl: It’s in American Psycho.
Guy: Then they burn out and the new guys come in.

–Lakeside Lounge, Ave. B

Male Employee: No, that’s hemophilia. Hypoglycemia is, like, when your
body produces more sugar than your system can handle.
Female Employee: Yeah! That’s me!

–Lord & Taylor

Overheard by: Megan Buckley

Twit: What’s that song Richard Marx sang?
Chick: Right Here Waiting.
Twit: There’s another one.
Chick: I don’t know.
Twit: It’s going to drive me crazy until I remember. Oh wait! I know! Right Here Waiting for You!
Chick: That’s the same song.

–Winnie’s, Chinatown

Yuppie: We shouldn’t be using our brains to simulate monkeys.

–Broadway & 72nd

Idiot: Happiness is a sandwich.

–Quizno’s, 14th Street

In a coffeeshop in Los Angeles (the Novel cafe in Santa Monica), a tutor is giving a beginning Spanish lesson to a student at the table next to me. The student is reading a newspaper article in Spanish, and then translating each sentence word by word:

Student: “I don’t know what this word, ‘decada’ means”
Teacher: “What do you think it means?”
Student: “I don’t know”
Teacher: “Guess.”
Student: “I really don’t know”
Teacher: “Here’s a hint. It’s very similar to an English word”
Student: “‘Decada’? Deca….. I have no idea”
Teacher: “It’s almost identical to the English word”
Student: “uhhhhh”
Teacher: “There’s only one letter difference”
Student: “deca….?”
Teacher: “C’mon, what do you think?”
Student: “I really have no idea”
(Teacher pinches her on the nose!)
Teacher: “It’s Decade!!!”
Student: “Ahhhhh!!!! Okay! I feel stupid!”

Woman in McDonald’s: “…and they were conversating about…”

Patron: What kind of sauce is on the linguine alla marinara?

–Olive Garden, Chelsea

Overheard by: Brad Palmertree