Languages

Girl: …So I asked him, “Do you speak German?” and he was like, “The only German I speak is: men to the left, women and children to the
right.” And I said, “Dude, you’ve been watching too much Schindler’s List!”

–13th Street between 6th & 7th

Overheard by: Joe Quint

Black guy: Yo, can I get a dollar for a hot dog?
White guy: Sorry. This is my last fiver.
White woman: Here ya go.
Black guy: That’ll do.
White woman: You could at least say thank you.
Black guy: I did. I was speaking ebonics.

–Gray’s Papaya, 8th Avenue

Overheard by: CRE

Suit on cell: Hey, guess where I am?…Guess…I’m in Glasgow!

–Carmine & Bleecker

Overheard by: Chris Cotterman

Preppy guy: How am I racist? I’m Irish! I can’t be racist!

–9th Street & 3rd Avenue

Overheard by: Miss Hipstah

Woman on cell: My daughter went to Montreal. I was like, “Why do you have to go where the French go? Why couldn’t you just go to Ontario?”

–55th & 3rd

Bag lady: Can I have a quarter? The Irish have taken over the YMCA.

–22nd & 5th

Overheard by: smanikas

Thug: Paisano?…It’s like “my nigga” but in Italian.

–Times Square

Overheard by: KRUD

Man: Oh, it is so good to hear English again.
Customs guy: Actually, I speak Brooklyn.

–JFK

Overheard by: Benjamin Silverberg

Girl #1: Oh my god, I wonder what language was that?
Girl #2: That was English.

–Broadway between 101st & 102nd

Chick: So when he talks about Britain, does that mean England too?

–Fordham

Overheard by: e. glass

US woman (to UK guy): You speak another language, only with American words.

–49th & 6th

Overheard by: David Grote

Chick #1, signing to other friend: Ha!
Chick #2: What does that mean?!
Chick #1: That means ‘I’m going to shit in your vagina.’

–Hot ‘n’ Crusty Pizza

Drunk girl, to owner of pizza place: Hasta mañana!
Drunk guy: That’s not Italian!
Drunk girl: He’s not Italian, he’s Greek! He speaks Yiddish and Greek!

–30th & 3rd

White homie teen: Chicken fill-ett.
Latino homie teen: That’s “fill-ay”. Hah, “fill-ett“. Ha ha ha, “fill-ett“.
White homie teen: You’re teaching me English?

–Wendy’s, Bensonhurst

Girl #1: But… Isn't he from Japan?
Girl #2: Duh, Japanese people speak Chinese!
Girl #1: Oh my god! (laughs) You are so funny! People from Japan speak Spanish. Everybody knows that!

–A Train

Overheard by: Hiding In The Corner (Highly Disturbed.)