B and V: A Funny Experience

Question

I overheard a bilingual representative, whose first language was Spanish, trying to help a Spanish-speaking customer right down the word silver. This is what I heard:

• Representative: ese
• Customer: ese
• Representative: ee
• Customer: ee
• Representative: ele
• Customer: ele

(Okay, so, so far they've spelled sil, but this is where it starts to get funny)

• Representative: be
• Customer: be?
• Representative: No, be!
• Customer: be?
• Representative: No, be!
• Customer: be?
• Representative: No, be (something more in Spanish, I believe I heard a reference to i griega here)
• Customer: Oh, be!
• Representative: Si, be.
• Representative: ee
• Customer: ee
• Representative: ire
• Customer: Oh, seelbur!

Anyway, I thought it was funny. It, of course, does not indicate anything negative about representative or the customer, but it does illustrate how confusing the Spanish B/V can be.

That's hilarious! :-) - Dee914, ENE 20, 2010

Absolutely Hilarious! :-D - chaparrito, ENE 20, 2010

Answer 1

The story is similar to my four year old daughter trying to teach her Grandmother colors in English. --Blue, Gwamma, --Blue --Si, Gwamma. and then... --Wed, Gwamma," --Wed --No, Gwamma, not "wed" ..."wed!"

Too cute! :-) - Dee914, ENE 20, 2010