Bye Felecia; Being Told To “Speak F*$&ing English”

So I was standing in line at the grocery store, speaking to my wife…in Greek. Out of nowhere I hear some grumbling behind me that seemed like someone was trying to tell me something. I turn around, say “Excuse me?” And I get a loud “Speak Fucking English, this is America!” thrown at me. Shocked. Then every curse word, in her minimal vocabulary, was thrown at me. To describe me,  to tell me to go back to my country. Funny, I thought I WAS in my country – the country I was born in, the good ‘ol US of A!??!?

THEN, the best part, she was shocked when I responded to her in perfect, American-accented, English. But she didn’t stay quiet. Kept cursing, kept telling me this is America, blah blah blah. I feel sorry for this lady. It’s obvious she has a chip on her shoulder and carries it with her everywhere she goes. Thank God my kids weren’t present.

But the absolute best part of all? The store manager. Walked right up and kicked her out! Bye Felecia. I only caught the tail-end of the encounter on video, but you’ll get the point. Check it out below.

UPDATE: We’ve since started a GoFundMe campaign to Send the Manager to Greece. Read my other Blog Post for more info. Please contribute, she’s more than deserving!

So this just happened…

Sophia and I were in line at the market, and naturally, speaking Greek. Out of nowhere this lady behind us decides to give us a modern history lesson and tells us, “Speak F*@king English, this is America.” Furthermore, she demonstrated her well-versed use of the English language by using every swear word to describe us and how we don’t belong here. Imagine if we were with our kids.

Huge props to the manager for kicking her xenophobic, racist ass out. I only caught the tail-end on video, but you’ll get the point.

Seriously. This. Just. Happened. It’s 2017. #SMH
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Posted by Thanasi Papoulias on Saturday, January 14, 2017

Greece, Greek, Hellas, Travel Greece, Tourist, Culture, Ethnic, Thanasi Papoulias

Thanasi Papoulias

Thanasi Papoulias is the Founder of "Excuse Me, Are You Greek?". His passion for Greece and everything Greek inspired him to start this blog and the popular social media accounts.

Thanasi Papoulias has 423 posts and counting. See all posts by Thanasi Papoulias

58 thoughts on “Bye Felecia; Being Told To “Speak F*$&ing English”

  • January 15, 2017 at 6:27 am
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    Γεια σου Θανάση! The funny part is that a 12% of the English vocabulary has Greek origin and a whooping 25% !!!! is borrowed indirectly… but if you argue in this way, this lady with the military trousers will probably burn a brain fuse! I would have answered her… “Listen lady… if you stop using my one out of your four words that you are using, I will stop speak in Greek. Sounds fair?”

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    • January 15, 2017 at 12:08 pm
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      κι εγω το ιδιο θα της ελεγα πως για καθε λεξη που χρησιμοποιει στ’αγγλικα και εχει ριζα ελληνικη να πληρωνει ενα δολλαριο θα το ειχε βουλωσει η κοπρια και δεν θα μιλουσε….

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    • January 16, 2017 at 1:44 pm
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      First of All that lady from her looks is a mixture of Dego Spanish asshole and some local injuns that left there after 1846 when the Chikanos surrender in Monterey.
      Second thats your problem dude when you live in big BS towns like LA or NY with all the sick and retarded settlers….lol…I live up in Cody Wyoming, tops redneck state, never had a problem, many friends most of them thing I was a mountain man.some hundred years ago they nevere even thought I was a Greek freek…lol….doing holidays at the moment in another retarted countrty that thinks by liking the fat ass of Yankee Doodle will have some taste of their long gone empire…UK I mean dude. My advice get the hell out of LA come to the wild west man here you can still build your American dream.

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      • January 17, 2017 at 6:57 pm
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        By sick do you mean Mexican? I am just woundering, I saw it on Louis C.K. The whole piont of this was anti xenophobia.

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      • January 17, 2017 at 7:08 pm
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        HMMM it seems you did not get the point of this post. You answer with a bunch of racist, stereotypical terms about the potential racial origins of the woman in the video.

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      • January 22, 2017 at 12:05 pm
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        The woman was not a lady! However, by name calling , you are perpetuating the exact behavior that was so offensive in the first place.

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      • February 13, 2017 at 7:20 am
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        This guy is a TROLL.
        Do not respond.
        Since this episode went viral any asshole can get access to your blog.

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    • February 24, 2017 at 2:46 am
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      Don’t forget that English and Greek are related (distantly) so there will be common vocabulary between them (loanwords aside)

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  • January 15, 2017 at 7:51 am
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    Η ελληνικη γλωσσα ειναι η αρχαιοτερη,τελειοτερη και μητερα ολων των γλωσσων.Καποια αρθρα σχετικα με την ελληνικη γλωσσα που εχουν ενδιαφερον https://olympia.gr/2016/06/10/%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B7%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%B7-%CE%B3%CE%BB%CF%89%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1-%CE%B7-%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B7-%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%B9/ και https://www.istories.gr/istoria/h-ellhnikh-glwssa-mhtera-olwn-twn-glwsswn

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  • January 15, 2017 at 7:53 am
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    Hi Thanasis ….what a great article and video. You should have asked her to tell you where democracy (=freedom) was born…Keep being Greek and spread our values in mankind. That’s the best thing you can do out there. You and your wife are the best embassadors we could have. Greetings from Greece!

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  • January 15, 2017 at 8:45 am
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    Hi, my name is Thodoris Chondrogiannos and I am a journalist of VICE Greece. I saw your video on Facebook about the incident and I would like us to have an interview about it. Hope you like our idea.
    Kind regards,
    Thodoris Chondrogiannos

    Reply
    • January 16, 2017 at 4:18 am
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      Θοδωρίκουε, τράβα ψόφα μία να δω κάτι που θέλετε και συνέντευξη από το Vice, μοσχαροκεφαλές.

      Reply
  • January 15, 2017 at 9:53 am
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    Thanasi, HAPPY NEW YEAR…”XRONIA POLLA”.
    Please. Do us all ELLINES a favour. A big favour… DO NOT STOP SPEAKING ELLINIKA…!
    These ‘illiterate maggots” live in a GREEK WORLD – the entire Universe is Greek. Our Beautiful Mother Planet Dimitra – otherwise known as Mother Planet Earth – a FULL OF GREEK CITIES GOING BACK TO MOREN THAN 100.000 Years.
    Go, to Minneapolis today, in the Museum of Minnesota, and visit a “squarely cut” granite, written “in Greek, with a carbon date dateline of about 2,975 years before Christ – meaning – about 5000 years ago, our Glorious Ancient Ancestors, were in the Great Republic of the United States of America, and “probably enjoying a “cold ouzo with a spicy MEZE, with “extra virgin olive oil & FETA from TRIPOLI…”
    Therefore, tell this “yahoo” to go and eat his chemical infested hot dogs, and garbage McDonalds Garbage Burgers – AND LEAVE US ALONE with our ouzo & Roast Lamb”.
    Keep up the fight Thanasi.
    META TIMIS,
    ARISTOTELIS ELLINAS

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  • January 15, 2017 at 1:14 pm
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    Hey Thanasis, it’s nice you recorded it but i hope you do not let this get to you and your family. Stupidity has no borders, this is a fact. Keep smiling, keep loving and enjoying life for life is too short to be spent in such ways.

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    • January 19, 2017 at 5:04 am
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      Eirini, I like your response the best. I couldn’t have said it better! I am stunned at all the negative comments especially from fellow Greeks.

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      • January 19, 2017 at 5:17 am
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        To Eirini, I forgot to say that your name suits you. Keep spreading peace.

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  • January 15, 2017 at 1:17 pm
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    this happens when you are a not educated and ignorant person like this lady… otherwise she should know…that 25% of american words are greek, and 75% with greek origin… everything is a matter of education

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  • January 15, 2017 at 1:23 pm
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    Βρε ούστ από εδώ βρωμιάρα που θα τολμήσεις να πεις ότι εκεί είναι Αμερική και μιλάνε Αγγλικά από που ως που ;
    Απόγονοι των δολοφόνων είστε που πριν από 500 χρόνια γενοκτόνισαν τον ντόπιο πληθυσμό της Ηπείρου !
    Ποια αγγλικά βρε βρωμιάρα ; Πόσες αγγλικές λέξεις έχει η παλιοσαβουρογλώσσα σου ;
    Πόσες γλώσσες ξέρεις εσύ βρωμιάρα ;
    Όταν πάει ένας Αμερικανός ταξίδι εκτός Αμερικής ποια γλώσσα μιλάει ; Γιατί εσείς οι Αμερικανοί βρε βρωμιάρα όταν έρχεστε στην χώρα μου ως τουρίστες δεν ξέρετε ούτε μια λέξη Ελληνική ;
    Γιατί βρε βρωμιάρα με σταμάτησαν μια παρέα Αμερικανών στην Αθήνα να με ρωτήσουν κάτι και τους τα εξήγησα έστω με τα σπαστά μου αγγλικά δεν απαίτησα να ξέρουν εκείνοι τα Ελληνικά ούτε τα ρώσσικα ούτε τα τούρκικα, ούτε τα σέρβικα που εγώ τα ξέρω !
    Πόσοι ΑμερικανοΆγγλοι ξέρουν έστω μια ξένη γλώσσα ; Στους 1000 ο ένας και αν !
    Ενώ εμείς οι Έλληνες όλοι γνωρίζουμε και μια δεύτερη ίσως και τρίτη οι περισσότερες γλώσσες !

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  • January 15, 2017 at 1:31 pm
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    Talk to the hand μπιτς

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  • January 15, 2017 at 2:00 pm
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    Κυρά μου εδώ δεν είναι αγγλία. Είναι αμερική και πρέπει όλοι να μιλάμε ινδιάνικα.
    Μανιτόμπα μισισίπι,οκλαχόμα τενεσί!
    Γκέγκε?

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  • January 16, 2017 at 2:45 am
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    Στην Αμερικη ειναι ολοι μεταναστες, οι μονοι γηγενεις ειναι οι Ινδιανοι.

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  • January 17, 2017 at 2:08 am
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    Bravo, so proud to be be Greek, in actual fact 20% of English words have Greek Origin
    You should have called her a F,,,,,, Retard

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  • January 17, 2017 at 7:43 pm
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    What a *naughty word here*. I have a spine tingling hatred for people who can smile like that while being totally in the wrong. Socially and mentally in the wrong, harassing two perfectly lovely people just going about their day. Why do they HAVE to speak Americanized English? Are you scared that they could be planning to bake a cake with those eggs? AN EVIL GREEK CAKE?! People are disgusting sometimes.

    I’m happy that manager stepped in so calmly like that and made it clear her racism, and by extension the woman herself, are not welcome at that store.

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  • January 17, 2017 at 9:51 pm
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    My grandmother did not speak English so at home we spoke Italian. I was only about 7 or 8 at the time so I had a basic conversational Italian. When Mama and I went to the store she would speak to me in Italian. No one, and this was in the 60s, said a word to us. We can thank the current fear of foreigners for this horrible behavior. It just goes to show how ignorant some people really are. I wish I still had someone to talk Italian with just to piss them off.

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  • January 18, 2017 at 4:47 am
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    I honestly think this is more supporters of the incoming administration who now believe it’s safe to come out of their caves! I’m sorry this happened to your family! One place I’ve always wanted to visit, Greece, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be disrespected while there!

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  • January 18, 2017 at 5:48 am
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    We can speak any language we want and know, I’m sorry for that lady that only knows “F*&ing English”

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  • January 18, 2017 at 12:04 pm
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    Greetings from California! Big thank-you to the store manager; every response like hers makes the world a better place.

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  • January 20, 2017 at 7:10 am
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    If you voted for Trump, a man who emboldens this kind of behavior – welcome to Trump’s America!

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  • January 21, 2017 at 7:01 pm
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    She said she was Police….what law does she think she’s enforcing.

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  • January 22, 2017 at 2:00 am
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    She is stupid, PLUS she is a thief …
    Did anyone notice that her last sentence before leaving is “I take the bottle” ?
    She should be sued by the shop.

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  • January 22, 2017 at 6:24 am
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    Good for you man – action against racism takes courage. Epharisto!

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  • January 22, 2017 at 12:53 pm
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    These sorts of incidents are always infuriating, but naturally, this one hits even closer to home. If that had happened to my mom or yiayia when they were still alive, I might have felt compelled to plant a foot on this skrofa’s butt. GGGggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

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  • January 22, 2017 at 2:02 pm
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    She’s just jealous because it’s been almost impossible for her to master one language.

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  • January 22, 2017 at 4:00 pm
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    The new normal, where all the stupid and the ignorant and the evil come out to light empowered by the man in the highest office. Thank you for posting this. Just revolting!

    We cannot let the guard down even here in LA. Few days ago an idiot asked me if my daughter and I were taking shit about her (we were speaking in Italian) I said “You wish” and left. I’m thinking of ordering a helmet and a shield.

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  • January 22, 2017 at 6:05 pm
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    I’m sure, if this woman were to go to Geece, she would only speak Greek. Who does she think she is?!

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  • January 23, 2017 at 8:18 am
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    The only way that this woman could’ve sounded more ridiculous would’ve been to say “Speak American!”

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  • February 5, 2017 at 1:21 pm
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    Of course the irony is that an enormously large percentage of Americans, apart from the fact that they cannot utter a single word in another language, are also incapable of speaking their own language properly. The examples are so many that it would take hundreds of pages but allow me to list a couple :How are you? GOOD instead of the correct WELL. Another that bewilders me. There is +PLURAL. Almost nobody uses “there ARE”. Should OF WENT!!!!! And of course the ridiculous usage of the word LIKE

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    • May 15, 2017 at 11:33 am
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      Where is the “LIKE” button? Πόυ έιναι η κουδόυνι “LΙΚΕ”! Bravo! Μπράβο!
      Δέν έιναι μόνο οί Έλλινες πόυ μάθουνε τά Ελλινικά…μερικόί ξένοι Μάθουμε τήν γλόσσα! Αμερικανοι σαν εγώ, σέ παραδίγματος… Not ONLY GREEKS learn Greeks, so do some foreigners, like ME for example!

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  • May 5, 2017 at 5:05 pm
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    So much ignorance!!! In América we apeak many lenguages because it is form by several countries, from north América to South América.

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  • May 14, 2017 at 2:46 pm
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    Terrible when a unilingual person thinks they are “superior” to someone who is bilingual or multilingual. Those of us who speak more than one language fluently, in her tiny mind, are less “American” than her. Wow!!! She and her president are part of a growing group of ignoramuses who we might need to banish to a rocky greek isle sooner than later!!!

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    • July 29, 2017 at 1:01 pm
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      My thoughts exactly. Her small mindedness makes her inferior in more than one way.

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  • July 29, 2017 at 1:00 pm
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    I’m about as broke as a person can be, but I wanted to donate a few dollars on your Go Fund Me page to reward this manager and to show people that not all Americans are such ignorant assholes. It wouldn’t let me donate and I saw there was a problem as to whether she would be allowed to accept the gift. I’ll try to remember to look back to see if you get that solved. My small donation won’t help much, but it is the principal of the matter. Plus, I’ve always dreamt of overseas travel and I really hope she will get to accept and enjoy her trip. Tell her she might want to claim to be Canadian while she’s there as I can’t imagine Americans have the best reputation in the rest of the world right now, for this reason alone.

    I’d love to tell Ms. Ignorant that just because her own brain is only large enough to hold the vocabulary of one language (and apparently only a select few of those words considering how poorly she communicates), that doesn’t mean the minds of others are so encumbered. She is clearly small minded in more ways than one. Truly shameful that anyone could be so awful in today’s modern world.

    PS. As a person named Felicia, why did the world suddenly have to refer to every undesirable person as Felicia? Lol. My name is Latin for happy! Now, it’s also slang for unwanted. :’-( I like to look on the bright side though. Until recently, no one could ever remember my name. Now, a light bulb goes off in their head when I’m introduced and they never forget it. I’ve learned to not take it personally when everyone seems to enjoy saying bye to me. 😉 😉 😉 😉 (I’m just teasing if you can’t tell.)

    Reply

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