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Originally Posted by WHBM
Originally Posted by
Yaatri
It's not at all difficult to find people in Hong Kong and Singapore, with very little to no ability to communicate in English.
I'm sure they are able to communicate in English quite OK with people from their own countries, just not so well with those from far afield. Which is something you find even in different areas of the UK.
Scene in Singapore large clothing store.
WHBM : "Hello, do you have any silk shirts please."
Staff : "Ah, all shirt whiskers."
WHBM : "Excuse me please."
Staff : "Ah sir, all shirt whiskers."
WHBM : "Sorry, say again please."
Staff : "All - Shirt - Whiskers."
Suddenly realised it was the local pronunciation of Viscose.
I think most people can communicate with a person who does not speak their language as long as the latter's vocabulary contains some words relevant to the the topic. Gestures help too. My mother and my wife were able to carry on a conversation without any help from anyone else. I used to discuss politics with a Greek friend of mine whose English skills were no better than my mother's. A salesman in Singapore is likely to have a much larger vocabulary than either my mother or my Greek friend had.
I have come across people in Singapore and Hongkong, always Chinese, whose English vocabulary was non-existant. Even gestures did not help. A lot depends on their willingness to try to understand you. I have not had any dificulty in communucating with ethnic Malays and Indians in Singapore and Malaysia.
If I had to guess what shirt whiskers meant without the context, I would have guessed it to mean "collar stays".