On stuttering

[karath]

Hello again all! This is a random, and kind of old story, but I did just remember it and there's no telling how long that will last

If you don't remember, I work at a Wendy's and, as the only person there who speaks english as my first language, I'm always at one cashier station or another. Now, the only problem I ever have with this is that I have a pretty bad stutter which, every now and again, makes communication very difficult. I'm getting better at controlling it, but really there are good days and bad days. If customers ever notice, then usually they're very patient and understanding, and a few of them even have helpful suggestions.

One asshole, however, got to be the exception to that rule.

If I remember right, it already hadn't been a great day, and the more tired I get the harder it is for me to speak clearly. So when I took that guy's order, I could barely get a sentence out without having to pause to force the words out of my mouth. The customer decided to deal with this in the pleasant manner of "can't you stop that shit? it's really annoying."

That stopped me dead in my tracks, as I was filling up his drink I believe. Frankly he was lucky I was already having such difficulty speaking, had I been more coherent I would have had some very choice words for him. I decided to pretend I couldn't hear him and went to finish his order.

So of course the kind, caring customer decides to repeat himself as I give him his food. I looked him dead in the eye and replied "If I could st-st-STOP this, sir, believe me, I would have done so l...LONG ago. Have a nice day." (that's how bad it was)

Now I understand that it may be a bit frustrating having to speak to me when my stutter is active (God knows I hate it when I can't get a sentence out), but honestly, do you think I CHOSE to speak like that? There is nothing productive that will come out of saying that, save pissing off the person who controls your meal.

Anyways, just wanted to rant about that memory (and sc ). Any thoughts on that situation and my response would be appreciated

[blas]

Yeah, because you totally asked to have a stuttering problem. (eyeroll) Assgiblets like him need to go shove a fork in the toaster and see what happens.

[draco664]

I feel for you.

As a child, I had a terrible stutter. I can sympathize.

I always found the old one finger salute to work well, especially when combined with "You know sign language?" or similar.

About a month ago, my wife and I were in line behind an SC who was giving the teller at our bank a hard time for having a lisp. She just said, "Hey, she can't help the way she speaks the same way you can't help being fucking stupid."

I love my wife. Really.

The guy turned around to let her have it, took one look at us[1], shut up and finished his business in record time.

Draco

[1] My wife - 5'7 - slim. Me - 6'0 - (and about 4'6 across the shoulders.) long red hair, ginger beard. I once got accused of being a bear. In Scotland of all places.

[iradney]

I stutter sometimes when my brain gets muddled. It's annoying as hell. So I know what it's like. I got a few stuttering customers on the line when I was still a phone jockey. I treated them the same as everyone else, coz I know when I'm stuttering, I don't want to be treated like a kid!

[AirHostess]

I used to stammer as a child and when I get really nervous it comes out a bit even now. I had speech therapy which helped a lot.

[karath]

I feel for you.

As a child, I had a terrible stutter. I can sympathize.

I always found the old one finger salute to work well, especially when combined with "You know sign language?" or similar.

I am DEFINITELY remembering that one! Thanks draco!

I used to stammer as a child and when I get really nervous it comes out a bit even now. I had speech therapy which helped a lot.

I've had a little help myself but it's slow going. There's this miraculous little device called the speecheasy that I use whenever I can and almost obliterates my stuttering, but its usefulness is inversely proportional to the amount of background noise...which means at the fast-food place where I work its almost not worth the trouble.

[Bright_Star]

Some people can be mean & heartless.

[AirHostess]

I've had a little help myself but it's slow going. There's this miraculous little device called the speecheasy that I use whenever I can and almost obliterates my stuttering, but its usefulness is inversely proportional to the amount of background noise...which means at the fast-food place where I work its almost not worth the trouble.

I really do empathise as I know what's it's like. Good luck with everything, I know it sucks when people are mean like that. There are no instant soloutions and it will take time but I managed it (well most of the time I'm fine.) What is the speecheasy? Never heard of that before.

[coldcupofjoe]

I'm interested in this speacheasy as well. I've dealt with a stuttering problem myself. Like you most of time I don't stutter anymore, but when I get tired or flustered I start to stutter, with varying degree of annoyance.

[Broomjockey]

I've found most people with a stutter hate it when people "finish" their sentences for them, or just answer without waiting for the finish. Just wondering if that's true for you too?

Personally, I just view it as an accent. I've no problem with most accents, and if I can't understand, I just ask for a repeat of the statement. People can't really help accents without a lot of work, same with a stutter. Works for me.

[Chanlin]

While it might sound odd I have heard and read that singing can help to control stuttering. Speaking or singing in a tune uses a different part of the brain than regular speaking so it can sometimes help to get around the block that causes the stutter.

I'm with Broom on the question about whether or not it annoys you when someone tries to finish your sentences for you.

[Brightglaive]

I have a slightly different problem but I often get the same reaction.

I lived in a foreign country for several years and spoke the languages. There were several dialects and I thought I spoke them fluently (at least I thought so.) When I moved back to the USA I had to speak english again. My problem is that now that I have multiple languages in my head, (I spoke 5 filipino dialects plus I was once near fluent in German and I know a smattering of Spanish and French,) when I am trying to say something my brain will shift into neutral as I try to think of what word I want to use. Sometimes I can think of the foreign language word I would use but can't think of the english word. Most of the time my brain just goes completely blank. That's when I'll stop in the middle of my sentence while I'm waiting for my brain to shift back into gear.

People will often get annoyed when this happens and ask me, " what are you trying to say?", or try and prompt me, or try to complete my sentence. That ALWAYS annoys me. If I could think of the word I'm trying to say I would say it!! I guess my problem is similar except that I can't spit the word out at all instead of stuttering or stammering in the middle of saying the word.

[Shabo]

Say it in whatever language you are thinking. They can't get mad at you for saying it... though I'm sure they'll be like, "Speak English!" and you can quickly retort with "I'm trying, but you were too impatient to wait for the right language!" Stupid Americans. *Disclaimer: I am from the US too. I'm calling those that give the rest of us a bad name stupid.*

I tried to watch a news piece for class from a Philippine station on Youtube once. It sounded to me like they were switching back and forth between English and Spanish, like every other word. Crazy. I bet they didn't even realize they were doing it, either.

[Pedersen]

People will often get annoyed when this happens and ask me,

I see something slightly similar with my wife and with my father. Basically, they will start to say something, get about halfway through the statement, and just drop. Something else takes their attention, and I have to remind them to finish their statements.

Something like this (OP = Other Person):
OP: So, we'll see you at ...
Me (a minute or so later): I'll see you at ... ????
OP: Oh! Yeah, we'll see you at the store at 1:30.

No, it's not linguistics. They are all monolingual. Their brain just stops trying to finish the statement for whatever reason.

I love 'em, but it does drive me crazy

[Brightglaive]

I tried to watch a news piece for class from a Philippine station on Youtube once. It sounded to me like they were switching back and forth between English and Spanish, like every other word. Crazy. I bet they didn't even realize they were doing it, either.

Yeah in regular conversation they do that sometimes. They start out in english and switch to tagalog (aka filipino) or Ilonggo or Ilocano or Cebuano or Pampangan or Waray or whatever their local dialect is.They'll also switch from the local dialect back to english. English is taught as their second national language behind Tagalog (Filipino). So most of the Filipinos are trilingual.

On a newscast it would likely be taglish (Tagalog and English). BTW Tagalog and most filipino dialects are pronounced with spanish vowels (ah-eh-ih-oh-oo). The word itself is pronounced Tah GAH Lohg. But that is why it sounds like spanish.

Interestingly enough there is a dialect called Chubakano. (It's actually a bastardization of the spanish (slang?) word Chavakano.) It is basically mostly broken spanish.