KIRCHBERG — An anglophone who moved to Luxembourg last year is reportedly “thrilled” after having been able to participate in a short, functional conversation in French with a supermarket cashier that observers likened to toddler-speak.
“I must have an innate talent for languages or something, because I was able to effortlessly greet her in French and, when she asked for my loyalty card, I explained that while I do indeed possess one, I’d left it home,” 35-year-old IT consultant Michael Harris later explained.
After eight seconds, the cashier, a resident of the nearby French town of Longwy, announced that the painful charade had gone on long enough.
“I speak English, if you prefer,” she said, more as a plea than an offer. “I couldn’t make sense of anything you said, but I’m touched that you’re using me as a guinea pig for your sadistic linguistic experiment.”
“Excuse me while I stuff my ears with cotton, but it seems you’ve caused them to bleed,” she added.
According to reports, that evening, Harris recounted his success to his wife, saying that the cashier was “astounded” by how well he spoke French, and that she even went as far as to suggest he become a French teacher.
