Saying "Please" Outside Cincinnati

[Briolat21]

As a transplant here from SE MI (land of "Pardon Me?? Excuse me? I beg your pardon?), "please" (which apparently literally descended from the German use of "bitte?") - has confused my husband (he works in retail) more than once.

Customer walks in and asks him for a part. My husband replies, "No problem sir, I can get you that Insert-technical-name of part-here". The customer replies "please". My husband assumes it means "Yes please get me that part" .. .but of course here it means "I didn't understand you, please repeat yourself...".

My coworkers warned me about the please thing, but even so its strange to me when I encounter it.

[Ohiogirl81]

When I first moved to the area, "please?" confused me. What was I supposed to say? Thank you? You're welcome?

But it's a quirky, charming thing, and I learned to embrace it just as much as I learned to embrace a five-way. So every now and then it slips out, and it surprises me just as much as it surprises the person I've said it to. I'd recognize that confused look anywhere, LOL.

But when I start calling the sidewalks "pavement" as they do here in Philadelphia, you all may shoot me.

Please.

[goyguy]

What's wrong with that? That's what they are!
Picture this:
Ohiogirl81 needs a supply of a Philadelphia "specialty," walks up to a Cincinnati deli counter. "Hi, I'd like a half-pound of scrapple" "Please?" "OK, I'll say the magic word. May I please have a half-pound of scrapple?" "Please?!" "May I PUHLEEEZ have a half-pound of scrapple?" "Snapple's in the cooler on Aisle 5"

[aquila]

Reminds me of the time I went to Florida and was talking to my cousin's husband. In the course of discussing dinner and what I might want to drink, I said "Pop is fine".

"Pop!", he sarcastically quipped with a smirk on his face. "It's soda".

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by goyguy

What's wrong with that? That's what they are!
Picture this:
Ohiogirl81 needs a supply of a Philadelphia "specialty," walks up to a Cincinnati deli counter. "Hi, I'd like a half-pound of scrapple" "Please?" "OK, I'll say the magic word. May I please have a half-pound of scrapple?" "Please?!" "May I PUHLEEEZ have a half-pound of scrapple?" "Snapple's in the cooler on Aisle 5"

Scrapple is gross.

So is goetta.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

So is goetta.

Whaaaa???

Goetta is fabulous ... not good for you, but tasty! ... I think it's similar to I believe a czech version called: Prettles.

[Didamc]

I stopped using "please" years ago when I worked in a call center. I said it to a customer that was inquiring about a charge on her card, I didn't understand what she had said, so I said "Please?". She took it as sarcasm and ripped into me. I reverted to "I'm Sorry", people tended to understand that to repeat themselves, and if they didn't, then I was just apologizing to them for nothing. Safe.

I had a friend move to Cincinnati from South Carolina, and we went to Wendy's for lunch one day. The clerk at Wendy's had asked if he wanted sour cream with his potato, and he responded "Please." She repeated herself. He said Please again, so she slowly, annunciating her words, repeated herself again. He looked at her like she was crazy and said "YES! Please
!" I cracked up and explained it to him after we sat down.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by Didamc

I stopped using "please" years ago when I worked in a call center. I said it to a customer that was inquiring about a charge on her card, I didn't understand what she had said, so I said "Please?". She took it as sarcasm and ripped into me. I reverted to "I'm Sorry", people tended to understand that to repeat themselves, and if they didn't, then I was just apologizing to them for nothing. Safe.

I had a friend move to Cincinnati from South Carolina, and we went to Wendy's for lunch one day. The clerk at Wendy's had asked if he wanted sour cream with his potato, and he responded "Please." She repeated herself. He said Please again, so she slowly, annunciating her words, repeated herself again. He looked at her like she was crazy and said "YES! Please
!" I cracked up and explained it to him after we sat down.

That's funny! I was sitting here trying to picture the situation, and this whole thing with "Please" would make a good comedy skit!

[Briolat21]

Yes - its like "who's on first" - but more regional!

[goyguy]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

Whaaaa???

Goetta is fabulous ...

"Goetta fabulous!" LOL