• drugo@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Well, it’s in English. Being the lingua franca really made monolingual English speakers forget how language works

    • enki@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      There are over one billion English speakers on this planet and only 1/3 of them are American, where the rhyme originates. So an American asking someone who has never heard the song before where they’re from is a valid question for the other 700,000 English speaking humans from the 8+ countries where English is the most common language.

      • drugo@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        The billion figure is including non-native speakers who mostly don’t learn rhymes. Also, a billion minus 1/3 is 700,000? Let’s put it this way. If I posted about a rhyme in French, would it make sense to say “Oh, really you don’t know this saying? Where are you from?” Any place that doesn’t speak french is the answer.

        • Bumblefumble@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Well maybe he wanted to know if this was a thing in for example the UK, NZ, Australia, South Africa, India, etc. That’s a valid question. Also, maybe give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant 700,000,000.

        • Bumblefumble@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Well maybe he wanted to know if this was a thing in for example the UK, NZ, Australia, South Africa, India, etc. That’s a valid question. Also, maybe give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant 700,000,000.

    • mriormro@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      And being multi-lingual, seemingly, makes you respond like a smug asshole to a genuine question.

      • drugo@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Bro what the fuck kinda question is “uh I just wanted to know what places didn’t know this saying?” Throw a dart at a map, I’ll guarantee it lands in a place that never heard of it.

        • Stumblinbear@pawb.social
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          1 year ago

          Uh. There are plenty of things that tons of people know about, and plenty of things that only one country is aware of. You’ll never know until you ask.

          Quit being a cunt, dude.

    • ieatpillowtags@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Are you implying that America is the only place where people speak English? Because that would be pretty stupid of you.

      • byroon@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I think they’re implying that English being the lingua-franca has made many monolingual English speakers forget that most of the world does not speak English as a first language, and those people are unlikely to be familiar with a children’s rhyme written in English.