SPEAKING IN TONGUES

 

Dear The Curmudgeon's Agony Aunt

Mi vergogno un po' a dirlo, ma io ... scusi ... I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this but I find, in my dotage, that I slip into speaking and writing in foreign languages when communicating with friends and family. Eu temo que eles pensem que estou sendo um pouco poseur ...  e me exibindo com licença ... er, excuse me again. People are looking at me strangely even more strangely, what can you suggest?

Richard of Richard's Bass Bag.

Well 'Richard of Richard's Bass Bag' may I suggest that the way that you introduce yourself, before you become that multi-lingual poseur, is a bit of a wank? Richard of Richard's Bass Bag indeed! What's wrong with you? And, what the hell is a bass bag? Why don't you carry a handbag - or a man's bag like all those other old nancies? I'd drop all that foreign language stuff if I were you and concentrate on remembering words in English before you really succumb to that dotage.

Yours, in the spirit of being helpful, The Curmudgeon's Agony Aunt.