Dear EDITH:
I'm pleased to oblige. You are correct that Americans -- many of whom are not fluent in a foreign language -- tend to forget that people from other countries are often bilingual or trilingual. Many years ago, I spent a summer studying in Italy and had a similar experience. Trapeze dresses (A-line, loose-fitting) were in style that season, and I was walking down the street wearing one of them when an American family (husband, wife, and a boy about 11) approached strolling in the opposite direction. As we passed, the boy said loudly to his mother, "Look, Mom! That lady's wearing a nightgown." I thought they were going to go through the pavement when I turned around and said, "Thanks, kid!"
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