The Secret Language of Americans

Strange discoveries all around. Recently, a friend of ours, Tracy, became a mom. Nothing strange about that but then her baby made it on Oprah so we all had to watch. The item was called "The secret language of Babies" (http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061113/slide_20061113_350_102.jhtml). The researcher involved claimed that all babies make the same basic sounds to indicate the same basic feelings. It kinda makes sense based on her explanations for these sounds. The explanations are all based on body reflexes which are in all probability indeed the same for babies the world over. Then yesterday we went to a Burger King drive-through to get some food. I pulled up to the speaker and heard a sound which I can only classify as "eeeow". I thought the employee was clearing her throat but Maria said that she just said "Can I help you?". I now realize that Americans have a secret language of their own which I have to learn. It's not because they can't speak yet like babies, Although a lot of them are not really able to articulate that well ;-) It's because soundquality of the phones is so bad. There's so much static that if you don't know in advance what somebody is going to say you end up asking them to repeat it 3 times. Not that anybody adjusts their articulation for that. If somebody asks me to repeat something I do it slower and better articulated. Not here. And obviously that gap is now filled with secret sounds. Look at the clip on Oprah's website and you'll know what I mean. And to link it back to the drive-through, if you think the quality of the phones is bad go check out a drive-through. It's a miracle you actually get what you want.
By the way, Maria says Tracy's baby is the 4th one.

Pim