Put a head on it

This month’s winner is DENNIS CLINE of Ingleside, Illinois:

Many years ago, soon after my wife and I were married, we set forth on our first trip outside the US. We went to Acapulco, Mexico, and on our first night there, we chose an “official-looking” cantina for some authentic local cuisine.

When our waiter came, I ordered a couple of beers for my wife and myself. Wishing to impress my new bride with my command of the local language, I requested, “Dos cabezos.”

The waiter looked startled, appearing confused by my order, so, using my hand, I pantomimed drinking with an invisible beer mug. He showed acknowledgement and soon brought our beers.

Later that night, remembering that the average grade for my Spanish-language college courses was only a “D,” I checked my Berlitz translator book and learned that what I had actually ordered were two heads (cabezas), not two beers (cervezas).

Tell us about the funniest thing that happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Include your full mailing address. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.