Language code

In reaction to “Igal tibil on auto tänapäeval”

@Giustino:
If the two men spoke Estonian with you, then it's best not to switch code.

I can bet the dude who you told "Thank you" to in Russian did understand what you said, yet I am sure was also dismayed that you spoke Russian to him by assuming he was Russian, only because he spoke the language with his lady friend. How and which tongue is he going to use in the public with his romantic interest after such an incident? Their speaking Russian with each other is their thing, even if the lady friend was potentially proficient in Estonian, too.

And in parts of Estonia that are not Tallinn and Ida-Virumaa, Estonian is lingua franca anyway. In Tartu, you don't encounter people asking which language do you speak, because the assumed language is Estonian.

Your situation reminded me of what AnTyx not so long ago wrote about.

I can well vouch as to what most patriotic Estonians now think of your friend Kristjan, who thinks our right-of-centre politicians to be neocons while they are not. I can even guess what party he is supporting.