90% of redditors who speak English as a second language.

because "solo sexo" could indicate "just sex" while "sexo sólo" seems to indicate alone more

Like the thing with the Oxford comma, these examples imply people treat different what they read than what they hear (since, spoken, both sound exactly the same).

As when spoken, context is what tells what the word means, not the accent mark. This was the (surprisingly modern!) argument posed by the RAE and one of the few I agree with.

When by context the meaning is not clear, it's the writer's (or speaker's) fault (who could've easily said "solamente"/"en solitario" to avoid confusion).

About the taxi, you're talking about "coger", which means "grab" in Spain and "fuck" in a big chunk of Latin America. Like the examples before, it makes for a facile joke but it's nonsensical to think someone would mistake the two. It does make for funny double takes when you're used to hearing the word only one way.

A lot of years ago, my family moved from Venezuela to Mexico. My dad was Mexican but raised in Spain. We'd lived ten years in Venezuela and we'd gone pretty native by the time we left. That thing that happens when you don't realize just how many expression and slang you're carrying over.

At his first job, on the first day, my dad was offered by a workmate to go for a welcome drink, and he thought he would invite his secretary. He decided to invite her to go with them and that he'd give her a ride home afterwards.

In Venezuela, to go and take a drink is "echarse un palito". In México the same phrase means to have sex.

In Venezuela to give a ride is "dar la colita". In México the same phrase means offering your genitals (for sex, obviously).

(NO) Hilarity ensued. The secretary slapped him and asked to be moved, the workmate kept making fun of him until the day he switched jobs.

The above is a good example of not having the common sense to realize you're probably misunderstanding. I can only imagine my dad looked like he'd say something like that.

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