The Geno's Steaks guy was on TV this morning and showed what people were up in arms about.
On the front window, where you order the Philly cheese steaks, he has one of those regular "patriotic" signs with the flag and I think an eagle on it, which says something like "This is America. Please speak English."
Just below that, he has another of those standard signs that says "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone ..."
Some people decided to make a leap of judgment and put the two together as a "cause and effect" statement. They *inferred* that if you didn't speak English, you would be refused service.
The owner said that's not the case at all. (He's 2nd generation Italian.)
As many people pointed out in the TV segment - when you order your cheese steak with CheezWhiz, which is the *best* way, you say, "Whiz With." It's just a local idiom that they have adopted humorously. They love to initiate tourists (I have been) by instructing them about the "Whiz With" statement.
And if *that's* English, I suppose the naysayers can just kiss my cheez grits casserole!
P.S. I should have noted that "Whiz, With" has a comma in it and means CheezWhiz on the sandwich, *with* onions. I forgot the onions part, as I can't imagine it without them.
"Cheeps! Cheeps! Cheeps!"
"No Coke - Pepsi!"
Welcome to America.