When in NY my wife asked for a bottle of waTer in a deli and the guy didn't have a clue what she wanted despite her saying it very clearly a number of times.

Being an old hand at the NY accent (having lived there for a couple of years) I just leaned over and said waDer and he understood me first time

I can't understand how he couldn't understand someone saying it like it is spelt though.
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Mk2a RioCar 120Gb - now sold to the owner of my old car
Rio Karma - now on ebay...