I am a non-native speaker of English so I am trying to get used to every phrase I come across while hearing and reading. As a result, I have watched many American movies and so I have heard the phrase "speak English" plenty of times. Nevertheless, I still don't get the meaning of it.
For example, here are several quotes from the movie "The Avengers":
"Bruce Banner: Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet.
Tony Stark: Finally, someone who speaks English."
and
"Steve Rogers/Captain America: Hey, speak English.
Tony Stark: You see the red lever? When I tell you to, pull it. That will give me enough time to get out."
Aren't they speaking English? Or is there another hidden meaning behind it that I don't catch?
Thanks in advance.
Best Answer
The "Speak English" normally refers to the listeners inability to understand the (English) words said by the speaker - in your example due to lack of technical knowledge.
In the movie, Captain America woke up after 60 years so there are many things he does not yet understand. He could ask Stark or Banner to "speak English" when they would be using technical jargon not understandable by "normal people"
In the case of Stark, it is used in the opposite manner. The sentence
shows a level of technical knowledge that pleases Stark, who is highly technical. His reply shows he is happy to meet a clever group member and he is being sarcastic towards the rest of the group who he feels are his intellectual inferiors - in particular Banner's Alter Ego who barely speaks English.