This happened to me during a job interview for a paralegal position with a high-profile, "white shoe" law firm here in Chicago. The white (and obviously "suburban") middle-aged HR manager escorted me around the firm which occupied three floors of Chicago's Sears Tower (then the tallest building in the world). She even took me to lunch at a swanky Chicago steak house.

We went back to her office where she continued to question me as she review my resume.

"Mr. Dyer," she said, "You have an impressive background and education -- lots of experience....just what we need."

She then went there: "May I ask you a personal question, though?" I thought she might ask about my salary requirements. Nope:

"How did you learn to speak so well?" she said. I stood up, looked her dead in her eye, and then snatched my resume out of her hand, turned around and walked my "well spoken" ass out of her office.

Great and insightful piece of writing -- as usual.