Would you like vanilla with that?

The last couple of times I treated myself to some Kohr Brothers frozen custard at Greenbrier Mall, I seem to have had trouble getting my request across to the girl at the counter. I mean, I
thought I was speaking plain English, but maybe I was speaking in tongues without realizing it...

A couple weeks ago I asked for a petite chocolate in a cup, not a cone. (They don't have small, they have petite -- which is ample for me.) What I got was a petite chocolate cone. It wasn't that big a deal, so I took it and didn't say anything. Maybe I shouldn't have acquiesced.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened today. The conversation went something like this:

Me: I'd like a petite ice cream.

Ice cream girl: Would you like a cone or a cup?

Me: A cup, please. [Then, realizing I had not specified a flavor] I'd like vanilla.

Ice cream girl: (Pause) You just want one?

Me, non-plussed: Yes...

(Ice cream girl goes to the machine and comes back with a cup... of orange/vanilla swirl.)

Ice cream girl: That will be $2.63.

Me, confused: Um, I asked for vanilla.

Ice cream girl: (Pause) With orange swirl, right?

Me: No, I asked for a petite vanilla cup.

(Ice cream girl gives me a disbelieving look, dumps the swirl, and dispenses a cup of vanilla.)

Now, maybe the Kohr's employees are a little distracted by the recent case where a staff member (not at the Greenbrier Kohr's -- I probably couldn't stand the thought of eating there if it was -- but I don't remember where) severed his finger in the custard machine and somehow it ended up in some customer's pint of custard (and he wouldn't give it back so it could be reattached), but I still can't see how that could result in this clerk hearing "orange/vanilla swirl" when I said "vanilla".

On the other hand, I suppose I should be grateful that my order didn't somehow get translated to "vanilla with finger topping."