"A Berliner in Vienna goes into a shop and asks for a Reisemütze (travelling cap) The assistant corrects him 'You want a Reisekappe” and shows him several. The Berliner remarks 'Die bunten liebe ich nicht (I don't like those with several colours). The assistant turns this sentence into his own German 'Die farbigen gefallen Ihnen nicht”. The Viennese, you see, loves (liebt) only people, he does not love things. Lastly, the Berliner says 'Wie teuer ist diese Mütze? (How much is this cap?), and again is guilty, all innocently, of a most crude Berlinism. Teuer, indeed, applies to prices above the normal, to unduly high prices. The Viennese merely says 'Was kostet das? The Berliner looks round for the Kasse (cash-desk) and finds the sign Kassa. He leaves the shop saying, since it is still early in the day 'Guten Morgen”, greatly to the surprise of the Viennese, who uses this form of words on arrival only, and not on leaving. The Viennese in turn replies with the words Ich habe die Ehre! Guten Tag'' and this time the Berliner is surprised, since he uses the expression Guten Tag! only on arrival, and not when leaving. "
(E. Tonnelat. A History of the German Language)
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