my accidental bigotry...

I have a weird bad habit that presents itself once in a while. Before I describe the bad habit, I will make an apology and excuse for it.
I am sorry it happens, and I don't mean anything by it when it does. It just happens.
I guess those are not sufficient for either an apology or an excuse. Ah well.
When I am interacting with not-100% English speaking people, I sometimes use language or phrases that, to someone who didn't know what a hell of a nice guy I am, could be taken as offensive. I don't mean them to be.
Today at lunch was a good example. I was eating at a Mexican restaurant. When the meal was over, the waiter came back to get the plates. I jokingly said, "Hot plate! Hot plate!" to the waiter as he had said when he served the food.
He laughed and said he was used to it. He showed us all a place on his arm where he had burned himself with a fajitas tray.
Now, those trays are really hot. It looked like it must have really hurt.
In a very supportive manner, I said "Ay, ay, aayyy!"
I've never claimed social brilliance.
Another example:
In my job, I frequently work directly with those from outside US. I was once working with a person from Asia. We had completed the somewhat formal conversation we needed to have and had moved into a more relaxed interchange.
We were discussing his smoking habit and how bad it was for his health. He asked if I had ever smoked.
I said, "Me? Oh no. No drinkee, no smokee."
There are other examples of how I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but that's enough self-flagellation for now.
Besides, I have to tell the Spanish janitor to make my garbage go bye-bye.