# Creative answers for a question of "Where are you from"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257 "2010-09-27T19:49:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/1 "2010-09-27T19:49:32Z")
So, I’ve got an accent. You wouldn’t think that that would be a problem in the melting pot of the US, and with friends/acquaintances, it really isn’t. But after the first 12 years or so, having complete strangers asking where I’m from has gotten pretty old. Likewise, hearing about their brother’s roommate’s cousins that dated a person of my nationality once/being asked to say something in my native language/hearing horribly mangled words and sadly stereotypical views. So far, 've had the pleasure of using… “From the planet Earth/Venus/Jupiter/etc”. That generally got blank looks and a very slow, loud restatement of the question. The only other thing I can think of is “None of your business”, which sounds a bit rude. Any other ideas? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/2 "2010-09-27T19:51:02Z")
_“Over the hills and far away.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/3 "2010-09-27T19:52:22Z")
Atlantis. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/4 "2010-09-27T19:53:27Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > _“Over the hills and far away.”_ By Nightwish!? This calls for an accompanying ring-tone! ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/5 "2010-09-27T19:53:33Z")
Somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/6 "2010-09-27T20:16:25Z")
I get that question too, and I was born and raised in the US. I’m told that upon meeting me for the first time you’d think I’d have some kind of non American accent. I usually give one of the following responses. A. My mother’s womb B. Thataway (while pointing my thumb over my shoulder) C. Earth (I see you’ve used that one too :)) I also get the question “what are you?” which I find extremely annoying, almost insulting. Less frequently, I’ll get “what nationality are you?” When I say I’m American, the usual response is “no, I mean what country is your family from?” to which, when I say America, the questioner usually either becomes annoyed and shuts up, or annoyed and changes the subject. I’ve found that I have little patience for these questions as I’ve gotten older. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/7 "2010-09-27T20:33:17Z")
“Somewhere you’ve never heard of” sounds nice and mysterious. Or you could just answer, many people are accent aficionados ya know. Is it that big of an imposition? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/8 "2010-09-27T20:36:29Z")
“A preposition is not a thing to be ending a sentence with.” ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/9 "2010-09-27T20:37:56Z")
I used to say, ‘the most beautiful city in the world, because the most beautiful women in the world live there.’ But since my dear bride was born elsewhere, then I stopped saying that. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/10 "2010-09-27T20:52:15Z")
Over there, over there . . . OR East of the Sun, West of the Moon. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/11 "2010-09-27T20:58:06Z")
“Lots of different places.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/12 "2010-09-27T21:07:49Z")
From The Magnificent Seven **Steve McQueen** : Where do you come from? \*\*Yul Brynner: \*\*_points vaguely backwards over his shoulder with his thumb_ **Steve McQueen** : Where are you headed? \*\*Yul Brynner: \*\* _points vaguely forwards._ ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/13 "2010-09-27T21:20:29Z")
Make up a place and then act all offended that they haven’t heard of it. ‘But Dongoria is the world’s largest manufacturer of tin-openers! How can you not have heard of us?’ ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/14 "2010-09-27T21:27:25Z")
How 'bout just, “Your mom”? ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/15 "2010-09-27T21:38:18Z")
“Well, I was born in Hawaii, so I guess that makes me Kenyan.” ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/16 "2010-09-27T21:40:15Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > How 'bout just, “Your mom”? Or, “I spent some time in Yomama.” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/17 "2010-09-27T21:48:06Z")
I was from Uranus. They changed the name because people kept making jokes about it. Now we call it Urectum. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/18 "2010-09-27T21:53:56Z")
“Mommy said I came from Heaven.” ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/19 "2010-09-27T22:15:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Or you could just answer, many people are accent aficionados ya know. Is it that big of an imposition? This attitude is one reason why it’s so hard to formulate an answer to the ‘where are you from’ question… each person asking _means no harm_, and it’s just a little thing, right? Well, it’s not such a little thing 5 times a day, and it can be especially jarring when you are just trying to live your life or buy some coffee – it reminds you that you are an outsider. And the issue is not so much the question, but two related things: (i) as the OP mentioned, people always follow up an answer with some wholly banal and predictable spiel; (ii) people don’t let you dodge the question… if you try to give a ‘cute’ answer like some of the suggested ones, Americans will badger you for it. OP, I’m sad to say that I haven’t really found a good way around this. Any evasive answers either make you sound oddly defensive, or frustratingly have the effect of drawing attention to the issue, making you sound like an attention seeker. I’ve tried vague answers (European Union), lies (Chicago) and ‘cute’ evasions (we only just met!), none work. One way to get a little revenge is the following, which often works… Idiot: where are you from? Me: (sigh) you haven’t heard of it Them: Try me! I went to London once Me: (name of small town) Them: (deflated), they mumble something about London visit. But honestly, if people want to drone on at you about their study abroad or whatever, your accent marks you as a target and there’s little you can do to stop it. pdts ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257/20 "2010-09-27T22:22:20Z")
Oceania or Eurasia [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-answers-for-a-question-of-where-are-you-from/555257.md?page=2)