# Do you use certain foreign words/phrases exclusively rather your native language's words?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-certain-foreign-words-phrases-exclusively-rather-your-native-languages-words/844883>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 15, 2019, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-certain-foreign-words-phrases-exclusively-rather-your-native-languages-words/844883 "2019-12-15T06:27:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-certain-foreign-words-phrases-exclusively-rather-your-native-languages-words/844883/61 "2024-04-14T11:07:31Z")

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Barong, I think it’s maybe Behasa Indonesian? Or maybe Malay? Anyway, I picked it up from Chinese friends in Singapore.

It means your…stuff, your bags, boxes, whatever you’re taking along with you, …barong! Very useful!

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**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-certain-foreign-words-phrases-exclusively-rather-your-native-languages-words/844883/62 "2024-04-14T11:24:23Z")

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I’ll sometimes say “_cruz cruz_” (Spanish) to mean “no way — I sure hope not! That would be horrible!” - a bit like “knock on wood,” but used when someone suggests something that disgusts you, like “hey, our racist neighbor wants to talk to you.”

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-certain-foreign-words-phrases-exclusively-rather-your-native-languages-words/844883/63 "2024-04-14T11:42:46Z")

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> [@elbows](#):
>
> Barong, I think it’s maybe Behasa Indonesian? Or maybe Malay? Anyway, I picked it up from Chinese friends in Singapore.

Any other meanings of it on Google are entirely swamped by a shirt, a mythological creature, and a knife.

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