# Hey Jack Battty the Maine-iac! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 8, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971 "2001-01-08T06:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/1 "2001-01-08T06:54:42Z")
Thought that’d get your attention! What the hell was that wacked-out Maine-ism you threw at us at that pizza place? The French word that has no translation? Doobieous and scratchie and I were trying to remember… it’s driving us nuts! (Well, ok so it’s a short drive.) I can “hear” it in my head as “waay-oont-waa” or something… Doob disagrees, and scratchie, well he just doesn’t really remember. 😉 Enquiring minds MUST know! Dispel ignorance! ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/2 "2001-01-08T07:51:32Z")
Um, yeah… I did mean to add an extra T to Battty in the thread title… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/3 "2001-01-08T16:43:32Z")
Hi-ho. (I just love a thread with my name in it, being an attention whore and all). You’ve pretty much got it down, pronunciation-wize, just remember to nazalize that “t”. As for spelling, you’re guess is as good as mine, but I think it is something like this - Vayon Oua - or something, I really don’t know. I can’t really speak french, just the swear words. For the unenlightened - this term is used in instances of frustration - disbelief - anger, almost as a teen these days might say “as if”. That’s the best I can do. I bet if we can get some of our northeast-Canadian Dopers on board here, they might be able to help. ---
**Author:** ![Simetra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/4 "2001-01-08T17:32:29Z")
As a french speaking person, the only thing I could possibly think of is, Vais ont toi. Which literally translates to “Go have you”, but I guess figuratively could mean, “Have it your way.” If taken in the right context, “Fine, have it your way!” could be a term of exasperation. Sorry, just felt like butting in here. 🙂 Anyone out there who speaks better French than I do, care to take a whack at it? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/5 "2001-01-08T17:57:28Z")
I don’t know how specifically French it is. It seems to be an anomoly of Acadian-French as found in northeast Canada and northern Maine. I doubt you’d hear it in Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/6 "2001-01-08T18:44:42Z")
You can always resort to the old fallback; Et ta seur! Literal translation: And your sister. Intended meanings: You and your sister too! And I’ll do your sister too! ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/7 "2001-01-08T19:11:33Z")
**Jack** , I thought putting your name (albeit spelled correctly) would make your day. 🙂 Thanks for enlightening us. **Simetra** , that looks right! I vaguely recall learning that phrase as slang… just say it with a Maine accent and it’ll be perfect! 🙂 Aah… I can sleep now… 😉 Any luck with the job search, Jack? I’m looking more seriously now myself. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/8 "2001-01-08T19:22:32Z")
Nothing yet. My motivation level is pretty low this morning. We had an active little weekend and I’m recharging. I’d say, if I don’t get any phone calls by the middle of the week, I’ll be off to Tower Records. They offered me a job months ago right before I started my temp job, so I’m pretty sure I could start there right away. Barring that, I’m going to go to my favorite bar and see if they need help. Then I’m on empty, unless **oldscratch** can get me in as a barback where he works. The only thing I can say about the whole thing is … **Waay-oont-waa!!** ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-jack-battty-the-maine-iac/48971/9 "2001-01-08T19:30:57Z")
I hear ya. Motivation seems to be a key factor I am missing. Well, I sent a bunch of resumes out this weekend, so that’s a start I guess. Way-oont-waa to it!