# "I shoulda turned left at Albuquerque" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** cartoons-animation\ **Created:** [September 16, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796 "2020-09-16T22:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/1 "2020-09-16T22:29:39Z")
(Feel free to add a Brooklyn accent in your head, if you’ve heard it that way before. I thought about writing it that way, but it looked ridiculous.) Please reply with the following information: your approximate age or generation (boomer, gen-x, millenial, etc) and whether you know what this cultural reference is about. No need to say what it is for those who do know. If you want to put in spoilers, please tag them accordingly so as not to spoil the inquiry for later respondents. I had an email today from a 20-something acquaintance who told me she was moving to Albuquerque, and I made the obligatory reference for anyone my age (boomer) and she was all Wha??? So I sent her this link: [Bugs Bunny Albuquerque - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU) (spoiler!) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/2 "2020-09-16T22:40:38Z")
Late Baby Boomer era, and yep. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/3 "2020-09-16T22:54:22Z")
Isn’t it “I knew I should’ve taken that left turn at Albuquerque”? That’s the form I know best. Maybe that’s a reason? ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/4 "2020-09-16T22:54:58Z")
Gen X, born in 1969, and I know what’s up. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/5 "2020-09-16T22:56:26Z")
Born in '65, and I absolutely know this reference; and I think you’re misquoting it slightly. And I wouldn’t say it to a person moving to Albuquerque. She only needs to get to Albuquerque. The left turn reference is only for people travelling through Albuquerque, on their way to someplace left of it. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/6 "2020-09-16T23:06:44Z")
Born 1966. Know the reference. Does she know of the Weird Al song? Brian ---
**Author:** ![GreaterZamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GreaterZamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreaterZamboni)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/7 "2020-09-16T23:10:29Z")
Age 58, tail end of boomer births, Yes I know the reference, ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/8 "2020-09-16T23:11:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Isn’t it “I knew I should’ve taken that left turn at Albuquerque”? That’s the form I know best. Maybe that’s a reason? It’s said both ways in the video (there are several different instances in different, um, productions.) And I didn’t quote the whole thing, I just made a reference. I tried to edit my title to reflect this way of saying it, but it didn’t work. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And I wouldn’t say it to a person moving to Albuquerque. I didn’t quote the whole thing, I just made a reference. And how often does Albuquerque come up in your daily correspondence? I could not resist the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/9 "2020-09-16T23:13:11Z")
Born in 1964, have probably known it since I could talk. Ms. P born in 1967, knows it. Number 1 son born in 1998, has known it since he was three or four. Same with number 2 son, born in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/10 "2020-09-16T23:13:28Z")
Early millennial. I’ve heard the phrase before, and as I ran it back through in my mind, the imagined voice reminded me where it came from. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/11 "2020-09-16T23:14:02Z")
Born in 1946 and have no idea what it means. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/12 "2020-09-16T23:23:53Z")
You must have lived a sheltered life. I feel bad for you. Born in '59, know the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/13 "2020-09-16T23:27:30Z")
1977, and of course I know the reference, and am surprised that any adult wouldn’t. I guess maybe they don’t show those any more, but even so, I’d expect someone to have stumbled across it on YouTube or somewhere. Or at least references to it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/14 "2020-09-16T23:42:13Z")
65 and of course I got it. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/15 "2020-09-16T23:46:50Z")
57, Oh Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/16 "2020-09-16T23:51:18Z")
56 and yes. ---
**Author:** ![Jungian\_Camisole1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jungian_camisole1/32/3646_2.png) [@Jungian\_Camisole1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jungian_Camisole1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/17 "2020-09-16T23:59:55Z")
If an interesting monster can’t have an interesting hairdo, I don’t know what this world is coming to. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/18 "2020-09-17T00:26:20Z")
1978, and knew it a mile away, Doc. Confirmed my 12 year old knows where it’s from, too. Proof she’s been raised right. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/19 "2020-09-17T00:31:55Z")
Born in '59, and I have no idea what that means or from where it comes. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796/20 "2020-09-17T00:33:15Z")
From the oldest part of Gen X (1965), born and raised in the U.S., and I knew the reference the moment I saw the thread title. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-shoulda-turned-left-at-albuquerque/920796.md?page=2)