# Kilroy is the Modren Man. But what is "modren"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [June 7, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765 "2006-06-07T17:03:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/21 "2016-07-11T23:44:02Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Well, it’s not Rush, it’s Styx, but anyway. > > I, um, may know a bit about the Kilroy Was Here LP. The ‘Modren’ spelling - and it was pronounced that way in at least one song, was also a tip off that there was a few backward tracked things on the LP. Damn it I knew that :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/22 "2016-07-12T02:25:36Z")
I always heard it as “[Modron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modron_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)) Man” without really thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/23 "2016-07-12T02:39:54Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I always heard it as “[Modron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modron_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)) Man” without really thinking about it. You bastard! I was just coming in to make that crack! I had the same Wikipedia link ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/24 "2016-07-12T12:14:18Z")
I always took it as just another part of Dennis DeYoung’s pretentious, “serious artist” schtick. In other words using the affectation that \*\*dropzone \*\*referenced (except for real). It always cracked me up and to this day I jokingly say “modren” (and “southren” and pretty much any word that ends in ern). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/25 "2016-07-12T13:15:28Z")
I don’t suspect it is related but “modren” is a common pronunciation of modern in parts of Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/26 "2016-07-12T19:50:27Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I don’t suspect it is related but “modren” is a common pronunciation of modern in parts of Ireland. I had an Irish professor for a class on Old English, and he pronounced it that way. Given the subject of the class he was very often contrasting Old English with Middle English and “Early Modren English.” ---
**Author:** ![Monaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Monaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monaco)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/27 "2023-08-17T02:40:02Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xu1VLiEPf0w/maxresdefault.jpg "Dennis DeYoung (Formerly of Styx) - Commentary on "Boomchild" Song and Music Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu1VLiEPf0w) ---
**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:** [August 17, 2023, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/28 "2023-08-17T11:10:52Z")
I watched the first 45 seconds and he didn’t say a thing about “modren” but was talking about another song. I didn’t give enough of a damn to watch beyond 45 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765/29 "2023-08-18T13:53:38Z")
Also, “nucular” instead of “nuclear”. [Nucular - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucular) [Why Do People Pronounce It “Nucular”? - Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe8yBhaDoR4) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kilroy-is-the-modren-man-but-what-is-modren/359765.md?page=1)