# Owah Tagu Siam?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 5, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430 "2009-05-05T16:16:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/1 "2009-05-05T16:16:20Z")
I was reading the comics when I came up today’s Bizarro strip that I honestly don’t get. It’s not online, as the archive is a month behind, so I’ll try my best to describe it. Three basketball players are facing away from you with the following names on their uniforms: “Owah,” Tagu," and “Siam.” Their coach admonished them, saying, “First off —you three. Never stand in that order.” I tried sound it out, but it doesn’t sound like anything familiar. A search only produce entries about fonts and an essay about a writer’s youth on the phrase, but with explanation of what it is. Anyone get the joke?
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/2 "2009-05-05T16:18:26Z")
Get on your knees, and bow as you speak each word. Say it fast. Faster!
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### Author:  [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/3 "2009-05-05T16:21:25Z")
A grade school classic. You get someone to do some stupid action while saying the magic words faster and faster. Eventually it becomes evident to the observers that they are saying “Oh what a goose I am”, and hilarity ensues.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/4 "2009-05-05T16:25:36Z")
Never seen an episode of “The Odd Couple,” I take it.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/5 "2009-05-05T17:01:36Z")
Even better with Owah, Tanah (the “ah” sounded like the “a” in bad), and “Siam.”
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### Author:  [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/6 "2009-05-05T17:16:58Z")
[Of course it’s online.](http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComick.mpl?date=20090505&name=Bizarro)
Now we can discuss this in detail. Like, do the players have their names on the front of their uniforms, too? And if they do, then from the coach’s perspective, he’s looking at Siam, Tagu and Owah. Which doesn’t make any sense.
I’m sure Dan will address this next week in his [blog](http://bizarrocomic.blogspot.com/).
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### Author:  [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/7 "2009-05-05T18:40:54Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#):
>
> A grade school classic. You get someone to do some stupid action while saying the magic words faster and faster. Eventually it becomes evident to the observers that they are saying “Oh what a goose I am”, and hilarity ensues.
Comedy gold I tell ya, comedy gold. Oh well they can’t all be zingers.
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### Author:  [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/8 "2009-05-05T19:22:59Z")
This was also used in an old D&D adventure module, with the DM encouraged to get one of the players to read the chant out loud (under the guise of role playing, I guess) in some appropriately dramatic moment.
Somewhere in 2nd Edition series modules I3-5, IIRC.
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### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/9 "2009-05-05T19:29:51Z")
Paging Sofa King … Paging Sofa King …
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### Author:  [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/10 "2009-05-05T19:37:42Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#):
>
> Paging Sofa King … Paging Sofa King …
Full name “Sofa King Wee Tah Did”
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### Author:  [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/11 "2009-05-05T19:40:41Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#):
>
> Full name “Sofa King Wee Tah Did”
It’s big fun when you can get a whole group doing it, in the same way guys would stand up and say “I AM SPARTACUS!”
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### Author:  [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/12 "2009-05-05T20:03:22Z")
Owa Tasil Leegu Siam.
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### Author:  [@Moonshiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshiner)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/13 "2009-05-05T20:49:19Z")
Owah Tajur Kiam was the favorite variation in my fourth grade class.
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/14 "2009-05-05T21:35:38Z")
The bar version is _Hah Vod Rin Con Mee._
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/15 "2009-05-05T22:21:08Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#):
>
> Full name “Sofa King Wee Tah Did”
I don’t get it. So fucking … wheat I did ?
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### Author:  [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/16 "2009-05-05T22:24:19Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> I don’t get it. So fucking … wheat I did ?
Actually I misspelt; should be “Sofa King Wee Todd Did.” HTH.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/17 "2009-05-05T22:57:51Z")
“Sofa King Wee Todd Did.”
With the emphasis on **Todd**.
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/18 "2009-05-05T23:44:49Z")
My 7 yo daughter is afraid of some pictures on the wall of our stairwell. I’ve helped her by giving her a magical phrase to say over and over again as she walks past. Yeah it’s the op.
She’ll kill me when she’s older.
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### Author:  [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/19 "2009-05-06T02:11:18Z")
> [@DSeid](#):
>
> My 7 yo daughter is afraid of some pictures on the wall of our stairwell. I’ve helped her by giving her a magical phrase to say over and over again as she walks past. Yeah it’s the op.
>
> She’ll kill me when she’s older.
CLASSIC!!! I love it when people do this to their kids!
Side note: I was recently told a very funny :dubious: story about somebody’s recent childbirth, and it is quite the gut buster. But it’s not my story, so I will have to get permission to post here. Stay tuned.
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/owah-tagu-siam/495430/20 "2009-05-06T02:34:36Z")
> [@UBW](#):
>
> CLASSIC!!! I love it when people do this to their kids!
I’m partial to the [lock and key game](http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=hes&p=1905&l=L) myself. 😃
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