# Things you always say in a borrowed accent. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053 "2009-08-28T17:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/1 "2009-08-28T17:42:26Z")
I can’t seem to say “MacPherson strut” or “photon” without attempting a Scottish accent. It’s not an accent I do very well, either. What about you? Are there things you can’t seem to say without extruding it through somebody else’s accent? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/2 "2009-08-28T18:08:13Z")
Thanks to a Philosophy professor from Scotland there is no way I can say ‘A Priori’ or ‘A Posteriori’\* without an exaggerated Scotch accent and trill. A pr-r-r-r-r-r-ior-r-r-r-r–ri \*[sub]sadly there are very few contexts in which you get to say those without looking like a mega-pretentious douche[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/3 "2009-08-28T18:13:48Z")
“Fabulous.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/4 "2009-08-28T18:16:08Z")
“Moose and Squirrel” in a Pottsylvanian accent ---
**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:** [August 28, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/5 "2009-08-28T18:21:55Z")
Most Mexican food. Most French terms in my AP Euro class. Then I repeat the word in Redneck so the kids know how to spell it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/6 "2009-08-28T18:26:54Z")
“You might, rabbit, you might” as an Irish cop. “Disgusting” as Paul Lynde. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/7 "2009-08-28T18:28:49Z")
If I’m required to count out a small number of items for someone because they’re being a dick. One. Ah ah ah. Two. Ah ah ah… ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/8 "2009-08-28T18:34:10Z")
I have no idea why I started saying “naughty” in a bad, vaguely English accent, but I keep doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/9 "2009-08-28T18:38:45Z")
“Gilbert’s syndrome”. Since Gilbert was french, I always pronounce it “jeelbear’s”. Or some such. Confuses the hell out of the medical students. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/10 "2009-08-28T18:41:56Z")
'El-lo!! Pretty much my version of Jon Stewart’s version of the Queen, saying something that I doubt she ever said. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/11 "2009-08-28T18:45:09Z")
My 7 year old daughter always says banana with a faux-einglish accent. Like “Bahhh nahhh nahhh” My Mother in law and sister in law trained her to do this when she was about 3. They still think it is hysterical. Me not so much, but it is their in-joke so I don’t try to stop her. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/12 "2009-08-28T18:46:05Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > I have no idea why I started saying “naughty” in a bad, vaguely English accent, but I keep doing it. Gotta be Austin Powers’ fault. The name of any country or place. A friend from Nicaragua once spent an hour demanding that I learn to pronounce his country name properly. Since then it’s become a “thing” with me to pornounce them as the natives do. . . as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/13 "2009-08-28T18:46:50Z")
"Room Key " in the manner of inspector Clouseau ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/14 "2009-08-28T18:50:57Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Gotta be Austin Powers’ fault. Oh my god. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/15 "2009-08-28T18:59:51Z")
“I’ll be back” and “It’s not a toomah!”, Arnold-like. “Isabella Rossalini” in a cartoonish Italian accent. Likewise “Ricar-r-r-rdo Montalban” in an exaggerated suave Latin accent. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/16 "2009-08-28T19:02:31Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > The name of any country or place. A friend from Nicaragua once spent an hour demanding that I learn to pronounce his country name properly. Since then it’s become a “thing” with me to pornounce them as the natives do. . . as much as possible. NeekaRWHAAAAAqgghwwaaa _ending in a slight throat clearing_ (at least when _I_ try to pronounce it correctly). I can’t say “Corinthian leather” without trying to sound like a suave Spaniard. (A linguist friend of mine said that one of the trials of being a linguist is that people always expect you to pronounce foreign words correctly, even if you don’t speak the language.) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/17 "2009-08-28T19:09:34Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > "Room Key " in the manner of inspector Clouseau That’s how I say “Not any more.” ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/18 "2009-08-28T19:17:54Z")
I am almost totally incapable of saying the name “Juan” without the sexy-Spanish-lover accent. Instead of “wahn,” I am compelled to say “hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhwAHHHn.” The word “homage.” I don’t know why, but this always comes out with a French-chef-from-The-Little-Mermaid accent. Instead of “HAH-midge,” it comes out as “oh-MAZGGGGHHH.” ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/19 "2009-08-28T19:18:55Z")
Al-you-minium. When I hear “Murder,” my mind then pops “Most foul” in at the end… in a very odd voice, of which, I’m not sure whence it comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/20 "2009-08-28T19:24:25Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > That’s how I say “Not any more.” Oh, yeah, I do that too. Since my wife has never seen the movie, she looks at me like I’m an idiot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053.md?page=2)