# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/41 "2009-08-29T13:28:58Z")
“People in hell want ice water.” in a drawl. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/42 "2009-08-29T13:31:33Z")
I use a british accent alot. It classes up everything. My son has started doing the same thing. We sound like we should be on the short bus to Coronation Street. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/43 "2009-08-29T14:14:09Z")
“Ve haff vays” 😉 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/44 "2009-08-29T14:36:08Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > That’s how I say “Not any more.” Wow. Clousseau inspires quite a lot. I can’t say the word “Moth” without doing it in the Clousseau accent. “Zere eeez a meeuth on your sweeater.” ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/45 "2009-08-29T14:36:35Z")
Not always, but I often borrow my junior-year-of-college’s New Jersey accent to say “water”. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/46 "2009-08-29T15:08:58Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Gotta be Austin Powers’ fault. Sounds to me more like Stewie. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/47 "2009-08-29T15:11:26Z")
I tend to pronounce “weird” in a British accent for some unknown reason. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/48 "2009-08-29T15:13:17Z")
I say lots of English words in an over the top Japanese accent. Mostly to make sure that people understand me, and rarely for yuks. Lately the line is being blurred, and I worry that it is not a borrowed accent anymore! 1. Purin -\> Pudding 2. Mekishican -\> Mexican 3. Shi-pra-pra -\> C++ 4. Sankyuu -\> Thank you ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/49 "2009-08-29T16:51:20Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > I tend to pronounce “weird” in a British accent for some unknown reason. I seem to say it like Travolta in _Welcome Back, Kotter:_ “It’s weirds.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/50 "2009-08-29T16:51:36Z")
Inspector Clousseau always says “not anymore” for me. Also “That is a priceless Steinway” when looking at something about to meet its doom, even though he’s not the character who said that line. There’s one more Clousseau-ism I use a lot in his voice, but in the course of typing this much I’ve forgotten what it was. Damn. Also this from up-thread: > [@](#): > > “Moose and Squirrel” in a Pottsylvanian accent Unfortunately, there’s not much call to say that phrase except as a reference to R&B. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/51 "2009-08-29T20:40:13Z")
" 'Appy coo-_keeng_." -Jacques Pépin “We don’t need no steenkin’ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_!” -Alfonso Bedoya “Collie-_fawn_yah” - Gov. Terminator ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/52 "2009-08-29T20:46:08Z")
I live in central Illinois, and due to watching both Chicago and St. Louis TV (and listening to radio), I sometimes slip from a St. Louis accent (fields of carn, warshing the car) to a Chicago accent (I’m a Chicahgo White Sahx fan). Not to mention I work in a town where everyone talks like a redneck, so when I’m at work I sound like a hillbilly. Then it basically goes away at night when I leave. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/53 "2009-08-29T21:52:17Z")
I can’t think of anything in English I say with an affected accent, but I tend to pronounce many unusual Latin-based words/phrases as they’d be pronounced in classical Latin, not in English. Also, my middle school French teacher I spoke French with an Italian accent. I can definitely tell that I change my vocal register when speaking a foreign language because it sounded unambiguously awful to speak foreign words as if they were English ones (even if the pronunciation was theoretically correct), especially when my teacher had a heavy accent herself. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/54 "2009-08-30T00:24:32Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > "Room Key " in the manner of inspector Clouseau When my neighbor first moved in He had a boxer puppy and I asked him.. “Dus yur dug bat?” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/55 "2009-08-30T01:01:20Z")
[“That don’t make no sense”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM-G0bkl8MQ) ETA: better at 1:10 in this clip: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IXcuqdgOgz8/hqdefault.jpg "O Brother Where Art Thou?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXcuqdgOgz8) ---
**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 31, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/56 "2009-08-31T11:51:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Also this from up-thread: > > > [@](#): > > > > : > > “Moose and Squirrel” in a Pottsylvanian accent > > Unfortunately, there’s not much call to say that phrase except as a reference to R&B. Not true – we always find excuses to say this (before they refurbished the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, MA, they used to have a Moose and a Squirrel near each other in the Wildlife section, which always gave us an excuse, when passing through there). And we almost _never_ use it when talking about Rhythm & Blues. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/57 "2009-08-31T14:50:33Z")
Does calling it “Tar-zhay” count? I don’t _always_ actually say it this way, but at this point, I have to actively stop myself from saying “Than kew verr much” in an exaggerated Georgia accent. Yes, I’m a fan of _The Closer_. > [@Hedda\_Rosa](#): > > My 7 year old daughter always says banana with a faux-einglish accent. Like “Bahhh nahhh nahhh.” When I was maybe 4 or 5, I pedantically informed my little friend’s mother that she was prounouncing “banana” incorrectly. She tried to explain to me that she was from England, and that they said it differently there. I wouldn’t have any of it. Banana was banana, and bahnahnah was just plain wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/58 "2009-08-31T15:12:25Z")
Sure, it should count (Tar-zhay)! Almost every female I know (here in Jawja) uses that pronounciation!😉 Another one which comes to mind: For the word: _Aunt_, do y’all say “Ant” or “Auhnt”? Again, here in Georgia (my American family anyway) we say “Ant”. (or, if including a first name, _Ain’t_. As in, “Ain’t Lulabelle, yew shore do make some fahn ice tea!” Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/59 "2009-08-31T15:17:45Z")
> [@rolandgunslinger](#): > > When my neighbor first moved in He had a boxer puppy and I asked him.. > > “Dus yur dug bat?” Thit’s nit meh dug. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053/60 "2009-08-31T15:19:41Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Thit’s nit meh dug. :D:D:D Having fun sounding those out, and laughing my ass off as I do! Q [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-say-in-a-borrowed-accent/508053.md?page=4)