# What's the deal with Dexter's French accent?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 31, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564 "2003-03-31T22:27:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/1 "2003-03-31T22:27:31Z")
Yes, I realize it’s a cartoon so it doesn’t need explanation anymore than Yogi’s obsession with pic-a-nic baskets. But since I’m only an occassional viewer of _Dexter’s Laboratory_, I don’t know if I’ve missed some explanation. Is he adopted? Did some experiment go horribly wrong? What’s the story? Didi (they are brother and sister aren’t they?) doesn’t have a French accent. Anybody want to clue me in?
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### Author:  [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/2 "2003-03-31T22:35:58Z")
French? I always thought it was vaguely Russian.
It just sort of fits the whole “mad doctor” schtick: boots, lab coat, evil cackling, funny accent.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/3 "2003-03-31T22:53:45Z")
It isn’t French really (though Dexter made a killing when he got “omelette du fromage” stuck in his brain). It’s more Russian. Dexter’s creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, stated “all scientists should have a funny accent,” so I guess **BraheSilver** is right.
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/4 "2003-03-31T23:08:17Z")
I always thought it sounded German.
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### Author:  [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/5 "2003-03-31T23:23:28Z")
According to the Cartoon Network commercial for Dexter’s Lab from way back in the beginning it’s specifically Eastern European.
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### Author:  [@MrMyth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMyth)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/6 "2003-03-31T23:25:37Z")
And I thought it was vaguely Bulgarian.
It kills me though that this is always the first question anyone asks about _Dexter’s Lab_. Never mind the fact that this kid has
a) a cavernous secret lab built under the entire neighborhood.
b) an apparently inexhaustible power supply to run said lab
c) huge Japanese robots with enough armament to level Neo-Tokyo
d) various time-altering, reality-warping, Dee-Dee enticing machinery.
But what everyone notices first is his accent.
“Dee-Dee, you estoopid wuuman!”
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/7 "2003-03-31T23:36:40Z")
I thought it was vaguely german, but I can get behind easteran european.
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### Author:  [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/8 "2003-04-01T00:47:55Z")
Though the episode where he learned French (maybe this is what the OP had in mind?) had me rolling on the floor, crying with laughter.
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### Author:  [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/9 "2003-04-01T01:36:50Z")
As I said, I only see it occassionally so I’ve never seen most of the particular episodes people are referencing. I’m no good at distinguishing accents so it’s possible that I would confuse any European accent as French. I was sure that it was French though. I knew this French woman that sounded exactly like him and I always had to keep myself from laughing.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/10 "2003-04-01T04:57:44Z")
I’ve always heard it refered to as a Bela Lugosi (sp?) accent. What country is/was he from?
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### Author:  [@RawkStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RawkStah)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/11 "2003-04-01T05:09:45Z")
It’s funnier that way.
Also, it’s funnier since he’s wearing Beatle boots. (also referenced in the commercial mentioned above.)
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### Author:  [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/12 "2003-04-01T06:36:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Lord Ashtar \*
> \*\*I’ve always heard it refered to as a Bela Lugosi (sp?) accent. What country is/was he from? \*\*
Bela was Hungarian.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/13 "2003-04-01T14:13:03Z")
MMMmmmmmm… Dexter’s lab.
Uh-Oh! Back to Lab again!
Ooooh No! Back to the Lab again!
Izzat so? Back to the Lab again!
Genndy tartakovsky is great. His work on Samurai jack is great, too! Didn’t he also work on the Powerpuff Girls?
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### Author:  [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/14 "2003-04-01T15:25:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \*
> \*\*Though the episode where he learned French (maybe this is what the OP had in mind?) had me rolling on the floor, crying with laughter. \*\*
[Slight hijack]
The one in which he laminates himself has the same effect on me.
[/Slight hijack]
In regards to the OP, I always thought it was a Russian accent too.
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### Author:  [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/15 "2003-04-01T16:33:20Z")
[lame, predictable joke]
Shouldn’t that be “a freedom accent”?
[/lame, predictable joke]
No, but seriously: it’s probably some sort of a generic “mad scientist” type accent, as has been said.
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### Author:  [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/16 "2003-04-01T16:38:55Z")
I forgot to mention that in the Dutch, dubbed version, Dexter sounds distinctly Italian. I don’t know if that means anything.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/17 "2003-04-02T03:46:57Z")
Sacre bleu! I do not unnerstan’ what you are talkeen about. I do not have zis Franch aksent zat you speak of.
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### Author:  [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dexters-french-accent/165564/18 "2003-04-02T03:55:26Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \*
> \*\*Sacre bleu! I do not unnerstan’ what you are talkeen about. I do not have zis Franch aksent zat you speak of. \*\*
…now go, before I taunt you a secawn’ time! I fart in your general direction!