LANGUAGES AND ACCENTS
"It's a good thing I
only took a year of French." (Starsky vs. Hutch)
Foreign
language use and abuse
•
“Asmodeus Satanas” = two definitions of “asmodeus” are
“demon” and “destroyer” (Satan’s Witches)
• “Dominicus” Huggy uses in his magic act. (Murder at Sea)
• “Dominus Satanas” = “dominus” is a word for “clergyman”
and one definition of “satanas” is “God’s adversary.”
(Satan’s Witches)
• “Gesundheit,” Hutch offers to Starsky after his sneeze.
(Terror on the Docks)
• “Gesundheit,” Starsky offers to Hutch after his sneeze.
(Pilot)
• "Pas du tout." Starsky pronounces it right, and he knows
what it means, but closed captioning spells it "pas du
tois." (Vampire)
• “Shalom” is said. (Body Worth Guarding)
• “Tadzhik” = Anna says it is the middle name for someone
who cares. Perhaps, but it is also a term for a member of
people inhabiting Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and
China (Body Worth Guarding)
• “Tempus fugit = “time flies”--Starsky uses Latin, Hutch
seems puzzled. (Pariah)
• Blaze butchers a Chinese phrase. (Targets 2)
• Both Starsky and Hutch mangle “Takahashi.” (Murder At
Sea)
• Huggy complains with some Italian to Starsky and Hutch,
“It’s bad enough that I talk to you guys sotto voce…”
(Plague)
• Huggy tells Dobey, ”S'il vous plait, tout suite.” (Bait)
• Hutch calls his houseplant “Mishugana Mantherlus.”
Mishugana (or Meshuggenah) is Yiddish for “crazy person.
“Mantherlus” doesn’t translate as anything but is probably
an inside joke and supposed to sound Latin. (Ballad for a
Blue Lady)
• Hutch comment to Starsky’s “el roado” is “big dealo.”
(Partners)
• Starsky mispronounces French, “debonair” and “suave.”
Hutch corrects him. (Vampire)
• Hutch knows the Spanish word for “murder,” which helps
with the case. (Velvet Jungle)
• Hutch pronounces Akhanatova, which impresses Anna. (Body
Worth Guarding)
• Hutch tells Starsky “fait accompli,” Starsky replies,
“Who?” (Game)
• Hutch toasts Kate with the Scandinavian “skol.” This may
work in his favor in his pursuit of her bedroom. (Cover
Girl)
• Hutch, not understanding Van Dam’s “Tot ziens,” Dutch for
“Goodbye,” replies, “Tempus Fugit.” (Dandruff)
• Hutch’s knowledge of Spanish, used when he questions her
at the station, perhaps puts Andrea Gutierrez more at ease?
(Velvet Jungle)
• Starsky asks, “Who?” when Hutch tells him, “Fait
accompli.” (Game)
• Starsky attempts sign language. (Rosey Malone)
• Starsky curses in Spanish at phone booth; Hutch tells him
“your Spanish is getting better.” (Texas Longhorn)
• Starsky tells the wrestler they handcuff to "stay cool,
big fella, Comprendo?" (Texas Longhorn)
• Starsky doesn’t seem to remember his lesson at the ballet
and says “bravo” to K.C. McBride. (Quadromania)
• Starsky mispronounces “machismo.” Hutch helpfully
corrects. (Kill Huggy Bear)
• Starsky mispronounces “vice versa.” (Deadly Imposter)
• Starsky mispronounces Akhanatova. (Body Worth Guarding)
• Starsky replies in Spanish, “Pero claro que si,” “but of
course” when Rosey Malone asks Starsky if he’s into Mexican
art. (Rosey Malone)
• Starsky says “el roado.” (Partners)
• Starsky says, “Esta Ramon aqui?” at the barrio bar.
(Velvet Jungle)
•
Starsky speaks a little French with a passable accent to
Inspector Godfrey. (Playboy Island)
• Starsky uses Russian word for “friend” so Iggy will put
him down. (Omaha Tiger)
• Starsky wants to have a “tete a tete,” and Hutch tells
him “your Spanish is improving.” (Jojo)
• Starsky yells out “bravo” rather than “brava” to Anna. He
corrects himself after hearing Hutch. (Body Worth Guarding)
• Steinmetz uses German phrase, “Nicht wahr” –meaning “not
true/truly” (Body Worth Guarding)
• The cop in House Three tells Starsky his Spanish stinks.
(Lady Blue)
• The fur coat burglars use “babushkas” as something
somebody wears, and then as breasts. But it is really a
Russian term for “old woman” (Groupie)
• The horrid, deranged Kramer-Like Sandwich Guy uses “el
closo” as Spanish. (Velvet Jungle)
Fake
foreign accents
•
Hutch, German (Deadly Imposter)
• Hutch, Irish (Collector, Iron Mike)
• Hutch, Texan (Bait, Tap Dancing)
• Hutch, New York (Survival)
• Huggy, English (Huggy Bear and the Turkey)
• Matt Coyle, Irish (Iron Mike)
• Starsky, French (Bust Amboy)
• Huggy has a passable Oxford accent and uses it as Prince
Nairobi. (Dandruff)
• Huggy demonstrates his Oxford accent to Turkey. (Huggy
Bear and the Turkey)
• Starsky, Argentinian (Tap Dancing)
• Starsky, some odd Argentinian-French thing (Groupie)
• Hutch is told to lose his corny accent by bar patron who
recognizes him. (Groupie)
• Though not technically an accent, Bo Rile’s fake stutter
on the phone is impressive nonetheless. (Bounty Hunter)
One very real, very subtle
accent
•
John Colby must have originally been from Canada. As he
explains the beach plan to his thug, one can hear him say
“house” and “outside” in a lovely Canadian lilt. (Deadly
Imposter)
Comments
on the English language
•
Huggy says, “The English language is not the exclusive
property of the white man,” when Starsky and Hutch are
puzzled by his use of the word “sacrosanct.” (Set-Up)
• Starsky comments on Hutch’s pronunciation of “harassment”
(Bust Amboy)
• Starsky harasses Hutch on Hutch’s pronunciation of
“literature” (Bust Amboy)