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 “
Meschugah Mantherlus.” Meschugah (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 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, “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)