Say What?

Huh?

You've been out shopping someplace and overheard a family of immigrants speaking a language you just don't understand. It's somewhat disconcerting. You don't know the content of the speech, obviously, but there's something alien about the rhythm and cadence of the speech too.

But have you ever wondered what it must be like on the other end of that? What American English sounds like to native speakers of other languages?

So what is this? Well, according to one helpful commentator on the Internet it's a 1972 song called, "Prisencolinensinainciusol" by Adriano Calentano with his wife Claudia Mori. Everything is total gibberish designed to sound like American English. In effect, this is what we sound like to "them." Or, at least Calentano and his missus. Although as a hit, it must have sounded like a good approximation to a fair number of other people too.

Maybe they just liked the beat. The song is catchy.