Coach Z's Accent

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All the wonders Coach Z's been talking abrat

From a 2005 interview with Giant magazine:

MATT CHAPMAN: [Coach Z's accent] is definitely Midwestern, a little Bostonian—it's like all of those weird American accents that aren't Southern. We were born in Indiana and our grandma used to say "worsh the deeshes" instead of "wash the dishes." Most of the other words she said were normal, and then she would say, "Well, we gotta worsh the deeshes." It's just based on hearing those voices.

Coach Z's accent has made him into a very quotable character as he frequently mispronounces words.

The accent combines elements of many regional American accents — most prominently Upper Midwestern, Midland, and Eastern New England — in addition to more exaggerated sounds for comedic effect. This typically manifests in adding "R"s to words or transposing letter sounds: famously, A Jorb Well Done centers on Coach Z's titular mispronunciation of "job".

His accent is so strong that The Brothers Chaps have referred to it as more of a speech impediment. Conversely, some toons have played with the idea that Coach Z is either deliberately playing up or entirely faking this manner of speech.

Contents

List of mispronounced words

Original Word Coach Z's version(s) Appears In
Absolutely Abso-prootley, Absalortly Email Accent, I Killed Pom Pom
About Abrat/Abort No Hands On Deck!, Happy Hallow-day, Loading Screens, Doomy Tales of the Macabre
Accent Orccent/Accernt Email Accent
Action Airkshin Happy Fireworks, Main Page 23
Adopted Adorpted Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Air Freshener Air Fraershenaer Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Apartment Apratment Email sbemail 206
Ashtray Arshtray, aershtray Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Athlete Airthlete The Homestar Runner Gets Something Stuck in His Craw
Awful Orful Email secret recipes
Back Bork I Killed Pom Pom
Balloon B'lloon Fall Float Parade
Baloney Balarney Mr. Poofers Must Die
Believe Belorve Haunted Photo Booth
Bomb Baermb, Baerm The House That Gave Sucky Treats, These peoples try to fade me, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom, Dangeresque Roomisode 3: Keep My Enemies, Loser
Boulevard Borlevard I Killed Pom Pom
Captain Craptain Email high school
Charge Chiioooorge Strong Badia the Free
Chips Chorps 3 Times Halloween Funjob
Chop Chorp Haunted Photo Booth
Class Clarss Email parenting
Connoisseur Cornnoisuaer Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Conversation Cornversation Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Crap Crop Email Accent
Credenza Cradernzair 3 Times Halloween Funjob
Crickets Crackets Happy Hallow-day
Cubicle Kyorbicle DNA Evidence
Decemberween Decemberwern The Best Decemberween Ever
DELETED DELORTED Email replacement
Did Doird Dangeresque (karaoke)
Disco Disca Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 9.2
Do it Dort, doot Meeple Grove, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Drop Drap Email your funeral
Duck Dook Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene
Exaggerate Exorggerate Email Accent
Effigy Orfigy, arfigy, RPG, first-person shooter Strong Badia the Free
Farm Faerm Dangeresque Roomisode 3: Keep My Enemies, Loser
Fhqwhgads Forhorglingrads Email sibbie (Easter egg)
Field Fierld Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 1.0, Coach Z's 110%, Email dictionary, Email parenting
Fittin' Fortin' I Killed Pom Pom
Five Farve A Decemberween Pageant
Flapjacks Florpjacks Email Accent
Fluffy Puffs Florfy Porfs Later That Night...
Football Team Foortball Torm Email high school
Forgot to putt Forgort to port, forgat to prat, gorka fa pork Email mini-golf
Forward Frorward Doomy Tales of the Macabre
Fountain Fortain Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Goblin Gorblin 2022 Costume Pack Now Available
Gosh Gorsh Email strong badathlon, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective, Later That Night...
Globes Glorbs Later That Night...
Glove Box Glorve Bax Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Gluten and Glutton Glorten Weclome Back
Great Greart Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Half Half (non-silent L) Mr. Poofers Must Die
Halloween Halloworn, Hallerwern The Best Decemberween Ever, Jibblies 2
Handlebar Handlebrah Haunted Photo Booth
Happy Hallow— Horpy Horlow— Happy Hallow-day
Happy T Horpy Tor Happy T!
Hello Hellor Homestar Presents: Presents
Homestar Hamstray, Hamster, Stramstar, StairMaster, Homegrown, Ramrod, Humphel A Jorb Well Done
Hoot Hort Happy Hallow-day
I feel bad Ir feer borld Email part-time job (commentary)
Idea Idear Happy Hallow-day
Inappropriate Inapprapriate Fall Float Parade
Inoculate Anorculate BHZ Anniversary Message
Jibblie Jorbaly Jibblies 2
Job Jorb, Jaerb, Jarb, Joerghb, Jaeoreorb A Jorb Well Done, Email boring (really), Sbemailiarized!
Jobbie Jorbie Haunted Photo Booth
Jujyfruits Jorjyfruits, Jerjyfrorts, Georgie Frorgie, George Foreman The House That Gave Sucky Treats
Kick Kork I Killed Pom Pom, Haunted Photo Booth
Locker Lacker, Lacquer Email part-time job (commentary), Email myths & legends (Easter egg)
Look Lork Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Man Marn, M'n Dangeresque (karaoke), Mr. Poofers Must Die
Manifold Gasket Cramifold Gaersket Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Marshmallow Mrashmallow Later That Night...
Marzipan Marziprawn Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 17.2
Medallion Medalllllioraerlllllioren Fan 'Stumes 2021
Mike Mork Email part-time job (commentary)
Mind Mornd Haunted Photo Booth
Mother Mudder No Hands On Deck!
Motivate Mortavort The Next April Fools' Thing
Mouthwash Mouthwarsh The Best Decemberween Ever
Music Myorsic Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Musical Myorsical No Hands On Deck!
Not Nat Decemberween Short Shorts, Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene
October Orctober The Best Decemberween Ever
Off Orf Email underlings, Email winter pool, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Office Arfice, Orifice In Search of the Yello Dello, Baddest of the Bands
Open Orpen Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Out Oat A Jorb Well Done
Paperclip Paperclorp Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Part Prat Where My Hat Is At?
Party Pratty Email impression, Email labor day, Email being mean
PC load letter PC lourde letter 2022 Costume Pack Now Available
People Perple, Pyorple 8-Bit is Enough, Fish Eye Lens
Person Porson The Next April Fools' Thing
Pert Plus Port Plus Jibblies 2, Email hremail 3184 (part of actual packaging)
Piña coladas Piña colordas I Killed Pom Pom
Pom Pom Pam Pam Fall Float Parade
Pop Porp Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Probably Prably, Prally Coach Z's Character Video, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Problem Praeblem, Prablem In Search of the Yello Dello, On Break, Who Said What Now?
Punch Pornch Haunted Photo Booth
Reward Reeward Email parenting
Real Rrrl A Folky Tale
Revealed Revearled Email cliffhangers
Rock bottom Rack battom Decemberween Short Shorts
Root beer Root (pronounced with an "oo" as in "book") Ber Mr. Poofers Must Die
Solid Salid Email Accent
Somebody Somebaddy Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Secret Sorcret, "secret sorcret" Email cliffhangers
Situation Sitch'ation A Folky Tale
{Sneezing} Ha-chor Haunted Photo Booth
Speakin' Sporkin' Email love poems
Sports Sprots Email part-time job (commentary)
Star Stair Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Stick Stark "The Theme from Dangeresque II" karaoke
Stop Stap Rap Song
Strong Bad Spring Board Email Accent
Suck Sook Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene
Swedish Fish Swordish Forsh 3 Times Halloween Funjob
Talking Torkin' Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Talkin' about Torkin' abort Happy Hallow-day
Tater-tots Tater-torts 2022 Costume Pack Now Available
Terrible Terbirle Email senior prom
The Cheat The Chort see The Cheat's Nicknames
There Dere, dare Email lures & jigs, Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 9.2, Email theme park, Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Thousand Trousand Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene
Thug Thorg Halloween Fairstival
Thumb Thermb Some Stupid Turkey
Toilet Terlet Halloween Fairstival, A Folky Tale, Email unnatural, The House That Gave Sucky Tricks, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Tomorrow Tomoarow A Jorb Well Done
Top notch Torp nortch I Killed Pom Pom
Touchdown Torchdown Where My Hat Is At? [written]
Trick or Treat Track or Trort 3 Times Halloween Funjob
Undefeated Undeforted Decemberween Short Shorts
Unfortunate Unfarchunate Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene
Up Arp, orp Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene, Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom
Volvo Vorlvo Email rated
What Whort Date Nite
Video Videro Coach Z's 110%, Fish Eye Lens
Yipe Yorp Email redesign, Homestar Ruiner
Yo Gabba Gabba Yor garble garble Most in the Graveyard
You Say Tomato,
I Say Tomato
You Say Tomater, "I zader matermorts" Fall Float Parade

Analysis

"Coach, that's ridiculous. We've got to do something about that."

Sounds Affected

The most commonly mispronounced sounds are long e (e.g. The Cheat/"The Chort") and the short o (job/"jaerb"), which both come out as an "or" or "aer".

Inconsistencies

Evidence has suggested that Coach Z's accent may be bogus:

  • 3 Times Halloween Funjob — After saying "track or trort", Bubs gets on his case and he says "trick or treat" correctly. If given "Swedish Fish", he will identify it as "Swordish Forsh"; in response to Bubs grumbling again, Coach Z justifies with "It's a crowd-pleaser."
  • Email boring (really) — While Strong Bad is writing his list of three-letter words, Coach Z interrupts him at the word "job", saying that "jorb is a four-letters word."
  • Email mascot — Coach Z says "The Cheat" immediately after "The Chort", though he speaks as though he's talking about two different people.
  • Email part-time job (DVD commentary) — Mike Chapman diagnoses Coach Z's "accent" as simply adding the letter R to words or randomly transposing letters, and in reply Coach Z partially admits to his accent being bogus.
  • Email cliffhangers — In the process of his attempted unmasking of The Thnikkaman, Coach Z says "secret sorcret" twice, referring to Thnikkaman's secret being revealed and his shame in having really bad hand-eye coordination.
  • Baddest of the Bands — Coach Z refers to "Cheat kickers" just before suggesting to "kick The Chort".
  • Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective — While playing Renaldo, he pronounces "off" both correctly and incorrectly in the same sentence.
  • Loading Screens — Coach Z's accent is much less pronounced than usual.
  • Fish Eye Lens — Coach Z tells Strong Bad "the people" need him. When Strong Bad questions him, he amends to say "the pyorple".

This is inconsistent with the clear distress it causes him in A Jorb Well Done, though it is possible that he's truly gained control over his accent after the mentioned toon, and he just keeps it around for the aesthetic.

See Also

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