Some local TV shows have recently delighted viewers with the fun “games” they make some of their foreign guests play, especially in relation to their ability (or comic lack of it) to “go Filipino.”
A favorite ploy and surefire laughmaker is getting the foreigners to speedily mouth intricate Pinoy tongue-twisters of the “minekaniko ang Minica ni Monica” sort.
Oh, what fun the program hosts (and presumably the viewers) have, as the poor foreigner’s tongue ends up twisted in major ways, ending up like a veritable pretzel!
Why don’t you try these tasty tongue-twisters on for size (really fast), and see how you (and your barkada) fare? Sure beats gossiping about Mommy D’s latest boy toy!:
Bumili ako ng bituka ng butiki sa botika.
Ang relo ni Leroy ay Rolex.
Pitongpu’t pitong buto ng puting patani
Makati sa Makati, may pari sa Aparri, mahihilo sa Iloilo at may bagyo sa Baguio.
Doing well thus far? Let’s see if you can still triumph over these “advanced,” poly-sesquipedelian and super-testy twisters:
Palakang kabkab, kumakalabukab, kakakalabukab pa lamang, kumakalabukab na naman!
Pinaputi ni Tepitorio ang pitong puting putong patong-patong.
Tumalon si Tonton sa malalim na balon sa ilalim ng talon sa taniman ng talong.
Usong-usong isa-isang salu-salong nagsisiusyosohan ng mga aso sa asosasyon sa Asuzena.
Still passing the test with destrously loose lips and flying colors? Take this final exam for a PhD degree:
Ngipin ang nangangailangan ng ngubngob. (Three times.)
Maya-maya’s mamamanhikan si Aman sa mayamang si Maya malamang sa harap ng maraming mamamayan!
Kalabit nang kalabit si Alanit na may bitbit sa balikat ng kanyang kalapit-kabalikat na kapitbahay.
Kakakaman lang sa kangkungan sa may kakahuyan si Ken Ken habang kumakain ng kakaibang kakanin kahapon!
—And, still the template for everything tongue-twisty and corkscrewy, designed to reduce the most arrogant and self-confident foreigner to a trembling mass of phonetically vanquished protoplasm:
Minekaniko ni Monico ang makina ng Minica ni Monica! (Five times, no mistakes permitted!)