You wanna some-e egg foo young-e

Question

What does "some-e egg foo young-e" mean?

Context:
Friends of Mr. Hung say he had become despondent in recent days. “I don’t know, it’s just so sad,” said Ming Tse, one of Hung’s former classmates at Stanford, “I heard him the other day on Snotbubble’s Morning Madhouse; he kept trying to make William say things like ‘me so horny’ and ‘hey sailor’ while playing the sound of a bomb falling. I just know William was hurting inside when Snotbubble got him to say, ‘you wanna some-e egg foo young-e.’ It was so sad. I just think he was tired of the commercialization of it all.”

MountainHiker · Accepted Answer

Jobb,

What does "some-e egg foo young-e" mean?

This is slang or "something". It certainly isn't proper English. I would have to see more of the context to make sense of it all.

Here's what I would focus on.

1) It appears that some of the participants are Asia. Ming Tse, Mr. Hung.

2) Egg Foo Young is as Asian dish (see [url="http://www.cookingcache.com/poultry/eggfooyoung.shtml"]Egg Foo Young[/url])

3) There is lots of slang being used. a) "wanna" means "want to" b) adding "-e" on the end are often the types of sounds you say to small children as they are learning....mommeeee (mother), daddeeeee (father), tummeeee (stomach), sleepeeeee (sleepy)...people often tend make "baby talk" with small children.

I hope that helps you piece it together. But if I were you, I wouldn't worry about it.

Jobb · Answer

Sometimes baby talk is more complex for ESL learners!

Here is the article that contains complete context:

American Idol’s William Hung Found Dead of Heroin Overdose
7/13/2004 - Robert Krupto

Las Vegas, NV - Kitschy American Idol Star William Hung, famous for his botching of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs,” was found dead yesterday, apparently of an intentional heroin overdose. The announcement of his death sent shockwaves to the tens of people who still found him funny.

Ironically, Mr. Hung was found by a VH1 camera crew sent to begin filing “William Hung: Behind the ‘Music.’” Viacom immediately decided to rename the special: “William Hung: fifteen minutes till death.”

Friends of Mr. Hung say he had become despondent in recent days. “I don’t know, it’s just so sad,” said Ming Tse, one of Hung’s former classmates at Stanford, “I heard him the other day on Snotbubble’s Morning Madhouse; he kept trying to make William say things like ‘me so *****’ and ‘hey sailor’ while playing the sound of a bomb falling. I just know William was hurting inside when Snotbubble got him to say, ‘you wanna some-e egg foo young-e.’ It was so sad. I just think he was tired of the commercialization of it all.”

Other friends, who had lost contact with him in recent weeks, feared he was becoming too “Hollywood.” “I’m not surprised he was on heroin,” said Hung’s engineering cohort Melvin Samples, “I mean just two months ago we were out at our usual corner table at Smitty’s, and William actually went and talked to some girls. The next thing I know he’s doing shots with some hipster guys; they were calling him ‘Long Duck Dong’ and making him say ‘au-to-mo-bile.’ From what I hear, it’s not a long leap from that to heroin addiction.”

Stanford’s hippy population immediately misconstrued the situation and adopted Hung’s death as a pet cause. “He was a victim of the corporate greed-machine, just like Kurt [Cobain] and Eddie [Vedder, who is actually still alive],” said one dreadlocked mourner outside the engineering department at Stanford University, where a makeshift memorial had been set up, “he just wanted to sing, and Fox decided to turn him into this joke, man, this *** joke. They just ate him up and spit him out. *** Bill O’Reily. I think it’s because he was against the war.” The last comment is apparently in reference to the fact that Hung once answered “no, thank you” when asked whether he was “for or against the war in Iraq.”

The Las Vegas police released part of his suicide note. It read, “I have no reason of living . . . my art which is my importance to the best everybody laugh to . . . I make end here . . . goodbye world of cruel.”

Although Hung’s immediate family disowned him seconds after his appearance on American Idol, it is believed he has an aunt in Toledo, Ohio who will take care of funeral arrangements.

MountainHiker · Answer

Jobb,

Weird article. But from what I gather, William Hung was saying "do you want some Egg Foo Young"?

I don't know this person (William Hung), but looking at his last name, I am guessing he is Asian. So all they were doing is playing with the phrase "do you want some Egg Foo Young?" by using it in a satirical manner. They *** be trying to play on his Asian ethnicity (ethnic background) by imitating a person who has difficulty with some English pronounciations....so rather than saying the phrase in proper English, it sounds different with the "eees" added on. It might simply be that the satire is making fun of his ethnicity.

And that satire might be what is being discussed about "becoming too Hollywood". In essence, he was giving up his identity and worth. He was selling himself out. Thus, he was doing these silly skits (satirical pieces) that robbed him of his true value.

I hope that helps put things in context.

Jobb · Answer

So it is still not bad.

I didn't know if they really made fun of his ethnicity. But if they did, that is pretty dumb and pointless.

However, most likely I've got it from your explanations.

Thank you.

Guest · Answer

Please tell me is he reallllyyyy DEAD?

CalifJim · Answer

You wanna some egg foo young. = Do you want some egg foo yung?

Egg foo yung is a menu item in Chinese restaurants. Doesn't foo yung mean anything in Chinese?

To get a laugh from his audience, Snotbubble was trying to make William look like a fool because of his thick Chinese accent. He was trying to get William to say things that a newly arrived immigrant might say as a lowly waiter in a Chinese restaurant, the only work that some Chinese could get in a world where communication was difficult because they spoke English so poorly.

This is the first time I've heard this story. It is truly a tragedy. I always thought that William was well aware of the comedic impression he gave and played it to his advantage. Maybe he was less in tune with that aspect of his persona than I gave him credit for.

Guest · Answer

Hi all. William Hung is an American Idol contestant but, because of his Chinese accent, did not make it in the elimination round. And, ironically, his accent catapulted him to stardom.

This article is a hoax. Please see www.snopes.com/music/artists/hung.asp for more details.

You wanna some-e egg foo young-e

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