Le "Monsieur Mackey"

The Genevoise, Swiss French, and some French speakers have an interesting (albeit amusing) habit of what I call the "Monsieur Mackey-ism".

• Pronunciation: The Monsieur Mackey-ism (or Mackeyism for short: OED here I come!) is where you jam together the words, "hmmm" and "yes" or "okay" together to form a word that sounds more like a gastrointestinal adjustment than a form of verbal communication. In the Monsieur Mackeyism, the words are spoken in French, obviously, and sound akin to a duck quacking with a sinus infection. The words "hmmm" and "oui" are concatenated together in the Monsieur Mackeyism to be prounced: "mmm-WAAAHH".
• Usage: Used in place of "ah yes" or "uh huh" when listening to a person ramble on or give directions.
• Warnings and Contraindications: Be sure to pronounce the last syllable with an open "aahh" clearly. French speakers who also understand English may confuse the Mackeyism with the "mmm-WHAT" response that many non-French-speaking newbies often use. The "mmm-WHAT", however, is often associated with a blank stare or the tilting of the primary ear towards the speaker.