I yam what I yam
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I yam what I yam
There are certain aspects of my personality that I can't or won't change. A humorous variant of "I am what I am," popularized as the catchphrase of the cartoon character Popeye. My mother always gave my dad a hard time when I was growing up. Whenever he started in on her, though, he'd always shrug and say, "I yam what I yam!" in an over-the-top Popeye voice. That always riled her up, haha.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.