Pat, I'd like a P, B, F, T, L, S... ?
October 5, 2012 2:49 PM Subscribe
In a story I'm writing, one character (an old lady) blows a raspberry at another character at the very end of a scene. I'd like to indicate this sound as a direct quote. What's the proper way to spell this?
Start with a "P". Random mix of "L" "B" "TH" in the middle. End with a "T". You really can't go wrong.
posted by supercres at 2:51 PM on October 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by supercres at 2:51 PM on October 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
Thtpththththt.
posted by PussKillian at 2:52 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by PussKillian at 2:52 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
Thhpppbbbt.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:52 PM on October 5, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:52 PM on October 5, 2012 [4 favorites]
Also, I'm pretty sure Calvin and Hobbes didn't go a month without using that onomatopoeia.
posted by griphus at 2:53 PM on October 5, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by griphus at 2:53 PM on October 5, 2012 [3 favorites]
Here is some research on this topic. If "THBBPTHBPT!" is good enough for Calvin and Hobbes, it's good enough for me.
posted by mbrubeck at 2:53 PM on October 5, 2012 [10 favorites]
posted by mbrubeck at 2:53 PM on October 5, 2012 [10 favorites]
Pth to start, bt to end. I don't think there are Ls in it. So like, pthbtphthbt.
posted by thrasher at 2:53 PM on October 5, 2012
posted by thrasher at 2:53 PM on October 5, 2012
I don't think there are Ls in it.
Depends if you're humming (voiced raspberry) or not.
Linguolabial trill, by the way. But I don't think you want to put [r̼̊] into your story.
posted by supercres at 2:56 PM on October 5, 2012 [4 favorites]
Depends if you're humming (voiced raspberry) or not.
Linguolabial trill, by the way. But I don't think you want to put [r̼̊] into your story.
posted by supercres at 2:56 PM on October 5, 2012 [4 favorites]
Glinn, that's not a raspberry, that's a spit take! Laughter with a drink in your mouth. It's different ;)
posted by thrasher at 3:13 PM on October 5, 2012
posted by thrasher at 3:13 PM on October 5, 2012
The Cartoon Raspberry Museum
I've always liked Berkeley Breathed's renditions.
posted by Orinda at 3:25 PM on October 5, 2012 [6 favorites]
I've always liked Berkeley Breathed's renditions.
posted by Orinda at 3:25 PM on October 5, 2012 [6 favorites]
It HAS to have the following letters: T, H, P, B, and end in T. I think the F is optional.
posted by pazazygeek at 3:31 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pazazygeek at 3:31 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
Phbbbbbbtt!
posted by youngergirl44 at 4:40 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by youngergirl44 at 4:40 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
Be honest: did ANYONE read this question without sticking out their tongue and going "phbtbtbtbt" to test it out?
No? Just me? Carry on, then.
posted by instamatic at 4:53 PM on October 5, 2012 [7 favorites]
No? Just me? Carry on, then.
posted by instamatic at 4:53 PM on October 5, 2012 [7 favorites]
Glinn, that's not a raspberry, that's a spit take! Laughter with a drink in your mouth. It's different ;)
You make a good point, I did not choose wisely. But when I think of the raspberry maneuver, I think Bill the Cat.
posted by Glinn at 5:33 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
You make a good point, I did not choose wisely. But when I think of the raspberry maneuver, I think Bill the Cat.
posted by Glinn at 5:33 PM on October 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
I say pbbbbbbt, and am very curious where h and l come in. Different raspberry styles?
posted by woodvine at 6:26 PM on October 5, 2012
posted by woodvine at 6:26 PM on October 5, 2012
No no no, it would be "Huphtooooo." Clearly. :-) The first half is where the air is blowing the rasberry to her lips, and the last is the shooting of it out of her mouth. More clean sounding, less spitty.
All the p's, b's and t's make me thing of the sound when you stick your tongue out and blow it - spit flying everywhere - sort of like a fart (sorry).
This is an old lady, so she's gotta have a more adult sound.
Unless, of course, she's supposed to be like spitting the raspberry and a whole bunch of spit at the target . . .
Didn't Calvin have a word like Ptoooie or something also? That could work.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:41 PM on October 5, 2012
All the p's, b's and t's make me thing of the sound when you stick your tongue out and blow it - spit flying everywhere - sort of like a fart (sorry).
This is an old lady, so she's gotta have a more adult sound.
Unless, of course, she's supposed to be like spitting the raspberry and a whole bunch of spit at the target . . .
Didn't Calvin have a word like Ptoooie or something also? That could work.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:41 PM on October 5, 2012
Nothing against Calvin or Hobbes, but I stand by the traditional Bloom County "Thpbpbpbpbpbth."
posted by ook at 8:49 PM on October 5, 2012
posted by ook at 8:49 PM on October 5, 2012
Which I now realize I misremembered all these years. The shame.
posted by ook at 8:50 PM on October 5, 2012
posted by ook at 8:50 PM on October 5, 2012
Thpppppppppth
posted by windykites at 2:34 AM on October 6, 2012
posted by windykites at 2:34 AM on October 6, 2012
Today I learned that "raspberry" is rhyming slang (raspberry tart < fart)! I'd always vaguely wondered why that word was used. Thank you, AskMe, you never fail to enrich my life.
posted by hattifattener at 12:11 PM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by hattifattener at 12:11 PM on October 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
A pair of British Safari hunters are arguing in a bar. One says, "of course it's spelled 'W-W-U-M-M.' There's just no other way to put it."
The other says, "I'm pretty sure it has traditionally been spelled "W-O-O-M."
A waitress walking by overhears the conversation and says, "No, it's spelled 'W-O-M-B'. Womb."
The two hunters look at each other.
"Preposterous!" the first one says. "That's not how you spell the sound of an elephant fart!"
posted by Sleeper at 10:40 AM on October 7, 2012
The other says, "I'm pretty sure it has traditionally been spelled "W-O-O-M."
A waitress walking by overhears the conversation and says, "No, it's spelled 'W-O-M-B'. Womb."
The two hunters look at each other.
"Preposterous!" the first one says. "That's not how you spell the sound of an elephant fart!"
posted by Sleeper at 10:40 AM on October 7, 2012
I start out with 'Th' and then mash on the 'p' and 'b' keys for a while, and wrap up with 't'.
Thbbpbpbbpt!
posted by illenion at 9:53 PM on October 7, 2012
Thbbpbpbbpt!
posted by illenion at 9:53 PM on October 7, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by griphus at 2:50 PM on October 5, 2012 [10 favorites]