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Blowing a raspberry

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"Bronx Cheer" redirects here. For the Law & Order episode, see Bronx Cheer (Law & Order).
A man blowing a raspberry

Blowing a raspberry, strawberry or making a Bronx cheer, is to make a noise that may signify derision, real or feigned. It may also be used in childhood phonemic play either solely by the child or by adults towards a child to encourage imitation to the delight of both parties. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing to produce a sound similar to flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced linguolabial trill [r̼̊].[1] It is never used in human language phonemically (e.g., to be used as a building block of words), but the sound is widely used across human cultures.

The nomenclature varies by country. In the United States, Bronx cheer is sometimes used; otherwise, in the U.S. and in other anglophone countries, it is known as a raspberry, rasp, or razz – the origin of which is an instance of rhyming slang, in which the non-rhyming part of a rhyming phrase is used as a synonym. In this case, "raspberry tart" rhymes with "fart".[2] It was first recorded in 1890.[3]

Etymology

Blowing a raspberry comes from the Cockney rhyming slang "raspberry tart" for "fart".[4] Rhyming slang was particularly used in British comedy to refer to things that would be unacceptable to a polite audience.

The term "Bronx cheer" is used sarcastically because it is not a cheer; it is used to show disapproval.

See also

References

  1. ^ Pike called it a "voiceless exolabio-lingual trill", with the tongue vibrating against a protruding lower lip.
    Pike, Kenneth L. (1943). Phonetics: A Critical Analysis of Phonetic Theory and a Technique for the Practical Description of Sounds. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
  2. ^ Bryson, Bill (1990). The Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way (Trade printing, September 1991 ed.). Avon Books. p. 238. ISBN 0-380-71543-0.
  3. ^ "raspberry". The Mavens' Word of the Day. Random House. 1998-04-13. Retrieved September 19, 2005.
  4. ^ "Raspberry tart". Phrases.org.uk. Retrieved 2010-07-28.

External links


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