Raspberry, the Bird, the Bronx Cheer, that Unsubtle Noise of Disapproval

Hi, you have A Way with Words.

Hello, this is Sarah from Indiana.

Well, I was just thinking about what happens when people blow their lips and it kind of makes that brrr sound and people call it a raspberry.

And I’m wondering why they call it a raspberry.

So we’re talking about put your tongue between your lips and blow out real hard and it’ll make like a farting noise.

Yeah.

You were too polite to say it, so I went ahead.

Yeah.

So is this a common occurrence in your life?

Do you have lots of raspberries headed your way?

No, I heard it on the TV the other day and wondered why they call it a raspberry.

Yeah, that’s a wonderful question.

And one of the possible reasons they call that flatulent sound we make with our lips a raspberry is because of the sounds in the middle of the word raspberry, that SPB.

All of those sounds kind of, in a small way, sound like a little flatulence.

We make this flatulent sound with our mouths by putting our tongue between our lips to show disagreement or disrespect or derision.

Is that how you use it or have had it used?

That’s most commonly how I use it, but I also work with babies.

Oh, well, that’s different.

In that context, too.

Yeah, a baby raspberry is a much more precious thing.

Yeah, that’s a whole different one.

Little bitty raspberries.

Little bitty.

So there’s a story going around that I don’t know if it’s true that says that raspberry is from British rhyming slang for the expression raspberry tart, because raspberry tart rhymes with fart, F-A-R-T.

And so it was shortened.

And I don’t think it’s true.

And actually the authors of the Dictionary of Rhyming Slang, Antonio Lillio and Terry Victor, also think the story might be folk etymology.

And I figure if the authors of the definitive book on rhyming slang aren’t sure, then I’m not sure either.

And it’s shortened.

Did you know that to razz someone, as in to make fun of them, also comes from raspberry? No, so yeah, so that’s connected. Is and a lot of this might have to do with it might have started in the theater. It was a sound that you would make to show your disapproval of what was said or done on stage. Wow, yeah, this connects to another word for it, which is bird or the bird or the big bird because sometimes the sound is like a duck or a goose.

So you’re and that goes back. That’s 200 years old to call it that that same exact sound.

Wow, anyway, one more exciting synonym for you. Have you heard ever called the bronx cheer? No, yeah, so it’s often called the bronx chair as well just to get the exact same raspberry sound. And sometimes you do it with your thumb on your nose and your fingers pointed up, waggling as you make the noise. You go like that.

That’s like the definitive insult right there.

That is so interesting.

All right.

Take care of yourself, Sarah.

Thanks for calling.

Bye-bye.

Okay.

Thanks.

Bye.

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