damn onomatopoeias

juneafternoon · Jan 27, 2008

Does anyone have an onomatopoeia for when the buzzer on a game show goes rings when a contestant gets an answer wrong?

I have asked some friends and they said:

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
-or-
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh

But I dunno.

I know when a contestant gets an answer right the buzzer goes, "Ding ding ding!"

Help?

KTC · Jan 27, 2008

Wonk.

geardrops · Jan 27, 2008

I'd go with Bzz.

Ehhh reads too much like the apathetic "Eh."

KTC · Jan 27, 2008

Eh isn't apathetic...it's Canadian.

Oh...wait a minute. I get it. I suppose we are a bit apathetic. That's why we say it all the time!

juneafternoon · Jan 27, 2008

Thanks!

Soccer Mom · Jan 27, 2008

Wanh-wanh.

IceCreamEmpress · Jan 27, 2008

"Bzzzz" or "Bzzzzt" is the blaring, staticky buzzer. "Wanh-wanh" or "Wunh-wunh" is the falling musical cadence (to the same notes people often use to say "Uh-oh").

Susan Gable · Jan 28, 2008

I just want to say that I LOVE the word onomatopoeia.

What a great word.

Susan G.

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 28, 2008

Why can't you just say, "the buzzer indicated a wrong answer?"

I"m not a big fan of onomatopoeia in writing.

DeleyanLee · Jan 28, 2008

Whereas I've always heard "Eeeeert".

melaniehoo · Jan 28, 2008

I've been dealing with this to describe trunks horns honking. I like the suggestion above of Bzzz or Bzzzzt.

damn onomatopoeias

juneafternoon

Return of the Jedi

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

geardrops

Good thing I like my day job

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

juneafternoon

Return of the Jedi

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits