by Mark Nichol
They often seem disreputable, like sullen idlers loitering in a public thoroughfare, but they actually do a lot of hard work and are usually persnickety about the tasks to which they are put. They are interjections — one class of them, anyway: those lacking etymological origins but packed with meaning.
But how do you know how to distinguish similar ones — or spell them, for that matter? Here’s an incomplete inventory of interjections (not including variations of actual words such as yeah for yes or onomatopoeic echoes of externally produced sounds like boom):
- Ack communicates disgust or dismissal.
- Ah can denote positive emotions like relief or delight (generally, pronounced with a long a).
- Aha signals triumph or surprise, or perhaps derision.
- Ahem is employed to gain attention.
- Argh, often drawn out with additional h’s, is all about frustration.
- Aw can be dismissive or indicative of disappointment, or, when drawn out, expressive of sympathy or adoration.
- Aye denotes agreement.
- Bah is dismissive.
- Blah communicates boredom or disappointment.
- Blech (or bleah or bleh) implies nausea.
- Boo is an exclamation to provoke fright.
- Boo-hoo is imitative of crying and is derisive.
- Boo-ya (with several spelling variants) is a cry of triumph.
- Bwah-hah-hah (variously spelled, including mwah-hah-hah) facetiously mimics the stereotypical archvillain’s triumphant laugh.
- D’oh is the spelling for the muttering accompanying Homer Simpson’s trademark head-slapping self-abuse.
- Duh derides someone who seems dense.
- Eek indicates an unpleasant surprise.
- Eh, with a question mark, is a request for repetition or confirmation of what was just said; without, it is dismissive.
- Er (sometimes erm) plays for time.
- Ew denotes disgust, intensified by the addition of one or more e’s and/or w’s.
- Feh (and its cousin meh) is an indication of feeling underwhelmed or disappointed.
- Gak is an expression of disgust or distaste.
- Ha expresses joy or surprise, or perhaps triumph.
- Ha-ha (with possible redoubling) communicates laughter or derision.
- Hamana-hamana, variously spelled, and duplicated as needed, implies speechless embarrassment.
- Hardy-har-har, or har-har repeated as needed, communicates mock amusement.
- Hee-hee is a mischievous laugh, while its variants heh and heh-heh (and so on) can have a more derisive connotation.
- Hey can express surprise or exultation, or can be used to request repetition or call for attention.
- Hist signals the desire for silence.
- Hm, extended as needed, suggests curiosity, confusion, consternation, or skepticism.
- Hmph (also hrmph or humph) indicates displeasure or indignation.
- Ho-ho is expressive of mirth, or (along with its variant oh-ho) can indicate triumph of discovery.
- Ho-hum signals indifference or boredom.
- Hubba-hubba is the vocal equivalent of a leer.
- Huh (or hunh) is a sign of disbelief, confusion, or surprise, or, with a question mark, is a request for repetition.
- Hup, from the sound-off a military cadence chant, signals beginning an exerting task.
- Hurrah (also hoorah, hooray, and hurray, and even huzzah) is an exclamation of triumph or happiness.
- Ick signals disgust.
- Lah-de-dah denotes nonchalance or dismissal, or derision about pretension.
- Mm-hmm, variously spelled, is an affirmative or corroborating response.
- Mmm, extended as needed, conveys palatable or palpable pleasure.
- Mwah is suggestive of a kiss, often implying unctuous or exaggerated affection.
- Neener-neener, often uttered in a series of three repetitions, is a taunt.
- Now (often repeated “Now, now”) is uttered as an admonition.
- Oh is among the most versatile of interjections. Use it to indicate comprehension or acknowledgment (or, with a question mark, a request for verification), to preface direct address (“Oh, sir!”), as a sign of approximation or example (“Oh, about three days”), or to express emotion or serves as a response to a pain or pleasure. (Ooh is a variant useful for the last two purposes.)
- Oh-oh (or alternatives in which oh is followed by various words) is a warning response to something that will have negative repercussions.
- Olé, with an accent mark over the e, is borrowed from Spanish and is a vocal flourish to celebrate a deft or adroit maneuver.
- Ooh, with o’s repeated as needed, conveys interest or admiration, or, alternatively, disdain.
- Ooh-la-la is a response to an attempt to impress or gently mocks pretension or finery.
- Oops (and the jocular diminutive variation oopsie or oopsy and the variant whoops) calls attention to an error or fault.
- Ouch (or ow, extended as needed) signals pain or is a response to a harsh word or action.
- Oy, part of Yiddish expressions such as oy gevalt (equivalent to “Uh-oh”), is a lament of frustration, concern, or self-pity.
- Pff, extended as needed, expresses disappointment, disdain, or annoyance.
- Pfft, or phfft, communicates abrupt ending or departure or is a sardonic dismissal akin to pff.
- Phew, or pew, communicates disgust, fatigue, or relief. (Phooey, also spelled pfui, is a signal for disgust, too, and can denote dismissal as well. PU and P.U. are also variants.)
- Poof is imitative of a sudden disappearance, as if by magic.
- Pooh is a contemptuous exclamation.
- Pshaw denotes disbelief, disapproval, or irritation or, alternatively, communicates facetious self-consciousness.
- Psst calls for quiet.
- Rah, perhaps repeated, signals triumph.
- Shh (extended as necessary) is an imperative for silence.
- Sis boom bah is an outdated encouraging cry, most likely to be used mockingly now.
- Tchah communicates annoyance.
- Tsk-tsk and its even snootier variant tut-tut are condemnations or scoldings; the related sound tch is the teeth-and-tongue click of disapproval.
- Ugh is an exclamation of disgust.
- Uh is an expression of skepticism or a delaying tactic.
- Uh-huh indicates affirmation or agreement.
- Uh-oh signals concern or dismay.
- Uh-uh is the sound of negation or refusal.
- Um is a placeholder for a pause but also denotes skepticism.
- Va-va-voom is an old-fashioned exclamation denoting admiration of physical attractiveness.
- Whee is an exclamation of excitement or delight.
- Whew is a variant of phew but can also express amazement.
- Whoa is a call to halt or an exclamation of surprise or relief.
- Whoop-de-doo and its many variants convey mocking reaction to something meant to impress.
- Woo and woo-hoo (and variations like yahoo, yee-haw, and yippee) indicate excitement. (Woot, also spelled w00t among an online in-crowd, is a probably ephemeral variant.)
- Wow expresses surprise.
- Yay is a congratulatory exclamation. (Not to be confused with yeah, a variant of yes.)
- Yikes is an expression of fear or concern, often used facetiously.
- Yo-ho-ho is the traditional pirates’ refrain.
- Yoo-hoo attracts attention.
- Yow, or yowza, is an exclamation of surprise or conveys being impressed.
- Yuck (also spelled yech or yecch) signals disgust. (Not to be confused with yuk, a laugh.)
- Yum, or yummy, is a response to the taste of something delicious and, by extension, the sight of an attractive person.
- Zoinks is an expression of surprise or amazement popularized by the cartoon character Shaggy, of Scooby Doo fame.
- Zowie, often in combination following wowie, a variant of wow, expresses admiration or astonishment.
interesting
Be careful, lest in casting out your demon you exorcise the best thing in you.
Friedrich Nietzsche (via ksciences)
A Strategic 1-2 Punch: Thoughts on Kaiju Biology and the Otachi-Leatherback Double Event
[Note: The following meta is the product of me thinking entirely too much about watching Pacific Rim and Kaiju biology. Most of this is speculation on my part, and may be disproved by information that I don’t currently have access to, so if you know something that I don’t know then by all means, do tell shoot me a message or tack it on – something of that nature. Anyway, here goes nothing.]
The easiest way for me to start this is by examining briefly what we do know about Kaiju biology. We know, for instance, via Newt’s initial drift with the damaged Kaiju brain, that Kaijus – at least the ones that leave the Breach – share a collective consciousness, a sort of hivemind. Through the same drift, we also know that the Kaijus that leave the Breach are all clones, sharing the same genetic material despite displaying wildly different shapes and adaptations.
Lastly, we also know that Kaijus have two brains, the latter of the two being the secondary brain, the location of which Newt indicates by referencing the popular myth of the “dinosaur’s second brain” (it is pretty safe to assume that Newt knows that the dinosaurs did not have an actual second brain, but given the continued popularity of the myth today, it makes a good reference point to explain the location of a piece of Kaiju biology to a layperson).
Now what’s really cool to me, is the implications of some of these facts when paired with other things that we see in the film.
consultingtimekhaleesi: Blood bounces quite strikingly on snow not only because of the obvious color/contrast discrepancy, but the large difference in temperatures. Another post to add to the list of “I swear I’m not a serial killer, just a writer”
loving sigh at themes of reality and perception
So one of the main things that’s always interested me about Night Vale is its concept of normalcy and perception.
What’s important here is that Cecil is not, at all, a person immune to fear, anxiety, or doubt; he often fears for his life just in dealing with the management at his job. It’s not necessarily that he’s blase about the way Night Vale works; it’s that he sees its dangers and strangeness as things that simply must be accepted for what they are. He accepts that the government is shadowy and intrusive as expected, rather than worrisome.
He shrugs off the existence of a warlike society of tiny people under the bowling alley with the same attitude you might apply to your neighbors with the really loud air conditioning unit that sometimes keeps you up at night, or the guy who always wanders out for his morning paper wearing little boxer shorts and almost nothing else. These things are a bit odd and somewhat aggravating. But they’re just a part of life, okay, so what are you going to do about it? Nothing, that’s what.
DIY Know Your Shoes Guide from Enerie here. My favorite shoes aren’t listed yet – Louis Heels which were popular in the 1920s. First seen at inspiration & realisation’s Facebook page.
Excuse? Said “Lobster claw” shoes are actually known as Armadillos. Alexander McQueen, Plato’s Atlantis S/S 2010.
Look it up
crankycrafter: Actually the Armadillos are popularly known by everyone as “Lobster Claw Shoes”. And in your immortal words:
sad for erry1 else then, qurl, but it wouldnt kill anyone to research stuff. might learn something, yo. alsO I FKN QUOTED MADGE
xcuse me while i go die~ x0x0 But in all seriousness, I guess my main argument is that the Armadillos aren’t really a “style” of shoe, per say? I haven’t really seen anything else like them before, personally. But whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess!crankycrafter: seriously, I was joking. This is Tumblr and I couldn’t resist posting the perfect Madonna GIF. I’m sleeping just fine and I appreciate that you set the record straight about Lobster Claw shoes being originally called “Armadillos”. Peace.
truebluemeandyou: seriously, this is why I LOVE TUMBLR. Because of Lobster Claw/Armadillo shoe debates.
DIY Know Your Shoes Guide Part 2 from Enerie here. My favorite shoes still aren’t listed yet – Louis Heels which were popular in the 1920s. For Part 1 (43,000 notes), with the infamous Lobster Claw/Armadillo Shoes and the Lady Gaga, Barbie and Madonna GIFs that followed go here: truebluemeandyou.tumblr.com/post/51077660511/diy-ultimate-guide-to-womens-shoes
DIY Know Your Sunglasses from Enerie here. For the popular posts Know Your Shoes go here for part 1 and here for part 2.
pistoletdefleurs 
