# Another "What is this?" post. \[Jew's Harp\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363 "2020-02-22T20:40:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/1 "2020-02-22T20:40:06Z")
[Found this](https://www.washingtondistillersreview.com/pictures)while cleaning out my BIL’s apartment today. My wife doesn’t know what it is. It’s about 4½ inches long, 3 inches wide an the tang sticks up about an inch. The two things on each side of the tang have England stamped on each of the 4 sides. It’s steel and the tang part is spring steel. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/2 "2020-02-22T20:42:39Z")
[Jew’s harp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew%27s_harp) ---
**Author:** ![Oglomott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oglomott/32/3543_2.png) [@Oglomott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oglomott)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/3 "2020-02-22T20:42:41Z")
It’s a Jew’s Harp. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/4 "2020-02-22T21:34:27Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/5 "2020-02-22T21:50:50Z")
I used to have one when I was a kid. [It’s that twangy sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCS9eIzhYPI) you often hear in the background in folk and country music. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/6 "2020-02-22T22:41:48Z")
Snoopy plays a Jew’s harp in at least one of the Peanuts animated cartoons. I even bought a Snoopy-branded Jew’s harp once. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/7 "2020-02-22T23:43:53Z")
It’s a featured(?) instrument in The Who’s [Join Together](https://youtu.be/_HDMCCLlGl4). ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/8 "2020-02-23T00:22:00Z")
It’s an ancient instrument with variations (and names) all over the world. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/9 "2020-02-23T00:32:25Z")
[Here’s a fun video](https://youtu.be/8duwSAGJoRw) of some Russians playing the Jew’s harp and beatboxing. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/10 "2020-02-23T11:27:37Z")
[Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S62tPnWnbo)’s a UK #3 hit single featuring the Jew’s harp, from 1973. j Biggest Jew’s harp hit by chart placing? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/11 "2020-02-23T13:09:38Z")
Also known as a “Jaw Harp”. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/12 "2020-02-23T22:51:40Z")
I don’t notice dimensions in the Wikipedia article. 4.5" x 3" is on the large side: all of the ones I’ve owned have been closer to 2.5" x 1.5" ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/13 "2020-02-24T15:44:33Z")
Can it be used to play Rio by Duran Duran? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/14 "2020-02-24T16:27:26Z")
I can play one of those! Actually, anybody can play one of those. Next to the kazoo, it’s probably the simplest musical instrument there is. Although when you’re first learning to play it, if you don’t put your teeth in the right place, the metal piece can snap back against a tooth. That’s a memorable experience. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/15 "2020-02-24T17:03:32Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Can it be used to play Rio by Duran Duran? Yes, but only once, for 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/16 "2020-02-24T17:20:42Z")
Since this is about a musical instrument, I have edited the title and moved it to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/17 "2020-02-24T17:26:29Z")
I used to have a “jaw harp” (as I knew it). It was briefly fun. Basically, it goes “boing”. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-post-jews-harp/848363/18 "2020-02-24T17:39:52Z")
Mentioned in Leonard Cohen’s song Last Year’s Man he rain falls down on last year’s man, That’s a Jew’s harp on the table, That’s a crayon in his hand. And the corners of the blueprint are ruined since they rolled Far past the stems of thumbtacks That still throw shadows on the wood. And the skylight is like skin for a drum I’ll never mend And all the rain falls down amen On the works of last year’s man.