# Does the "Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha" laugh have a special name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820 "2004-05-18T18:40:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/1 "2004-05-18T18:40:33Z")
You know the one I mean, typically emanates from dastardly villains gloating at thier infamous triumph. I seem to remember it had a special name all its own, something like “gloat” or “gloaming” or something like that? Anybody know? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/2 "2004-05-18T18:50:47Z")
I don’t think you’ll find name exclusive to evil laughter but maniacal comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/3 "2004-05-18T19:13:21Z")
Megalomanical laughter. There’s also a variant that goes “O~HOHOHOHO~~!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/4 "2004-05-18T19:34:38Z")
First place I ever “heard” that laugh was in the Justice League comic books, during the period when that title was funny. It was usually Booster Gold or Blue Beetle laughing like that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/5 "2004-05-18T19:53:17Z")
In Bollywood movies and Indian television shows, for some reason, the villanous laugh is _always_ given an echo effect. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/6 "2004-05-18T21:03:52Z")
I’d say that gloating laughter is the most commonly used phrasing, if you are speaking of the scene where the villian has his enemy in his clutches and is watching doom overtake them. [Gloat](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=gloat&x=18&y=15) [Gloaming](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=gloaming&x=21&y=14) is a word that means sort of sunset/twilight. It’s Old English, I believe. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/7 "2004-05-18T22:42:29Z")
It is Maniacal Laughter. I minored in it in college. 😃🆒 BWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAaaa!! ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/8 "2004-05-19T00:36:17Z")
Maybe a guffaw or a chortle? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/9 "2004-05-19T01:02:38Z")
In this neck of the woods, it’s called Evil Mad Scientist Laughter[sup]TM[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/10 "2004-05-19T17:54:59Z")
Is it related to Ho-ho-ho in any way? I mean, a guy wearing an obviously fake beard, breaking and entering into houses, and leaving so-called presents for free. There _has_ to be a catch. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/11 "2004-05-19T18:03:33Z")
Is this laugh at all related to the Shadow’s laugh? “Who knows what evil lurks in the hear of man” and all that… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Llama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@The\_Llama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Llama)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-laugh-have-a-special-name/245820/12 "2004-05-19T18:05:14Z")
Ah, the ole BHHHH, my favorite.