# Favorite Tongue Twisters **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 9, 1999, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691 "1999-09-09T19:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/21 "1999-09-10T04:58:00Z")
(Oops, I’m sorry, sherrif = sheriff) ---
**Author:** ![Imthecowgodmoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Imthecowgodmoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imthecowgodmoo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/22 "1999-09-10T06:07:00Z")
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? In Latin that would be : Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari? French: Combien de bois est-ce qu’une marmotte d’Amérique jetterait si une marmotte d’Amérique pourrait jeter le bois? German: Wieviel Holz würde ein Waldmurmeltier einspannen, wenn ein Waldmurmeltier Holz einspannen könnte? Portuguese: Quanto madeira uma marmota lançaria se uma marmota poderia lançar a madeira? Italian: Quanto legno nel mandrino una marmotta nordamericana bloccherebbe se una marmotta nordamericana potesse bloccare il legno nel mandrino? Spanish: Cuánto madera una marmota arrojaría si una marmota podría arrojar la madera? (Babel Fish is [i/]SO\* cool!) * * * “I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.”-- Calvin and Hobbes (\_\_) `\/-------\ `| |-----| | …c.c…c.c… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/23 "1999-09-10T14:24:00Z")
The oddest tongue-twister I’ve ever encountered is the following: “Red leather, yellow leather.” Try it five times fast. The odd thing about it is that your mouth learns it, somehow…once you get it down pat (and you do, after the fifth or sixth try), you can always get it out properly. But no one can do it right the first few times. Are there any others like this? * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Therealbubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@Therealbubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Therealbubba)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/24 "1999-09-10T16:00:00Z")
A la Steve Martin in “The Jerk”: I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit and on the slitted sheet I sit. Therealbubba ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/25 "1999-09-13T19:33:00Z")
Some other winners from \* Games: \* Cinnamon Synonym Ripe white wheat reapers reap white wheat right! Brock Blake’s black bike’s back brake bracket block broke! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/26 "2001-06-16T21:04:34Z")
Salvaging yet another thread from the pruning-room floor. ::bump:: ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/27 "2001-06-16T22:15:41Z")
An excellent place to stick a tongue-twister I just made up. Try saying _this_six times real fast: “Do you do your doo doo duty daily, dude?” ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/28 "2001-06-16T23:13:24Z")
I was in the Gilbert & Sullivan society at the U of Mich, and since G&S requires great diction, the vocal warmups always included all sorts of heinous tongue-twisters. The one that sticks in my mind was “If I can’t have a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffeepot I’ll have a cup of tea!” (And there were a whole bunch of sentences leading up to it, but I can’t remember all of them.) And of course there are all sorts of tongue-twisters in Gilbert’s lyrics: “They’re a ravenous horde, and they all came on board at _Sloane Square and South Kensington Stations_…” or “In your shirt and your socks, _the black silk with gold clocks_…” And those are only from one song… ---
**Author:** ![No\_Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ba8739/32.png) [@No\_Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Bones)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/29 "2001-06-17T00:20:33Z")
The Seven Dirty Words, all said fast. Only a few can do it. ---
**Author:** ![anenquiringmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anenquiringmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anenquiringmind)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/30 "2001-06-17T03:23:59Z")
I am a sheet slitter, I slit sheets, the best damn sheet slitter that ever slit a sheet. The skunk sat on a stump, The skunk thunk the stump stunk and the stump thunk the skunk stunk. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/31 "2001-06-17T04:39:30Z")
Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned this old gem: I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s son. I’m only plucking pheasants Till the pheasant plucker comes. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/32 "2001-06-17T08:15:40Z")
Ahem… The Leith police dismisseth us. The Leith police dismisseth us. The Leith police dismisseth us. The Leith police dismisseth us. The Leith police dismisseth us. The Leith police dismisseth us. ---
**Author:** ![anenquiringmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anenquiringmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anenquiringmind)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/33 "2001-06-17T13:28:40Z")
Cant believe no one has mentioned this either. It’s a classic and best remembered from the I Love Lucy Show. Repeat 5 times: Rubber baby buggy bumper ---
**Author:** ![virtee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/dbc845/32.png) [@virtee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/34 "2001-06-17T18:30:55Z")
“Rural route”…I have big time trouble with that. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/35 "2001-06-17T20:36:02Z")
Two witches had two watches Which witch would watch which watch? Which watch would watch which witch? Or is that too witchy-watchy for you? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/36 "2001-06-17T21:00:21Z")
You know New York You need New York You know you need unique New York A bitter biting bittern bit a better biting bittern and the bitter biting bittern bit the better biter back. Said the bitter biting bittern to the better biting bittern “I’m a bitter biting bittern bitten back”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/37 "2001-06-17T21:20:58Z")
“The big black bug bled black blood.” ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/38 "2001-06-17T21:34:15Z")
The only tonguetwister I can say properly is the Betty Botter butter-buying one **LauraRae** said. Anything that depends upon a predominance of esses is the bane of my existence, because I lisp, and I end up spluttering. Suffering succotash. “She sells seashells” especially. And “he thrusts his fists against the post and still insists he sees the ghost” – GAH! I had to try to say that every day when I was in speech therapy as a little kid. It was torment. See, I can say all those words passably well in daily speech, but all in a row? Eep! I used to know a French one that had somethign to do with a furry green worm on a grene glass. (Le vair vert vers la verre vert or something.) I forget it now, though. I was small at the time; my Quebecois great-grandmother taught it to me. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/39 "2001-06-18T03:49:50Z")
I know a French one: _Un chasseur sachant chasser, sait chasser sans son chien._ ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691/40 "2001-06-18T04:24:11Z")
anenquiringmind, That would be… ``` Rugger baaggy buggy bunkers ``` I believe 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tongue-twisters/7691.md?page=3)