# George Zimmerman 911 call: What did you hear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158 "2012-03-29T14:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/21 "2012-03-30T18:56:52Z")
I heard assholes. I didn’t hear coons or punks. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/22 "2012-03-30T19:34:05Z")
Um… Everybody heard assholes. We’re talking about a different part of the tape where Zimmerman mutters something under his breath. Click the link in post 16 and go to about 2:20. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/23 "2012-03-31T04:27:57Z")
“Other”, because the first time I listened, I was listening for “fucking punks” and I could barely make out “fucking”; the second word was unintelligible. The next day I listened again, this time to an enhanced clip, and listening for “fucking coons”; both words were quite clear. I don’t know if the difference was in the enhancement, knowing what I was listening for, or both. . ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/24 "2012-03-31T04:32:24Z")
Sounded like “punks” to me. I definitely heard a “p” sound at the beginning of that word. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/25 "2012-03-31T06:05:12Z")
Punks. Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![BangBang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ebca7d/32.png) [@BangBang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BangBang)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/26 "2012-03-31T12:18:29Z")
The first time I heard this I did hear “fucking coons” - without prompting. I was surprised because “Coon” is an insult directed at aboriginals here in Australia and I was not aware that it had American roots, guess I never really thought about it. Listening to it again through the link that sixswords posted it sounded like “punks” but it could have been anything. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/27 "2012-03-31T14:34:13Z")
I just listened to it for the first time using the link upthread. I did not know where the utterance was made. When I heard it, it sounded like ‘punks’. Upon multiple replay, it sounded more like ‘coons’ – put I still detected a ‘p’ sound. Like ‘poon(k)s’. Personally, I would have said ‘Bloody poons!’ But I’m weird. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/28 "2012-03-31T14:48:02Z")
“Coons” just seems too old timey and rural for someone like Zimmerman to use. If he was going to use a racial slur it would most definitely be nigger, coon is just not that common anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/29 "2012-03-31T15:18:56Z")
I hear “poonks.” 😕 Definitely seems to start with a p, but the vowel sounds more like coons then punks. After listening a bunch of times, I’m voting punks in the poll–sure sounds like it starts with a p. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/30 "2012-03-31T15:24:56Z")
Punks. Starst with “p” and ends with “k”. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158/31 "2012-03-31T16:37:31Z")
I hear punks. I also agree with DigitalC that “coon” is probably too old-timey for someone Zimmerman’s age. The last person I heard use that term was my now-81-year-old dad, and that was some years ago. Zimmerman could have said “coons”, but I think “punks” is more likely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-911-call-what-did-you-hear/617158.md?page=1)