I heard assholes. I didn’t hear coons or punks.
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.
“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.
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Sounded like “punks” to me. I definitely heard a “p” sound at the beginning of that word.
Punks. Definitely.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
Punks. Starst with “p” and ends with “k”.
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.