# How Do I Make the "Boing-oing-oing..." Sound Effect at Home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153 "2003-03-30T03:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 30, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153/1 "2003-03-30T03:24:16Z")
You know the sound I mean: when the sound FX guy wants to indicate that someone is springing a boner. For example: TALK RADIO HOST: The mayor’s husband was arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute! SOUND EFFECT: Boing-oing-oing…! How DO you do that??? ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153/2 "2003-03-30T03:28:11Z")
Kick one of those doorstops that’s attached to the baseboard; you know, the one that is always kicked in the middle of the night on a bathroom visit. 😉 Or, you could procure a wooden ruler, hold one end fast to a table with 5/8 of the ruler hanging off, then pull it down and let go. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153/3 "2003-03-30T03:29:48Z")
I just tried it; make that “3/4 of the ruler hanging off”. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153/4 "2003-03-30T05:16:36Z")
if you rotate the ruler so a smaller amount of the ruler is hanging off as it goes “Boing-oing-oing…” the frequency will change, and make a more accurate sound. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153/5 "2003-03-30T05:35:28Z")
Or get a jaw harp (jew’s harp, snoopy harp). Available at music stores that sell instruments and accessories. It’s a little metal instrument that you hold against your teeth and it has a prong that you pluck. As it vibrates, you can change the shape of your mouth to vary the pitch. Move your tongue forward and backward quickly to get a very nice “BOING” sound. ---
**Author:** ![smaft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@smaft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaft)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-the-boing-oing-oing-sound-effect-at-home/165153/6 "2003-03-30T05:37:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wonko The Sane \* > …the frequency will change, and make a more accurate sound. Sorry- “accurate”? You mean, it actually sounds like springing a boner? I guess I’d never realized there was a sound. Maybe I should pay more attention next time.