# If you could make a non-human noise, what would it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990 "2007-01-29T18:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/21 "2007-01-29T23:36:27Z")
I can purr (one way, obviously). Last g/f (cat owner) found it quite accurate and rather amusing. I’d like to be able to make the really low throaty rumbles of big cats a la Christopher Lambert giving Andie MacDowell chills in “Greystoke”. For the same reason, frankly 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/22 "2007-01-29T23:46:02Z")
The ability to emit a sound most people over 30 cannot hear, but anyone younger, and preferably using a cell phone at the time, causes them to hang the cell phone thinking it’s a serious electrical feedback problem. Oh, yeah. And it would work through at least two panes of glass, and for some distance (say perhaps, from my vehicle to theirs). ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/23 "2007-01-30T00:13:40Z")
crack of thunder (at full volume) If it is only animals, the rattle of a rattlesnake. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/24 "2007-01-30T00:55:25Z")
One more for the purr. (I can already meow, yowl, bark, whine, growl and pant.) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/25 "2007-01-30T01:52:19Z")
Howl, duh. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/26 "2007-01-30T03:03:40Z")
I know a girl who can sound like a Wookiee. It’s amazing, I’m jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/27 "2007-01-30T03:44:20Z")
Full 100 decibel lion roar seems the way to go, usefulness wise. I mean, you know, daily use, ending unwanted conversations, getting to the head of the line, speaking with telemarketers, annoying folks at the door. Gunshots would probably be over the top, risk wise. Someone might actually be packin’. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/28 "2007-01-30T03:49:31Z")
I’d love to be able to immitate R2D2’s little beeps and whistles. Especially that sad little sigh he gives, and how he sort of “hums” to himself when he’s just trundling along. (I also have a theory that if Artoo’s language were to be translated into English, we’d find that he has a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush). A guy I work with has this awesome pterodactyl cry. It sounds so eerie. ---
**Author:** ![threnodyangelfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/29 "2007-01-30T03:52:10Z")
Whale song - lovely to listen to, but hard to dance to! Oh, it’s spelt kookaburra. Those nasty birds that wake me up when I sleep in on the weekends and terrorise my birds. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/30 "2007-01-30T04:06:06Z")
A bugling elk. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/31 "2007-01-30T04:09:40Z")
There is a noise that crows/ravens make, it sounds a bit like gurgling water. I’d like to be able to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/32 "2007-01-30T04:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=whistlepig] A bugling elk. [/QUOTE] I misread this, and briefly thought to myself, “I’m not entirely sure I want to know what kind of sound a bulging elk makes.” Then, unwillingly, I continued along that train of thought and came to the conclusion that it would make a cartoon over-inflating balloon noise. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/33 "2007-01-30T05:04:41Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] (I can already meow, yowl, bark, whine, growl and pant.) [/QUOTE] And **that’s** on a slow night! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/34 "2007-01-30T10:14:48Z")
Dr. Zoidberg !!! **wibidibibibibibibibibibibi!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/35 "2007-01-30T10:16:43Z")
I already know how to roar like a deer in heat. Also I’m quite good at imitating grey seals. But to answer the question, I guess it would be an elephant trumpeting. Yeah, that would be nice. Then I can clear some space anywhere when needed. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/36 "2007-01-30T10:26:49Z")
I’d like to be able to hum the brown note (if such a thing actually existed) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/37 "2007-01-30T11:02:38Z")
Either a perfect Godzilla roar, or an old-fashioned Naval steam collision alarm. (Remember the ships at the end of _The Guns of Navarone_?) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/38 "2007-01-30T11:38:01Z")
I have always wanted to imitate the sound of a wad of chewing tobacco hitting a metal bucket. :eek: I don’t smoke, but have always enjoyed US films where an ancient countryman considers something thoughtfully, then chews his baccy, spits and hits the bucket plumb. I can make chewing and spitting noises, but the bucket sound defeats me. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/39 "2007-01-30T12:06:54Z")
Machine gun fire. Or, perhaps more subtly, a gun being cocked. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990/40 "2007-01-30T12:11:12Z")
Another one that might be cheating (as it’s a voice) is the booming, baritone, throaty, echo-ey, voice of evil alien overlords in 70s and 80s cartoons… **SO! PUNY HU-MANS! YOU THINK YOU CAN E-SCAPE?** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-a-non-human-noise-what-would-it-be/389990.md?page=3)