# Is there a name for the African American derisive laugh noise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371 "2009-09-24T14:23:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Transistor\_Rhythm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Transistor\_Rhythm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Transistor_Rhythm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/1 "2009-09-24T14:23:25Z")
I was asking an AA coworker bout “that laugh” the other day after she did it. I’ve noticed that there’s a common “derisive laugh” among most/all AA’s I’ve known, which is really hard to imitate - it’s a sort of back-of-the-mouth “kccch kccch kccch” done in a slower, rhythmic cadence with an almost eighth note triplet feel. I’ve heard most black comedians do it, too, especially when they’re specifically doing a sort of winking derision of something. Has this thing been codified in any way? I’d really like to read more about it. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/2 "2009-09-24T15:44:18Z")
I know the laugh you mean, but IME it’s not necessarily derisive. It can mean genuine amusement, a sort of chuckle. I don’t know of any name for it. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/3 "2009-09-24T16:02:59Z")
Can you link to some souce so I can see for myself what this behavior is ---
**Author:** ![Transistor\_Rhythm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Transistor\_Rhythm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Transistor_Rhythm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/4 "2009-09-24T16:09:54Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > I know the laugh you mean, but IME it’s not necessarily derisive. It can mean genuine amusement, a sort of chuckle. I don’t know of any name for it. Yeah, I realized that derisive is a little too strong. It’s more like…you’d do it when you were giving someone a hard time, but in a fun way. Like if someone did something clumsy or corny. ---
**Author:** ![Transistor\_Rhythm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Transistor\_Rhythm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Transistor_Rhythm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/5 "2009-09-24T16:11:46Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Can you link to some souce so I can see for myself what this behavior is I’m digging through youtube right now, but can’t find an example. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/6 "2009-09-24T16:53:52Z")
Do you mean a snort? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/7 "2009-09-25T00:58:58Z")
If it’s the noise I think you are referring to, I always assumed Eddie Murphy did it first in the '80s and since then everyone else has been copying him. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/8 "2009-09-25T01:03:21Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Do you mean a snort? No, it’s more in the back of the throat, nearly like a hiss, rather than up in the nasal passages. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/9 "2009-09-25T01:29:24Z")
If it’s what I think it is, Shane MacGowan does it too. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/10 "2009-09-25T01:48:54Z")
I never realized skin colour could affect laughing patterns. Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/11 "2009-09-25T02:14:22Z")
Sorta like [Dick Dastardly’s Muttley’s laugh](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZm47SrmuwM), but a little more fricative? ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-the-african-american-derisive-laugh-noise/511371/12 "2009-09-25T02:16:53Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I never realized skin colour could affect laughing patterns. Who knew? Not so much skin colour, but culture and upbringing. If you’re around certain types of sounds you start to imitate them. At least, that’s what it sounds like here, I have no idea what the OP is talking about. I’d be interested in a sound byte of the kind of laugh. I’ve heard people from all backgrounds do the Muttley Laugh. I’m just suddenly reminded of that one Mary Poppins song…