# Moo-ha-ha vs. bwa-ha-ha **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298 "2009-02-17T18:16:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/21 "2009-02-17T20:55:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Yes, but that moment of hesitation would deflate the impact of the laugh. And probably elicit a “bwa-ha-ha” from the intended victim of villainy! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/22 "2009-02-17T21:23:24Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > What about ‘mua-ha-ha’? That’s fine, if you speak Hawaiian. But the tendency will be to say "mua-hua-hua, which is just silly. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/23 "2009-02-17T21:25:22Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > Not at all; it’s all in the body language. The “mwa-ha-ha” is usually delivered while rubbing my hands, and with a sneer. The “bwa-ha-ha” is usually louder, with the mouth more open, the head tilted back, and a derisive sideways glance. Yes, but do you twirl or stroke your moustache as well? Even if you don’t have one? If not, the effort is wasted. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/24 "2009-02-17T21:30:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yes, but do you twirl or stroke your moustache as well? Even if you don’t have one? If not, the effort is wasted. I must admit, I don’t stroke my (non-existent) moustache, but I’m always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom! And I’m pretty good at slinking around, although it closely resembles the Groucho Marx walk. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/25 "2009-02-17T21:33:02Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > [This](http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/1999/cow_kills_driver_in_california.html)is a moo-ha-ha. Holy Cow!!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/26 "2009-02-17T21:36:48Z")
> [@Tupug\_Anachi](#): > > Holy Cow!!! :eek: Hey! This is a serious thread. If you want to post nonsense, take it to…er…somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/27 "2009-02-17T21:41:37Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > To encircle the phenomenon, we have, at the other end of the spectrum, tee-hee, snort and hmpf. And let’s not forget hoo-hah (one of those Yiddish terms so well used by the early Mad magazine), and yee-hah (a variant of the classic Rebel yell)… ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/28 "2009-02-19T11:01:59Z")
And “hee hee ha ha”, used by my Turkish friend to encapsulate a whole evening’s carousing, or even an entire dalliance, into short form. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/29 "2009-02-19T15:22:44Z")
I’ve always thought the “bwa” of “bwa-ha-ha” was almost like a spit-take. Something funny that catches you so off guard so you don’t have time to open your mouth for a proper “ha ha”. It sort of explodes form behind your lips. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/30 "2009-02-19T16:20:07Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > I’ve always thought the “bwa” of “bwa-ha-ha” was almost like a spit-take. Something funny that catches you so off guard so you don’t have time to open your mouth for a proper “ha ha”. It sort of explodes form behind your lips. Are you sure you’re not thinking of “bwuuhhh?!” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/31 "2009-02-19T16:24:33Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Are you sure you’re not thinking of “bwuuhhh?!” I picture someone who has just been hit in the back of the head with a bat. Teeth flying. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298/32 "2009-02-19T17:43:24Z")
Mwuahaha or its like = devilishly funny, simply devilish Bwahaha = explosive laugh, possibly done mockingly at others humiliation, and if a beverage was currently being consumed, the kind of laugh that that could cause a spit-take. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moo-ha-ha-vs-bwa-ha-ha/486298.md?page=1)