# Name that laugh! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886 "2016-08-15T07:43:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/21 "2016-08-19T12:14:48Z")
I think I’ve read someone (maybe Faulkner?) describe it as “blowing a laugh”, so something like, “She blew a laugh and slapped him” might be what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/22 "2016-08-23T03:08:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I don’t think so. It’s a voiceless nasal aspiration starting with a salpingopharyngeal stop. If you can describe it like that, it can be done in IPA. What you described looks like this: [ʡ[sup]nh[/sup]] However, when I do it, I seems more glottal, so I’d write it as this: [ʔ[sup]nh[/sup]] If you can’t see those, mine looks sorta like this, with the line going all the way down instead of a dot, while his has also has a horizontal line through the vertical part: [?[sup]nh[/sup]] ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/23 "2016-08-23T03:20:38Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Assuming you don’t mean India Pale Ale, the OP said it was a nose sound, so no. I dunno, every time I’ve tried to drink that stuff, it just about came out my nose, so we might be onto something here… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/24 "2016-08-23T14:37:34Z")
Is it a real derisive "laugh”/whatever, or a coquettish one? For the latter, I have Lauren Bacalle in _To Have and Have Not_ all over this one. Meditating on that particular lotus may bring verbal enlightenment. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/25 "2016-08-23T15:09:50Z")
She nasally aspirated voicelessly with a salpingopharyngeal stop and then slapped him. I like it! ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/26 "2016-08-23T15:12:37Z")
I think it is snort after all, actually, a snort can be breathing out too. She gave a quiet snort and slapped him. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886/27 "2016-08-23T22:36:19Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If you can describe it like that, it can be done in IPA. Well, I’ll be darned. I looked it up and there it is. I did not realize nasal aspirations were included. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-laugh/762886.md?page=1)