# Piano:pianist::cowbell:??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234 "2001-07-12T17:07:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/1 "2001-07-12T17:07:38Z")
I saw the Christopher Walken skit on Saturday Night Live in which he “has a fever, and the only cure is more cowbell.” It’s where he’s the producer for The Blue Oyster Cult while they are recording “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Well, my friends and I are incredibly curious as to what someone who exclusively plays the cowbell would be called. I suppose that “percussionist” would work, but that’s usually reserved for someone who utilized multiple percussions, per se. I also suppose that someone who just plays the tamborine is called a [tamborine man](http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/tambourine.html), so “Mr. Cowbell Man” isn’t out of the question. I’m sure there’s some sort of entymology involved in creating a word to fit this description, if it doesn’t exist as of yet. I’m curious as to how to find this out. Cowbellophonist? Cowbeller? Cowbellist? Cowbellina? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/2 "2001-07-12T17:29:18Z")
Dork? ---
**Author:** ![seawitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seawitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seawitch)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/3 "2001-07-12T17:32:16Z")
The first thing I thought of was **cowbelly**. Or **dweeb**. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/4 "2001-07-12T17:32:17Z")
> [@](#): > > my friends and I are incredibly curious as to what someone who exclusively plays the cowbell would be called Unemployed. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/5 "2001-07-12T17:36:12Z")
Cowbeller shows up 10 times in Google (though many of these sites are from the Bahamas), but cowbellist only 5. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/6 "2001-07-12T17:40:34Z")
Bovotintinnabulator? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/7 "2001-07-12T17:46:28Z")
Oh, that’s got to be worth something, y’all. ::applauds:: ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/8 "2001-07-12T18:22:06Z")
piano:pianist::cowbell:cow No? ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/9 "2001-07-12T18:25:47Z")
percussionist? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/10 "2001-07-12T18:54:42Z")
The second disc of the live album GRATEFUL DEAD AT FILLMORE EAST, 2/11/69, entitled “Late Show,” includes this bit of on-stage patter as it opens: (Producer Bill Graham has just been presented with the gift of a cowbell he played with the band during a show in San Francisco earlier in the year) Graham, at microphone: “…it has always been my lifetime ambition to become the greatest **cowbell player** in the world…” Jerry Garcia, at back of stage: “Give up.” ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/11 "2001-07-12T19:45:07Z")
vacca-campanologist? ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/12 "2001-07-12T21:57:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by YWalker \* > **Bovotintinnabulator?** Don’t be sexist… you have to include **bovotintinnabulatrix** as well. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/13 "2001-07-12T23:08:32Z")
Virginia? sorry! ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/14 "2001-07-12T23:37:20Z")
According to [AllWords.com](http://AllWords.com), “cowbell” is also a plant “having white flowers with an inflated calyx” (oooh, sexy!) AKA the _bladder campion_. A Bladdercampionist? ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/15 "2001-07-13T02:36:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*::applauds:: \*\* Thank you, thank you. How about: “The worst percussionist in the band”? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/16 "2001-07-13T03:08:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by YWalker \* > \*\*“The worst percussionist in the band”? \*\* Good god. Acquiring THAT nickname would be grounds for suicide. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/17 "2001-07-13T04:00:55Z")
Jersy Jingler Angus Annoyer Moo Tan Clanger ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/18 "2001-07-13T10:42:28Z")
Linda McCartney? ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/19 "2001-07-13T10:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*Linda McCartney? \*\* Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234/20 "2001-07-13T14:12:38Z")
I just wanted you all to know that last night I dreamed I had a twelve-inch bovotintinnabulator. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-pianist-cowbell/72234.md?page=2)