# screeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech/28075
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 4, 2000, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech/28075 "2000-08-04T01:32:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![tiggeril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggeril/32/7234_2.png) [@tiggeril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiggeril)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2000, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech/28075/1 "2000-08-04T01:32:59Z")

</div>

Why is the sound of fingernails down a blackboard so annoying to human ears? Whenever a classmate would get their grubby paws near the chalkboard, I’d be the first to duck&cover, begging for mercy.

Frequency? Pitch? Why?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### 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: [August 4, 2000, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech/28075/2 "2000-08-04T01:47:46Z")

</div>

Cecil Adams: [Why is the sound of fingernails scraping a blackboard so annoying?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_317b.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![tiggeril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggeril/32/7234_2.png) [@tiggeril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiggeril)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2000, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech/28075/3 "2000-08-04T01:53:03Z")

</div>

Oh. I suppose I could have looked for myself. Thank you, bibliophage.