# Shhhh....is it universal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 25, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354 "2013-05-25T22:56:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354/1 "2013-05-25T22:56:42Z")

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Yus, I understand that ‘shhhhh’ comes from hush, but I was more interested in the _finger to the mouth_ (held crossways to the lips).

Does anybody come from a culture/language group where this is _not_ performed as a gesture to keep quiet?

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**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:** [May 26, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354/2 "2013-05-26T00:54:26Z")

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Well, it caught on better than ‘YI! YI! YIYIYIYIYI!!!’

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**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:** [May 26, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354/3 "2013-05-26T05:15:47Z")

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I do know that sibilants are often used for this, as they are easily recognized at low volumes. I don’t know anything about the gesture, but I would not guess it was universal, simply because it doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s too complicated to be evolutionary, so it must be cultural.

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**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354/4 "2013-05-26T09:10:59Z")

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In some arabic cultures, the “sshhh” sound is rude and unacceptable.  
It’s a sound that camels react to, and is said by the rider as he pulls hard on the reins and forces the camel to kneel.  
You do not say “shhh” to a person.

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**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shhhh-is-it-universal/659354/5 "2013-05-26T10:39:21Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> In some arabic cultures, the “sshhh” sound is rude and unacceptable.  
> It’s a sound that camels react to, and is said by the rider as he pulls hard on the reins and forces the camel to kneel.  
> You do not say “shhh” to a person.

What _do_ they say when you are hiding in a cupboard and an axe murderer is approaching?

And is it the same sound as hushing and soothing a crying child?

I think in all languages I know it’s the same sound, and all shh- or ssst-like.