# Sound of metal on metal **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662 "2009-09-26T18:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aquilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aquilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquilla)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/1 "2009-09-26T18:22:03Z")
is intensely uncomfortable. I’m talking about metal spoon on a metal pot or pan. Same for metal spoon on a porcelain plate. I use plastic utensils for everything; and my family obliges. This has been the case since I can remember. I’ve always wondered as to why that is. Nobody else in my family is much bothered. I get an uncomfortable goosebump-ey feeling, all the hairs on my arms stand up, my teeth ache and grit together, a shiver runs down my spine. Is anybody else bothered by this sound or any other to this point? Why would a sound affect me or anyone like that? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/2 "2009-09-26T18:28:40Z")
> [@Aquilla](#): > > Is anybody else bothered by this sound or any other to this point? Why would a sound affect me or anyone like that? Fingernails across paper. Ugggg, I’m shivering just writing it. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/3 "2009-09-26T19:25:27Z")
swords unsheathed in movies forks on teeth metal grinders scraping utensils on pans All send her over the edge. Its one of those few “off limits” things I adhere to. No matter how funny I think it might be or how mad we are at each other; I won’t intentionally subject her to those sounds. You’ll find me talking or singing loudly in the kitchen with the water running, if I absolutly have to do it. On edit: by the way. sticky tape gives me the same reaction. touching it, hearing it come off the roll or sometimes just thinking about it makes me shudder. I’ve never heard of a similar case, thankfully she follows the same rule above. ---
**Author:** ![Aquilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aquilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquilla)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/4 "2009-09-26T20:16:28Z")
o.o wow, i’m not the only one! I completely forgot about swordplay in movies, since I generally don’t watch many that would involve swordplay – but yeah, that does it for me too. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/5 "2009-09-26T21:34:44Z")
This seems to be more IMHO material than GQ. Moving it over there. (Woo! My first mod action!) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/6 "2009-09-26T21:40:33Z")
They all have a high frequency sound component. High frequency sound often bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/7 "2009-09-27T00:02:29Z")
For some reason my brother and I call it “Ertha”…I have no idea how we came up with a word to describe chewing on tinfoil, for example. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/8 "2009-09-28T16:16:20Z")
Styrofoam does it for me, especially something rubbing on a big flat sheet of it. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/9 "2009-09-28T17:06:28Z")
Maybe it’s just me, but I quite enjoy the sound of [Metal on Metal](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyq0ubl1cKg). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/10 "2009-09-28T17:40:48Z")
I get bothered by fingernails on the exterior paint of cars. I don’t know how I found out that it bothered me, but just the thought of it is giving me shivers. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/11 "2009-09-28T18:13:30Z")
Wow. I’ve been meaning to start this thread for a month now and never think about it while I’m in front of the computer. The fork on metal, fingernails on chalkboard, whatever, sounds have no effect on me at all. But to get everyone’s attention at the table, all I have to do is set the tines against the plate. \ For me to have the same reaction I have to drag a popsicle stick between my teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Aquilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aquilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquilla)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/12 "2009-09-28T20:09:10Z")
is there a name for this? Does anyone know why it happens? I’ve always been curious about it personally - mostly because it’s a bit difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t experience it that it is a real physical feeling, and not just me being crabby ^^ ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/13 "2009-09-29T15:18:17Z")
I can’t stand the sound of metal on metal either. I remember once in elementary school, a friend of mine had a worn out eraser (metal holder was exposed) and they wore through the paper, and it scratched on the metal bolt of the table. I almost threw up I couldn’t stand the sound. I still can’t handle it. It makes me sick to hear metal on metal. I get nauseous and grit my teeth and get goosebumpy and shivery… I can’t take it. I get all cringy just reading the title. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/14 "2009-09-29T21:07:24Z")
A relevant column by Cecil [here.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/540/why-is-the-sound-of-fingernails-scraping-a-blackboard-so-annoying) > [@Aquilla](#): > > is there a name for this? The linked column mentioned the archaic word “gride”. ---
**Author:** ![voook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5fc32e/32.png) [@voook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voook)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2018, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/15 "2018-08-18T05:21:51Z")
A bit late to the party, but I live in Asia, and eating out requires me being surrounded by diners with metal bowls and metal chopsticks. My spine turns into a tuning fork. My friends thought I was bullshitting until one of them stood behind me in an extremely noisy restaurant and proceeded to secretly scratch a metal bowl with a metal chopstick. The sound was barely audible to anybody, but I instantly cringed, squinted and started grinding my teeth. I finally just gave up on eating out at most restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2018, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/16 "2018-08-18T05:36:43Z")
> [@voook](#): > > A bit late to the party, but I live in Asia, and eating out requires me being surrounded by diners with metal bowls and metal chopsticks. My spine turns into a tuning fork. My friends thought I was bullshitting until one of them stood behind me in an extremely noisy restaurant and proceeded to secretly scratch a metal bowl with a metal chopstick. The sound was barely audible to anybody, but I instantly cringed, squinted and started grinding my teeth. I finally just gave up on eating out at most restaurants. Welcome to the Dope voook. Is ramen served in styrofoam there? Because plastic utensils on styrofoam _feels_ nasty to me, but I’m fine with the\* sound\* of all of those things. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2018, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-metal-on-metal/511662/17 "2018-08-18T09:32:31Z")
The sound of ceramic plates clanging against each other. I make sure my partner puts the dishes away from the dishwasher when I’m in the shower or otherwise out of the apartment.