# Tongue Twisters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436 "2006-09-20T17:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/1 "2006-09-20T17:12:08Z")
Long story short, the Ivyclan was having fun with tongue twisters last night. I remembered one I had read as the Hardest Tongue Twister in the English language, according to the _Guinness Book of World Records_ mumble mumble years ago: **The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep is sick.** The kids had a blast trying to say that three times fast. I don’t think there is any way to say that quickly and accurately in the English language. I don’t think the tongue can move that fast back and forth from the front of the mouth to the back to make the sounds. What are your tough tongue twisters? What are tough ones in other languages? I also like **rubber baby buggy bumpers**. All those “b” sounds are fun to make. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/2 "2006-09-20T17:57:47Z")
I’ve always been amazed at how tough **Toy Boat** is to say multiple times. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/3 "2006-09-20T18:15:01Z")
The big black bug bled black blood. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/4 "2006-09-20T18:31:07Z")
Ah, switching back and forth between a blended L sound and not. Tricky! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/5 "2006-09-20T19:10:00Z")
**Red leather yellow leather.** ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/6 "2006-09-20T19:12:51Z")
She sells sea shells on the sea shore … the shells that she sells are sea shells I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/7 "2006-09-20T19:16:33Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] The big black bug bled black blood. [/QUOTE] The version I’ve heard of this is trying to say “bugs black blood” three times in a row. I haven’t known anyone able to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/8 "2006-09-20T19:34:24Z")
In William Poundstone’s book _The Ultimate_ he concludes that the toughest tongue twister is “The seething sea ceaseth, and thus, the seething sea sufficeth us.” Second place I believe was “The Leith police dismisseth us.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/9 "2006-09-20T19:43:48Z")
Old Mother Rutter-Putter’s rough-cut punt Not a punt cut rough, but a rough-cut punt Hollow in the middle and shaggy in the front Old Mother Rutter-Putter’s rough-cut punt Try doing **that** three times fast without violating FCC regs! Or: I am not a fig plucker, Nor a fig plucker’s son, But I will pluck figs Until the fig plucker comes ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/10 "2006-09-20T19:47:44Z")
Guys guys - It’s red LORRY, yellow LORRY and PHEASANT plucker 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/11 "2006-09-20T19:58:34Z")
[QUOTE=Cat Jones] Guys guys - It’s red LORRY, yellow LORRY and PHEASANT plucker 😛 [/QUOTE] I didn’t have any trouble with the “lorry” version, but “leather” screwed me up every time. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/12 "2006-09-20T21:44:18Z")
Just try to say “ **oil** ” 10 times as fast as you can. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/13 "2006-09-20T22:21:35Z")
Unique New York. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/14 "2006-09-20T22:37:16Z")
Which rich wheat rancher ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/15 "2006-09-20T22:38:37Z")
I remember reading in an approximately-1975 edition of the _Guinness Book_ that the toughest tongue twister in any language is the Czech _Strč prst skrz krk_, the first entry on [this page.](http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/tongue-twisters/czech_tongue_twisters.html) As for English, try “white right-winger” and “white trash waitress”. ---
**Author:** ![2lazy2pee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/4bbf92/32.png) [@2lazy2pee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2lazy2pee)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/16 "2006-09-21T10:14:12Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] \ I am not a fig plucker, Nor a fig plucker’s son, But I will pluck figs Until the fig plucker comes [/QUOTE] I heard a variation that went like this: I’m a fig plucker. I pluck figs. I’m the fastest fig plucker That ever plucked a fig. Also: I’m a sheet slitter. I slit sheets. I’m the best sheet slitter That ever slit a sheet. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/17 "2006-09-21T10:30:15Z")
Aswan dam ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/18 "2006-09-21T12:03:39Z")
Iqaqa laziqikaqika kwaze kwaqhawaka uqhoqhoqha. Xhosa for “The skunk rolled down and ruptured its larynx”. The q’s are tongue clicks of some kind and I think the k’s are as well. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/19 "2006-09-21T13:04:21Z")
Anyone who can say “Peggy Babcock” five times in rapid succession is entitled to one (1) pint of good English ale any time he’s passing. In French you can try _Si six scies scient six saucissons, six cent soixante-six scies scient six cent soixante-six saucissons_. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-twisters/373436/20 "2006-09-21T17:55:18Z")
Just after Kizarvexilla was born, my mother, who had always seemed pretty laid back, started showing symptoms of being the overprotective grandma from hell. One day she informed me (in that _I’m very worried_ tone) that the way Kizarvexilla was sucking on her bottle pointed to the future development of speech impediments. And since my (now ex-) wife speaks with a slight lisp and has a rather magnificent overbite, well, Q.E.D. She started on this long before Kizarvexilla had even begun to make vocalizing sounds, and kept it up all throughout the babbling stage. “That child needs speech therapy! She’s going to get teased!” Yeah, whatever. :rolleyes: So one day I had a revelation. My ex told me how she had used tongue twisters as a method for minimizing her lisp, and it had worked extremely well. The only time I ever remember it being a problem for her was during a play, when she had to use the word “aestheticism” repeatedly. So I immediately began teaching Kizarvexilla tongue twisters. The ones I used were mostly variations on ones already mentioned. Our favorite was one from the Danny Kaye song “Tongue Twisters”: > [@](#): > > Now Sheila’s not sure what she should be selling > Should Sheila sell seashells or should she sell shoes? One Kizarvexilla was able to get through that one (and at a pretty good clip, I might add), I had her say it in front of my mother. I haven’t heard one word about the need for speech therapy ever since. Also, anyone who is familiar with the canon of Gilbert & Sullivan operas will know this one by heart: > [@](#): > > To sit in solemn silence in a dull dark dock > In a pestilential prison with a life-long lock > Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock > From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block