# Unusual sounds you immediately recognise **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2006, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295 "2006-05-26T07:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [May 26, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/41 "2006-05-26T20:57:36Z")
I may not be able to tell one muscle car or military jet from another by sound alone like some of you hypermasculine dudes, but I can discern a classic Volkswagen four-banger or Model A Ford at 50 yards. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/42 "2006-05-26T21:03:13Z")
Having lived through two tornadoes, I would recognize the odd sounds of a tornado if I should ever hear one again. People say that a tornado makes a noise like a freight train, but that’s not really very accurate. A tornado doesn’t sound like anything else on earth, except another tornado. The two tornadoes that I’ve heard sounded very much like each other, and very little like a freight train. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/43 "2006-05-26T21:53:27Z")
Oh, yeah…I can nail a certain number of guitar amplifiers. Mesa Boogie, Fender Twin Reverb, Vox, a few others. I can also tell if I’m hearing a Bigsby tremolo, floating tremolo, or Floyd Rose tremolo. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/44 "2006-05-26T22:03:46Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] If I hear someone scratching, I can usually tell what body part they’re scratching, especially if they’re scratching their ass. **Asses have _resonance_**. [/QUOTE] \ Sig Line!! ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/45 "2006-05-26T22:06:35Z")
Oh, I forgot to add mine. The click of a folding knife being opened. I liked the one about the Zippo lighter. That one is truly unique ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/46 "2006-05-26T22:09:31Z")
The sound of real silver coins hitting the countertop, instead of cupro-nickel alloy. They _ring._ The boom-boom sound of a sonic boom. I grew up in the Antelope Valley of California in the 60’s-70’s when that sound was a daily occurance. A few years ago, after I moved to Colorado, the Shuttle flew over on it’s way to land at White Sands. I heard the sound and immediately classified it as “sonic boom, not dangerous”, while several people around me kinda freaked out and thought it was an earthquake. :rolleyes: 😛 They don’t sound remotely the same! ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/47 "2006-05-26T22:28:15Z")
Slightly specialised weird one… I’m a magician and I spend a shocking amount of time handling a deck of cards, practising or performing or working on new stuff. So do plenty of people I know. After the first 20 years or so, you can tell so much about what someone is doing with a deck of cards just by the sounds you hear or - in some cases - the sounds you _don’t_ hear. Many different shuffles, moves, counts, sleights, flourishes etc. have their own distinctive signature sound. In fact in many cases that’s how you can tell whether it’s being done correctly or not. I’m glad **ronincyberpunk** mentioned something about distant TV sounds from other rooms. I’m the same – can’t _stand_ it. It’s one of the most distracting domestic sounds there is. I _either_ want to watch the TV _or_ not hear it. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/48 "2006-05-26T23:19:47Z")
[QUOTE=LiveOnAPlane] The sound a mid-to-late-1960’s MoPar (Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge) starter makes. Instead of r-r-r-r-r, they go something like “chow-chow-chow-chow.” [/QUOTE] The engineers at Chrysler call it **the call of the Hyde Park Hummingbird.** ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/49 "2006-05-26T23:49:57Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] I have the uncanny ability to detect the difference between “kids are asleep or occupied” silence and “kids are up to something” silence. Comes in very handy. [/QUOTE] Yeah. It’s weird, that. Also: Loud thud followed by three seconds of silence #1 Loud thud followed by three seconds of silence #2 #1 = “He’s dropped something heavy, but it’s unimportant, and the playing noises are about to start up again.” I don’t even stop what I’m doing. #2 = “He’s dropped something heavy _on himself_, and the silence is because he’s momentarily stunned, and briefly limbering up the vocal cords for the mother of all howling.” I’m on my feet before I realise what I’m doing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/50 "2006-05-27T03:49:49Z")
[QUOTE=TokyoPlayer] “Hi,” (hidden meaning: yes, I’ll sleep with you if you amuse me sufficiently) vs. “Hi” (please buy me a lot of drinks and them I’ll go home with the cheap, but good-looking guy at the pool table). [/QUOTE] Handy talent you’ve got there. Too bad you can’t bottle and sell it. You’d make millions! I can easily distinguish my yard-dogs’ three barks: 1. Deer in yard (No need for action on my part) 2. Snake in yard (Investigate if I don’t feel lazy.) 3. Car/truck coming down the road (Look to see who the hell is disturbing the solitude) ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/51 "2006-05-27T04:50:19Z")
My house has really creaky old wood floors. I can tell who’s walking up the stairs without having to look: my mom, my dad, my brother, one of the cats (usually I can tell them apart, too), or a stranger. One of the cats jumping off the bed upstairs. A good, solid THUNK above your head if you’re in the room below. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/52 "2006-05-27T04:57:40Z")
[QUOTE=LiveOnAPlane] SR-71 Blackbird engines. C-5 Galaxy engines. [/QUOTE] Along the lines of these: the sound of a Vietnam-era Huey. Nothing else gives of that hollow thumping sound. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/53 "2006-05-27T05:09:28Z")
I can tell distinguish among F-14, F16, SR-71 and MiG jet engines. Guess who grew up near the flight-path of Langley AFB? I heard one jet engine that wasn’t familiar one evening, just before sunset, so I went outside to have a look. It was a stealth fighter. I saw them maybe another half-dozen or so times. Always at night or dusk. A funny side-note. YEARS later, I’m working in Cleveland Ohio and having lunch in a basement food-court of the Halle Building. One of my fellow table-mates remarked at the loud rumble of thunder she just heard. I said, matter-of-factly, “that’s not thunder, it’s an F-16. Fast and low!”. (BTW, there’s NO military airfield anywhere near Cleveland) I looked up to find an entire table staring at me. “How the HELL can you know that?!” she asked. “Trust me!” I said. We heard it a few more times “Thunder!” they said. “F-16!” I replied. So, after finishling lunch, we went upstairs and stepped out to view a sunny day and, within about two minutes, an F-16 flies nearly overhead; less than a thousand feet up. “See?! Told ya!” They were practicing for an upcoming airshow. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/54 "2006-05-27T05:55:20Z")
Don’t laugh, but I used to know if there was a Gorden Lightfoot song on the radio, even if I was in my room with the door shut. I’d zip out to the kitchen and sure enough, I’d be right. Must have been the particular tone of his voice. It even worked on songs I didn’t like. Oddly enough, he was my second favorite and it doesn’t work on my fav performer. A few random work ones - sneezing ferrets, snoring rats (yes, they do! ) the parrot immitating the old creaky door, rattlesnakes, my boss’s boots and keys, scramble-SPLASH; the sound of a pond slider diving off the log. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/55 "2006-05-27T06:39:57Z")
I used to have memorized the exact clicking patterns my first computer’s hard drive would make when loading an application. (It was a different pattern for each program, but always the same one.) ---
**Author:** ![barracuda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@barracuda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barracuda)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/56 "2006-05-27T06:45:47Z")
The rapid flickaflickaflicka sound of an airport departure lounge departure board rapidly changing to show newer flights’ departures. Any railfan could tell the difference without looking of a diesel l.oco made by Electromotive as compared to one by General Electric. The EMD engines are turbocharged and make a petulant whine, whereas the normally aspirated GE locos give off a manly “jamjamjamjam” chanting sound. ---
**Author:** ![Mellivora\_capensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mellivora\_capensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mellivora_capensis)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/57 "2006-05-29T09:46:05Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] I can tell which rifle(s) are being fired by their sound. To me, an 5.56mm round sounds like a “pip pip pip”, while a 7.62mm cartrige sounds more like a “bop bop bop”. [/QUOTE] With you there, **Tripler**. I did 2 years military service on the 7,62mm local version of the FN, which we manufactured as the R1. Then we converted to the 5,56 mm R4 (based on the Galil). Standing behind a bunch of mixed shooters on a range you get the “blam, blam” of the R4, and the “boom, boom” of the R1. Really 🆒 And thanks again to everyone else for their contributions, good stuff all round. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/58 "2006-05-29T13:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=gabriela] Oh, you mean one that’s still connected! Was wondering how you knew. [/QUOTE] And I was wondering why you hadn’t already posted this sound! (recent posts indicate a lot of severed heads in your neck of the woods) No pun intended. I’ll take “What sounds are familiar to a medical examiner and probably no one else.” for $500 ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/59 "2006-05-29T14:45:23Z")
i have been working as a fire alarm technician for 27 years. each type and model of alarm audible device has a unique sound. i can tell who made the device by the sound. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295/60 "2006-05-29T15:45:43Z")
The sound of an antique two cylinder John Deere tractor has a very distinctive chut-chut-chut-chut sound. A two cylinder Italian Ducati might sound similar to a Harley but the rattle rattle clinking sound of the dry clutch gives it away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sounds-you-immediately-recognise/358295.md?page=4)