# What is it called when cartoon characters say @#\*! instead of 'f

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 18, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558 "2009-04-18T20:41:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/1 "2009-04-18T20:41:08Z")

</div>

What is it called when cartoon characters say @#\*! instead of ‘fuck’?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/2 "2009-04-18T20:59:01Z")

</div>

“Rakem Frackem” - origin Fred Flintstone

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/3 "2009-04-18T21:24:59Z")

</div>

at, pound, asterisk, exclamation point.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/4 "2009-04-18T21:49:53Z")

</div>

Are you referring to the vocal performance in animated cartoons, or the nonsense symbols in written comic strip dialog?

If written, the term is “[grawlix](http://www.typography.com/ask/showBlog.php?blogID=122)”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/5 "2009-04-18T22:23:53Z")

</div>

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Are you referring to the vocal performance in animated cartoons, or the nonsense symbols in written comic strip dialog?
> 
> If written, the term is “[grawlix](http://www.typography.com/ask/showBlog.php?blogID=122)”.

Thanks. I also wanted to know whether there was any standard set of symbols.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/6 "2009-04-18T23:46:13Z")

</div>

> [@astro](#):
>
> “Rakem Frackem” - origin Fred Flintstone

You misspelled Yosemite Sam (Mel Blanc to be completely precise).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/7 "2009-04-19T02:02:55Z")

</div>

Swearing in shorthand.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/8 "2009-04-19T03:30:12Z")

</div>

Typografucks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [April 19, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-called-when-cartoon-characters-say-instead-of-f/493558/9 "2009-04-19T15:36:01Z")

</div>

Brickabrackin sazzafraxin.

“Grawlix” ought never to be spoken. It sounds like some sort of seagoing face-sucker, or a particularly foul-smelling dog treat.