# What's the name of that whisk-broom-looking thing that Africans shake up and down?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-whisk-broom-looking-thing-that-africans-shake-up-and-down/237675>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 1, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-whisk-broom-looking-thing-that-africans-shake-up-and-down/237675 "2004-04-01T05:27:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-whisk-broom-looking-thing-that-africans-shake-up-and-down/237675/1 "2004-04-01T05:27:25Z")

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I think Eddie Murphy used one when he was playing “exchange student from Cameroon” in “Trading Places.”

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**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-whisk-broom-looking-thing-that-africans-shake-up-and-down/237675/2 "2004-04-01T08:22:04Z")

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> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#):
>
> I think Eddie Murphy used one when he was playing “exchange student from Cameroon” in “Trading Places.”

Wasn’t he using it as a flyswatter? I’d say the answer is, whatever flyswatter is in Swahili, or something like that.

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**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-whisk-broom-looking-thing-that-africans-shake-up-and-down/237675/3 "2004-04-01T08:58:23Z")

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IIRC, it’s called a “fly wisp”.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-whisk-broom-looking-thing-that-africans-shake-up-and-down/237675/4 "2016-01-01T13:28:06Z")

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Actually, it appears to be ‘fly whisk,’ but thanks.