# What's your favorite name for a musical instrument? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228 "2008-10-16T17:06:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/1 "2008-10-16T17:06:54Z")
Mine is sackbut. Heheheh. Sackbut. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/2 "2008-10-16T17:07:36Z")
Bombardon. Careful how you say it at the airport. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/3 "2008-10-16T17:22:47Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Mine is sackbut. > > Heheheh. Sackbut. I came in here to say that. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/4 "2008-10-16T17:23:26Z")
Theremin. Or calliope. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/5 "2008-10-16T17:39:18Z")
Sweet potato is a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/6 "2008-10-16T17:41:19Z")
[Tiple.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiple) Tee-play! Composer Harry Partch had some good ones: Cloud Chamber Bowls Harmonic Canons Quadrangularus Reversum Ukelele (Hawaiian for “jumping flea”) is cute. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/7 "2008-10-16T17:46:02Z")
Sexophone. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/8 "2008-10-16T17:51:23Z")
Hurdy Gurdy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/9 "2008-10-16T17:52:47Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > Composer Harry Partch had some good ones: > > Cloud Chamber Bowls > Harmonic Canons > Quadrangularus Reversum Don’t forget the Chromelodeon! I heard a concert of Partch’s work on his instruments a few months ago. Great stuff! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/10 "2008-10-16T17:53:44Z")
It’s a toss-up between _bratsche_ and _fagott_. Or maybe just violin 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_Tightlips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Joey\_Tightlips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_Tightlips)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/11 "2008-10-16T18:00:03Z")
[Vibraslap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibraslap) - It just sounds dirty doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/12 "2008-10-16T18:10:28Z")
> [@Joey\_Tightlips](#): > > [Vibraslap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibraslap) - It just sounds dirty doesn’t it? Whereas the [whip](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whip_(instrument)) just is! ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/13 "2008-10-16T18:16:47Z")
dulcimer ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/14 "2008-10-16T18:32:07Z")
zither. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/15 "2008-10-16T18:44:57Z")
Rummelpot / rommelpot. Rackett. ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/16 "2008-10-16T19:56:00Z")
[Flugelhorn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluglehorn) It sounds like something a Dr. Seuss character plays on Christmas morning. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/17 "2008-10-16T20:09:01Z")
The “Bumba” of course. Invented by none other than the late [Ervin A. Callies](http://obits.conleynet.com/freeman/2001/July/06/01.htm) (aka “Curley the Bumba King”) I has never heard of him until he came into a store I was working at in Milwaukee back in 88’. He had a windbreaker on that said “The Bumba King” in big letters on the back. A co-worker said “Hey look, it’s the Bumba King.” I said “What’s a bumba?” He replied “It’s an instrument the use in polka bands.” “Really?” I asked, “What does it sound like?” to which my friend answered “Bumba-bumba-bumba!”🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/18 "2008-10-16T21:20:54Z")
Timpani. To me, it sounds like a tiny, delicate instrument but it’s really great big kettle drums. Go figure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/19 "2008-10-16T21:24:22Z")
Well, I came in here to say sackbut, but I guess now that it was said in the first post I’ll say ophicleide instead. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228/20 "2008-10-16T21:30:52Z")
Even though I am no longer interested in playing one, “ **Stratocaster** ” is just all kinds of cool as a name… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-name-for-a-musical-instrument/468228.md?page=2)