# Whence "What what WHAT?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702 "2011-08-22T20:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/1 "2011-08-22T20:42:26Z")
Where does the phrase of shock “WhatwhatWHAT?” said very quickly with a large emphasis on the last “what” which is also drawn out more than the others come from? When I google this I only get hits for “What what” vis a vis South Park and Samwell, but AFAIK that phrase does not occur in the song or episode although I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/2 "2011-08-22T20:50:04Z")
[Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFtn2Ke0vwQ) it is from South Park. Samwell came many, many years after South Park, it’s also totally different. They only reason they’re related is because Butters ‘covered’ Samwell’s song on South Park, but the ‘what what’ things what nothing to do with each other. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/3 "2011-08-22T20:50:57Z")
It’s been a “catch phrase” of Southpark - Kyle’s Mom - since Southpark began. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/4 "2011-08-22T23:30:19Z")
Eric Morcambe of [Morcambe and Wise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morcambe_and_Wise) used it as a catchphrase. I doubt whether this influenced South Park, however. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/5 "2011-08-22T23:45:56Z")
It was used quite a bit in **McHale’s Navy** as a catchphrase used by Joe Flynn as the commander. This was back in the early 60s, though the show was in reruns for years, so Parker and Stone may have seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/6 "2011-08-23T09:28:27Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Eric Morcambe of [Morcambe and Wise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morcambe_and_Wise) used it as a catchphrase. I doubt whether this influenced South Park, however. I want a Morcambe and Wise/South Park crossover now. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/7 "2011-08-23T11:19:05Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Eric Morcambe of [Morcambe and Wise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morcambe_and_Wise) used it as a catchphrase. He did? Are you sure? That doesn’t sound familiar to me. He used to say “Eh?” or “What do you think of it so far?” and such, but never “What what what.” Maybe you’re thinking of Neddie Seagoon. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/8 "2011-08-23T14:23:13Z")
I think **Harry Secombe** as [Neddie Seagoon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neddie_Seagoon) in the Goon Show predates that… (final paragraph) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/9 "2011-12-16T05:47:02Z")
I have solved this mystery (I think). I now think it started, with the inflections and phrasings we all now associate with Kyle’s mom from _South Park_, with _A Christmas Story_. At about 40 minutes in, the infamous tire-changing scene takes place. In chapter 15 (The soap connoisseur), at 43:35, Ralphie’s mother makes a phone call to his friend Schwartz’s mom, to tell her that Ralphie learned the word “fudge” (only he didn’t say fudge) from her son. Mrs. Schwartz can be heard clearly over the phone throughout the scene, and upon learning the news that her son has a potty mouth, she uses the phrase in what is now it’s familiar cadence. I couldn’t find a clip of this anywhere on the internet, so I quickly ripped and clipped the movie so y’all can hear it for yourselves. [Check it out](http://youtu.be/ReaAYZANv_Q). The evidence is at 1:25 for anyone who can’t sit thru the clip. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/10 "2011-12-16T06:58:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I have solved this mystery (I think). > > I now think it started, with the inflections and phrasings we all now associate with Kyle’s mom from _South Park_, with _A Christmas Story_. > > At about 40 minutes in, the infamous tire-changing scene takes place. In chapter 15 (The soap connoisseur), at 43:35, Ralphie’s mother makes a phone call to his friend Schwartz’s mom, to tell her that Ralphie learned the word “fudge” (only he didn’t say fudge) from her son. > > Mrs. Schwartz can be heard clearly over the phone throughout the scene, and upon learning the news that her son has a potty mouth, she uses the phrase in what is now it’s familiar cadence. > > I couldn’t find a clip of this anywhere on the internet, so I quickly ripped and clipped the movie so y’all can hear it for yourselves. > > [Check it out](http://youtu.be/ReaAYZANv_Q). The evidence is at 1:25 for anyone who can’t sit thru the clip. I disagree. Mrs. Schwartz, to put it in musical terms, says “what what what” as if they were all quarter notes, although admittedly there’s a slight emphasis on the last “what,” and it’s also a little longer. Kyle’s Mom says “what what what” as if the first two “what’s” are eighth notes, one right after the other, and the last “what” is a higher pitch and longer. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/11 "2011-12-16T23:22:34Z")
It is very close, so close that if it came after South Park it would seem influenced by it. Perhaps SP was influenced by the movie. But in my opinion it isn’t the one I had in mind. Maybe it’s sort of like the infamous “evolution of the Stereotypical Oriental theme” thread we had awhile back in that there were a lot of proto-whatwhatWHATs, but South Park cemented the actual one in everyone’s brains. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/12 "2011-12-17T01:54:06Z")
I still say Joe Flynn of **McHale’s Navy** is the blatantly obvious answer. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/13 "2011-12-17T02:13:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I still say Joe Flynn of **McHale’s Navy** is the blatantly obvious answer. Can you locate a sample so we can hear it? I remember watching the show a handful of times as a kid (I love Ernest Borgnine), but don’t remember seeing this in the show (it probably just wasn’t a part of the episodes I saw). ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/14 "2011-12-17T05:00:26Z")
The goblin sappers in warcraft 2 said “whatwhatWHAT!?” when you clicked on them. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/15 "2011-12-17T05:11:40Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > I think **Harry Secombe** as [Neddie Seagoon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neddie_Seagoon) in the Goon Show predates that… (final paragraph) It’s not the same the opposite effect. With seagoon, the what’s (of which there were never as few as 3 as I recall) where getting higher and faster. The OP describes his as " a large emphasis on the last “what” which is also drawn out more than the others". ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/16 "2011-12-17T06:49:37Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > The goblin sappers in warcraft 2 said “whatwhatWHAT!?” when you clicked on them. Are you sure? [This website](http://www.thanatosrealms.com/war2/horde-sounds.html) seems to have all the clips from the game, but I don’t hear a “whatwhatWHAT!?” or anything close to that on any of the 2 dozen or so things I clicked. I also don’t remember it from playing the game but that was like 15 years ago that I first played it and at least 10 since I last did. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-what-what-what/593702/17 "2011-12-17T09:39:22Z")
This phrasing goes way back. It was in fact one of the constant ejaculations of George III and many in the 18th century made fun of him for it, particularly the novelist Fanny Burney in her court diaries. [Link](http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2010/10/what-what-what-and-the-era-of-mad-king-george-iii-picture-essay-of-the-day/)