# Why is the umlaut the röck & rölliest accent of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992 "2013-12-10T17:01:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/1 "2013-12-10T17:01:31Z")
The title really says it all. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/2 "2013-12-10T17:07:19Z")
IIrc the umlaut is supposed to invoke images of Germanic languages and peoples, specifically ones traditionally associated with physical strength, deeds of valor, and maybe a bit of a barbarian mindset. The umlaut is a major feature of German and iirc is also used in some Scandinavian languages (the descendants of the language of the Vikings), the perfect languages to invoke that sense of noble warriors, barbarians, pirates, rural folk, etc. The fact that English itself is a Germanic language is conveniently pushed aside somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/3 "2013-12-10T17:10:08Z")
Wikipedia has an article on [everything](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_umlaut). ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/4 "2013-12-10T17:12:16Z")
^^^ and it also calls to mind the idea of Scandinavians being extremely sexual people (e.g., I Am Curious (Yellow), the Swedish Bikini Team). [I’m not sure this meme is still current, come to think of it, but it was big in the 60’s and 70’s.] ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/5 "2013-12-10T17:13:41Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Wikipedia has an article on [everything](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_umlaut). **gasp!** How is it Motörhead is left out of that opening paragraph? I might need to edit a wiki… ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/6 "2013-12-10T17:47:02Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > How is it Motörhead is left out of that opening paragraph? > I might need to edit a wiki… Did you? I see: > [@](#): > > … for example those of Queensrÿche, Blue Öyster Cult, Motörhead, The Accüsed, and Mötley Crüe. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/7 "2013-12-10T18:24:54Z")
I didn’t. But I could’ve sworn it wasn’t there before. Then again, I’m kinda rockin’ out right now, so I may have overlooked it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/8 "2013-12-10T18:36:53Z")
And of course D minör is the saddest of sound shifts. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/9 "2013-12-11T01:04:10Z")
Achtung, baby! Off to Cafe Society with you! From IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/10 "2013-12-11T02:05:35Z")
The umlaut is sexual? Is it rough sex if diaeresis is gentle? Queensrÿche uses the ÿ, which is apparently only used in a few languages, often as a variant of an existing letter or digraph. Spın̈al Tap uses n̈, in a few languages as well, like Malagasy. That doesn’t seem to appear correctly here to me. And the Turkish dotless “I” Die Ärzte are German, and so the umlaut there is part of the word. They’re more of a punk band, so to poke fun they added a third dot, which isn’t part of any typeset that I know of. I like to pronounce them as they are spelled. Spingal Tap. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/11 "2013-12-11T02:32:56Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > The umlaut is sexual? Is it rough sex if diaeresis is gentle? > > Queensrÿche uses the ÿ, which is apparently only used in a few languages, often as a variant of an existing letter or digraph. > > Spın̈al Tap uses n̈, in a few languages as well, like Malagasy. That doesn’t seem to appear correctly here to me. And the Turkish dotless “I” > > Die Ärzte are German, and so the umlaut there is part of the word. They’re more of a punk band, so to poke fun they added a third dot, which isn’t part of any typeset that I know of. > > I like to pronounce them as they are spelled. Spingal Tap. You do realize you’re overthinking this? It’s branding; distinctive and teenage cool. The Beatles, the Byrds, Wyld Stalyuns - messing with the spelling is a long time rock thing. Umlauts are just a variation on that. Motley Cure had _no clue_ what an umlaut was - they saw it on a bottle of Lowenbrau. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/12 "2013-12-11T03:57:21Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > You do realize you’re overthinking this? > > It’s branding; distinctive and teenage cool. The Beatles, the Byrds, Wyld Stalyuns - messing with the spelling is a long time rock thing. Umlauts are just a variation on that. Motley Cure had _no clue_ what an umlaut was - they saw it on a bottle of Lowenbrau. How did you interpret that I was making an exegesis? Merely examples of bands who didn’t choose the läzy mëthöd of putting it over vöwëls. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/13 "2013-12-11T03:57:53Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Spın̈al Tap uses n̈… That doesn’t seem to appear correctly here to me. It’s a font issue. I don’t know why Microsoft has never fixed it. Try switching to Arial for stuff like that: n̈. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/14 "2013-12-11T08:32:35Z")
And we who see our diacritics abused in this way find it extremely silly and non-cool. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/15 "2013-12-11T09:27:13Z")
Is there a Metal band called _ **Ümlaüt** _? If there isn’t, there should be. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/16 "2013-12-11T12:06:58Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > How did you interpret that I was making an exegesis? Because you use words like _exegesis_ in threads that include Mötley Crüe? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/17 "2013-12-11T13:57:11Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > How did you interpret that I was making an exegesis? I don’t need no Extra Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/18 "2013-12-11T14:03:43Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > And we who see our diacritics abused in this way find it extremely silly and non-cool. Just think about how Chinese folks feel about non-Chinese people getting Chinese-language tattoos because it’s cool - and getting the language wrong. 😉 Apparently, there is a counter-trend in China of getting English-language tattoos … ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/19 "2013-12-11T15:47:49Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Just think about how Chinese folks feel about non-Chinese people getting Chinese-language tattoos because it’s cool - and getting the language wrong. 😉 > > Apparently, there is a counter-trend in China of getting English-language tattoos … In the early 80’s, I visited Paris. There was a trend for a variation of a, I dunno, I guess a type of Bomber Jacket - big shoulders, stops at the waist, floppy collar usually with shearling lining it. This variation had 2"-3" canvas (?) web straps that went over each shoulder - like stitching straps from Overalls onto the jacket. These straps were white, but had “spray painted” words in black on them in English - I guess to look like Army issue or something. The phrases were nonsense English - “Let’s Happy” “Make Hip” sort of phrases. They looked SO stupid to my traveling buddy and me. Always makes me wonder when I ponder Chinese tattoos, umlauts on rock band names, etc. - it takes every kind of stupid, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992/20 "2013-12-11T18:57:14Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Because you use words like _exegesis_ in threads that include Mötley Crüe? 😉 1. Intentionally flowery, based upon someone overc omplicating things and somehow reading meaning that simply wasn’t there, 2) The word was encountered yesterday, perhaps only one of a half dozen times other, as the original name of [RapGenius.com](http://RapGenius.com). Rap is inherently less nerdy than a bunch of guys who wear women’s clothing and female hair styles and eyeliner. Even if the website no longer specializes in one genre, and last I saw had interpretation of Mike Jones lyrics next to an analysis of _the Waste Land_. > [@WordMan](#): > > The phrases were nonsense English - “Let’s Happy” “Make Hip” sort of phrases. They looked SO stupid to my traveling buddy and me. Is this a Turtledove book? Did modern day or 90s Japanese people get sent back in time to 1980s Paris? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-umlaut-the-rock-rolliest-accent-of-all-time/675992.md?page=2)