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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004What does BWA-HAHAHAHAHA! mean?
Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's & p's get mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the nonverbal world, are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying?  Signature--- Joe Fineman jcf@TheWorld.com ||: Bores punish kindness. :|| > Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a > mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >>>> Bores punish kindness. :|| Baby crying. mwa-hahaha. m. >>Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a >>mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Baby crying. mwa-hahaha. I still can't see it. The "mwa" spelling seems as unlikely as the "bwa" one. Still, I've never heard a dog say "woof" or "bow-wow" either. SignatureRob Bannister > >> ... What sound, in the nonverbal world, > >>are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I still can't see it. The "mwa" spelling seems as unlikely as the "bwa" > one. Still, I've never heard a dog say "woof" or "bow-wow" either. "hahaha" is often used, especially in the north of England, as a sarcastic way of saying "boo hoo hoo" but used to ridicule people crying (esp. children). I know one man in the North of England who used to beat his two boys whilst singing a song; the words went: "Feet up, pat him on the bo bo, Let's hear him laugh, ha ha ha ha haa." Unfortunately that was the only verse of the song he knew, so he would repeat it incessantly during the period of the "jolly good spanking". "Bwa hahahaha" is a little less subtle in that the "Bwa" makes it more obvious that the author is referring to babyish bawling/sobbing. The subtelty probably didn't survive the journey across the atlantic! H [all text snipped] Never thought I'd be replying to a nom de net, but what the hey ... *Spangle* by Gary Jennings is available from most large sellers of used books on the Net. Half.com offers several hardback copies in the US$3.00 range (plus S&H, of course). The complete text is in that single hardback volume. The book was not released in paperback until several years after initial publication, and then in a series of three mass-market volumes. So you need to buy three different paperbacks to get the complete text. Or were you asking about something else? SignatureBob Lieblich Always trying to help > [all text snipped] > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Or were you asking about something else? I assumed he was asking about the sweets. It made me wonder if you *can* still buy Spangles. It seems that you can't: http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/acatalog/whatever.html SignatureFrances Kemmish Production Manager East Coast Youth Ballet www.byramartscenter.com > I assumed he was asking about the sweets. It made me wonder if you *can* > still buy Spangles. > > It seems that you can't: > > http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/acatalog/whatever.html <http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/acatalog/boiled.html> Sherbert pips and cola cubes! SignatureSimon R. Hughes >> [all text snipped] >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/acatalog/whatever.html What a brilliant site! I hope the OP sees it. SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) >I still can't see it. The "mwa" spelling seems as unlikely as the "bwa" >one. Still, I've never heard a dog say "woof" or "bow-wow" either. Little Orphan Annie's dog Sandy used to say "arf" (no relation to me) whereas in Pogo, some dogs used to say "Ralph". S& >Little Orphan Annie's dog Sandy used to say "arf" (no relation to me) >whereas in Pogo, some dogs used to say "Ralph". On the other hand, Finnish comic strip dogs say "how, how" which may indicate a curiousity more characteristic of cats. S& sand filted: >>Little Orphan Annie's dog Sandy used to say "arf" (no relation to me) >>whereas in Pogo, some dogs used to say "Ralph". > >On the other hand, Finnish comic strip dogs say "how, how" which may >indicate a curiousity more characteristic of cats. To my eventual regret, I once *taught* a dog how to bark...a first pass at transcription would be /ro:/, but I'd need Evan's advanced course to properly identify the non-cardinal vowel I actually used...the key to sounding properly doglike lies in approximating the shape of the canine vocal apparatus, which is much more elongated than that of the human...the sound-effects person on "An American Werewolf In London" seemed to realize this; David Naughton's cries of pain during his transformation changed timbre as his snout elongated....r >>Little Orphan Annie's dog Sandy used to say "arf" (no relation to me) >>whereas in Pogo, some dogs used to say "Ralph". > > On the other hand, Finnish comic strip dogs say "how, how" which may > indicate a curiousity more characteristic of cats. I think the sound French dogs make (oua, oua or ouah, ouah) is more doggy. SignatureRob Bannister On 06 Jan 2004, Joe Fineman wrote > Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting > with a mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the > subject heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's > & p's get mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the > nonverbal world, are such strings intended to suggest? > Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? I've always taken it to be "Diabolical and Maniacal Laugh by Evil Master with Nefarious Plan" -- probably accompanied by the twirl of a metaphorical moustache. In other words, a rather "luzers" sort of cliché... SignatureCheers, Harvey Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years; Southern England for the past 21 years. (for e-mail, change harvey to whhvs) >On 06 Jan 2004, Joe Fineman wrote > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >Master with Nefarious Plan" -- probably accompanied by the twirl of a >metaphorical moustache. It fits. I'm growing a moustache. My wife says BWA-HAHAHAHAHA! - just the maniacal laughter bit - every time she sees it. Signaturewrmst rgrds Robin Bignall Quiet part of Hertfordshire England > >On 06 Jan 2004, Joe Fineman wrote > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > It fits. I'm growing a moustache. My wife says BWA-HAHAHAHAHA! - just the > maniacal laughter bit - every time she sees it. Lose the moustache, dear boy, lose it! Too gay these days. Mike. >> >I've always taken it to be "Diabolical and Maniacal Laugh by >> >Evil Master with Nefarious Plan" -- probably accompanied by the >> >twirl of a metaphorical moustache. I always envision a mad-scientist type, rubbing his hands together as he contemplates his plan to annihilate the Earth. >> It fits. I'm growing a moustache. My wife says BWA-HAHAHAHAHA! - >> just the maniacal laughter bit - every time she sees it. > > Lose the moustache, dear boy, lose it! Too gay these days. Better yet, grow a beard to keep it company and throw away your razor. SignatureRay Heindl (remove the Xs to reply) >>> >I've always taken it to be "Diabolical and Maniacal Laugh by >>> >Evil Master with Nefarious Plan" -- probably accompanied by the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Better yet, grow a beard to keep it company and throw away your razor. It's gradually becoming a reasonable colour and shape. But my hair grows so slowly. Herself and I go to the same hairdresser, and last Monday when I got my New Year haircut, he pointed out that she had been 4 times (once per month) since my last haircut, and mine had hardly grown. The last beard I grew (quite involuntarily) was, after two years, bright red in places (my mother was a redhead), dark in others (my father had black hair) and had large white patches. It looked quite artificial and straggly. No beard, thanks. Signaturewrmst rgrds Robin Bignall Quiet part of Hertfordshire England >The last beard I >grew (quite involuntarily) was, after two years, bright red in places (my >mother was a redhead), dark in others (my father had black hair) and had >large white patches. It looked quite artificial and straggly. No beard, >thanks. My first beard was like that. It looked awful because of the colour variation. After shaving it off, waiting a few months, and growing another, it came out quite well. Of course it has some white in it now, but it doesn't look too shabby. The women don't seem to mind it, anyway, and why else would we grow a beard if not to please the ladies? Vanity. All is vanity. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net > My first beard was like that. It looked awful because of the > colour variation. After shaving it off, waiting a few months, and > growing another, it came out quite well. Of course it has some > white in it now, but it doesn't look too shabby. The women don't > seem to mind it, anyway, and why else would we grow a beard if not > to please the ladies? Vanity. All is vanity. Or practicality: shaving is a pain, both literally and figuratively. When I grew a beard I figured I could get an extra 16 hours of sleep per year. SignatureRay Heindl (remove the Xs to reply) >> My first beard was like that. It looked awful because of the >> colour variation. After shaving it off, waiting a few months, and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >When I grew a beard I figured I could get an extra 16 hours of sleep >per year. Unfortunately, I have to use those 16 hours for trimming it. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net Charles Riggs filted: >>Or practicality: shaving is a pain, both literally and figuratively. >>When I grew a beard I figured I could get an extra 16 hours of sleep >>per year. > >Unfortunately, I have to use those 16 hours for trimming it. On the up side, you no longer spend any of your disposable income on bubble gum....r >>Or practicality: shaving is a pain, both literally and >>figuratively. When I grew a beard I figured I could get an extra >>16 hours of sleep per year. > > Unfortunately, I have to use those 16 hours for trimming it. True, but trimming needn't be done first thing in the morning, before going to work. At least, I never did so. So trimming doesn't cut into sleep time. SignatureRay Heindl (remove the Xs to reply) >>>Or practicality: shaving is a pain, both literally and >>>figuratively. When I grew a beard I figured I could get an extra [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >going to work. At least, I never did so. So trimming doesn't cut into >sleep time. Neither does shaving, for me, although I must shave even though I keep a beard. I trim and shave, sometimes, when I think I'll be meeting people I know during the next several hours, or if I want to look respectable to a bank manager I don't know -- otherwise I don't generally bother. Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a three-day-old beard? SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net >>True, but trimming needn't be done first thing in the morning, >>before going to work. At least, I never did so. So trimming [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a > three-day-old beard? I thought that was the Don Johnson look, but I don't know its current inness or outness. SignatureRay Heindl (remove the Xs to reply) >>>True, but trimming needn't be done first thing in the morning, >>>before going to work. At least, I never did so. So trimming [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >I thought that was the Don Johnson look, but I don't know its current >inness or outness. Judging by the males that appear on David Letterman and Jay Leno's show, yes. Evidently, the modish thing to do is to take a great deal of care to look as if you took no care about your looks. I recently purchased a new leather "bomber" style jacket. It's been cold enough here in Florida to wear one almost daily. However, it warms up in the afternoon and the jacket becomes uncomfortably warm. This type of jacket is often seen on guests of Dave and Jay. Every time I see someone wearing one, though, I think of how hot it must be under the studio lights and think they must be sweating like pigs. Fashion is a cruel master. ... } This type of jacket is often seen on guests of Dave and Jay. Every } time I see someone wearing one, though, I think of how hot it must be } under the studio lights and think they must be sweating like pigs. } Fashion is a cruel master. I think Dave keeps his studio (The Ed Sullivan Theater) down around forty or fifty degrees (practically Florida weather). I don't know about Jay. SignatureR. J. Valentine <mailto:arjay@wicked.smart.net> Fahrenheit R J Valentine filted: >... >} This type of jacket is often seen on guests of Dave and Jay. Every [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I think Dave keeps his studio (The Ed Sullivan Theater) down around forty >or fifty degrees (practically Florida weather). I don't know about Jay. Dave's penchant for keeping the theatre cold is legendary...when asked about it, he often says it's to "keep the comedy fresh"...whatever the official reason, it's often the source of additional entertainment when someone like (say) Cameron Diaz comes on the show dressed in such a way that viewers can *see* how cold it is....r >... >} This type of jacket is often seen on guests of Dave and Jay. Every [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I think Dave keeps his studio (The Ed Sullivan Theater) down around forty >or fifty degrees (practically Florida weather). I don't know about Jay. If that's the case, then the bimbo guests must freeze. I wouldn't think this would be right, though. We'd see goosebumps on the bumpy things. } On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 03:41:49 -0000, R J Valentine <rj@smart.net> } wrote: } }>... }>} This type of jacket is often seen on guests of Dave and Jay. Every }>} time I see someone wearing one, though, I think of how hot it must be }>} under the studio lights and think they must be sweating like pigs. }>} Fashion is a cruel master. }> }>I think Dave keeps his studio (The Ed Sullivan Theater) down around forty }>or fifty degrees (practically Florida weather). I don't know about Jay. } } If that's the case, then the bimbo guests must freeze. I wouldn't } think this would be right, though. We'd see goosebumps on the bumpy } things. Only if we look carefully. You can take it for granite, though. SignatureR. J. Valentine <mailto:arjay@wicked.smart.net> >>I thought that was the Don Johnson look, but I don't know its >>current inness or outness. > > Judging by the males that appear on David Letterman and Jay Leno's > show, yes. Does that mean "yes, it's in", or "yes, it's out"? > Evidently, the modish thing to do is to take a great > deal of care to look as if you took no care about your looks. Sounds a bit metrosexualish to me. Or maybe suburbosexualish. > I recently purchased a new leather "bomber" style jacket. It's > been cold enough here in Florida to wear one almost daily. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > it must be under the studio lights and think they must be sweating > like pigs. Fashion is a cruel master. They might have tubes with chilled water running through them, like NASA's space underwear. Studio lights aren't as hot as they used to be. As I understand it, many of them are either fluorescent or metal halide, neither of which puts out near as much heat as the old incandescent ones. I expect that Letterman and Leno could afford state-of-the-art lighting. SignatureRay Heindl (remove the Xs to reply) > >>I thought that was the Don Johnson look, but I don't know its > >>current inness or outness. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > puts out near as much heat as the old incandescent ones. I expect that > Letterman and Leno could afford state-of-the-art lighting. It was very often pointed out by David Letterman and his guests that it is cold in his studio during taping. I haven't heard anyone make mention of it recently, however, and I never did find out what the reason was for its being cold. That the stage lights were extremely hot would serve as a possible explanation, although I got the impression that people up on stage felt cold as well. SignatureRaymond S. Wise Minneapolis, Minnesota USA E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com > Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a > three-day-old beard? That's one style I never particularly liked. I could generally tell the difference between an actual three-day beard and the not-very-cheap imitation, but only if I bothered to look for more than a couple of seconds. (Well, you asked, and you didn't specify "young" ladies, you know.) SignatureMaria Conlon Please send any email to the Hot Mail address. >> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a >> three-day-old beard? I like that look, it's very rakish. SignatureLouisa Essex, England, Europe > >> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a > >> three-day-old beard? > > I like that look, it's very rakish. Wait wait wait, these are two different things. There's the George Michael look, which involves carefullly trimming the beard to look like it's three days old and shaving the cheeks and neck (witness <http://www.wmmx.com/george%20michael.jpg>, the horror, the horror...). Then there's just not bothering to shave for three days. SignatureSML ess el five six zero at columbia dot edu <http://pirate-women.com> >> >> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a >> >> three-day-old beard? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] ><http://www.wmmx.com/george%20michael.jpg>, the horror, the horror...). >Then there's just not bothering to shave for three days. I like them both. I think George looks pretty damned groovy in that pic, and I like a bit of stubble too. SignatureLouisa Essex, England, Europe >>> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a >>> three-day-old beard? > >I like that look, it's very rakish. I'll keep that in mind, Louisa, when not shaving this morning. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net Louisa Hennessy wrote: > >>> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? > >>> You know: a three-day-old beard? > I like that look, it's very rakish. A three-day-old beard is also very rakish in the "garden rake" sense. I take it that you have never experienced cunnilingus with an unshaven chap. The stubbles rake and scrape your tender inner thighs, which turn red and make you walk funny for a week. SignatureDr. Reinhold (Rey) Aman Just trying to help, as always >> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a >> three-day-old beard? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >imitation, but only if I bothered to look for more than a couple of >seconds. Huh? Why would anyone fake a beard? Hair is free and easily grown. >(Well, you asked, and you didn't specify "young" ladies, you know.) At this stage I can't be all that fussy. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net >>> Is that George Michael look still in with the ladies? You know: a >>> three-day-old beard? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Huh? Why would anyone fake a beard? Hair is free and easily grown. To explain my terms: The "not-very-cheap imitation" of an actual three-day beard would be the groomed three-day beard. The "actual three-day beard" would just be three days' worth of beard, ungroomed. >> (Well, you asked, and you didn't specify "young" ladies, you know.) > > At this stage I can't be all that fussy. "Mature" is better, in any event. SignatureMaria Conlon Please send any email to the Hot Mail address. >> Huh? Why would anyone fake a beard? Hair is free and easily grown. > To explain my terms: The "not-very-cheap imitation" of an actual > three-day beard would be the groomed three-day beard. The "actual > three-day beard" would just be three days' worth of beard, ungroomed. How does one groom such a short beard? Or do you mean shaving a longer beard short so it looks like a 3-day stubble? > "Mature" is better, in any event. The first time I got my hair cut after growing a beard, the barber looks at me and says "It makes you look older." Then he quickly backpedaled with "I mean, more mature." SignatureRay Heindl (remove the Xs to reply) >>> Huh? Why would anyone fake a beard? Hair is free and easily grown. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > How does one groom such a short beard? Well, tidy it up a bit, or have the barber tidy it up, especially around the edges. Factor: Not all beards or parts of beards grow at the same pace. >......Or do you mean shaving a > longer beard short so it looks like a 3-day stubble? I guess that could work, too. I don't know. I just think a natural three-day beard isn't very attractive without a little work being done. SignatureMaria Conlon Please send any email to the Hot Mail address. >>>> Huh? Why would anyone fake a beard? Hair is free and easily grown. >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >the edges. Factor: Not all beards or parts of beards grow at the same >pace. Barbers, even the female ones I prefer, won't do a better job than the wearer himself, once he is practiced at it. It isn't difficult: simply shave to create a regularly curved, well-defined transition from skin to hair, above and below the beard, but it must be done with a degree of precision. Even a three-day beard looks straggly if not 'coiffured'. >>......Or do you mean shaving a >> longer beard short so it looks like a 3-day stubble? > >I guess that could work, too. I don't know. That's a very hairy thing to attempt. I don't recommend it unless one has an electric razor with the proper attachment for the job. >I just think a natural >three-day beard isn't very attractive without a little work being done. Dead right. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net >>>> Huh? Why would anyone fake a beard? Hair is free and easily grown. >> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >I guess that could work, too. I don't know. I just think a natural >three-day beard isn't very attractive without a little work being done. I thought clippers were the answer to perfecting the "Yasser Arafat" look. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany Signature"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com > Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a > mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject > heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's & p's get > mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the nonverbal world, > are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? I've always read it as a laugh, of the evil-villain sort. ("Bwahahahaha! I will send more suicide bombers into densely populated areas -- *then* we'll drive them into the sea! Bwahahahaha!") Michael Hamm Since mid-September of 2003, AM, Math, Wash. U. St. Louis I've been erasing too much UBE. msh210@math.wustl.edu Of a reply, then, if you have been cheated, http://math.wustl.edu/~msh210/ Likely your mail's by mistake been deleted. In our last episode, <btfd75$gcf$1@newsreader.wustl.edu>, the lovely and talented Michael Hamm broadcast on alt.usage.english: >> Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a >> mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject >> heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's & p's get >> mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the nonverbal world, >> are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? > I've always read it as a laugh, of the evil-villain sort. ("Bwahahahaha! > I will send more suicide bombers into densely populated areas -- *then* > we'll drive them into the sea! Bwahahahaha!") I first found it in Final Fantasy IV(?) in which the evil Kefka goes on like that for several screens. SignatureLars Eighner -finger for geek code- eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/ There is a set of religious, or rather moral, writings which teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery in this world. A very wholesome and comfortable doctrine, and to which we have but one objection, namely, that it is not true. --Henry Fielding >Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a >mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject >heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's & p's get >mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the nonverbal world, >are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? Fiendish laughter. You can hear examples used by Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movies, and by Kang the ET monster on "The Simpsons". Brian Wickham >Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a >mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject >heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's & p's get >mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the nonverbal world, >are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? Much the same as ROTFLMAO, I should imagine. SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk > Every once in a while, somebody responds to a newsgroup posting with a > mixture of labial consonants & open vowels, of which the subject > heading of this posting contains one example. (Often, m's & p's get > mixed in as well as b's & w's.) What sound, in the nonverbal world, > are such strings intended to suggest? Sputtering? Vomiting? Crying? It's a guffaw - the BWA is the slight attempt to suppress laughter from bursting out, and the hahaha is the irrepressible laughter bursting forth. Generally it's a type of ridicule. The is also the variation MUHAHAHAHA which is the mock-villainous laughter of the cartoon villain, with the implied meaning "ain't I evil?" Mingmong |
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