ch-cht.

n.  the early morning chirp of the Buff-bellied hummingbird that is “worth a little lost sleep” to hear, as described in Hummingbirds by Nancy L. Newfield.

chchch.

n.  a guttural expression meaning “bang” or “crash,” as in Karina Has Down Syndrome: One Family’s Account of the Early Years With a Child Who Has Special Needs  by Cheryl Rogers.


n.  a sound that Guatemalan village children make to get attention (Jason A. Lubam, “Diary of a Jungle Acupuncturist,” Acupuncture Today ).


n.  a strangled cry of shock and blind fury, as in the novel Candy  by Terry Southern.


n.  a throaty equivalent for the French phrase “je ne sais quoi,” when one can’t find the right word.

<She was fumbling around in her bag for a packet of cigarettes.  “How are you doing?” I asked, smiling.  “Oh, okay—a bit mnnng.  A bit, y’know—chchch—I don’t know—y’know.”  —Dave Robison, “An Extract From a Work in Progress.”>

n.  the sound of “velcro wings falling to the linoleum,” as described by Marilyn C. Oakley in the poem “Pseudo.”

chchch pschsch chchch pschschsch.

n.  the melodious sound of snoring in German, as described in Simplify Your Life  magazine.

- END OF PREVIEW - To read more, see the "Search Inside" feature at Amazon.com