ffft ffft ffft.

n.  the sound of a shower of sparks as impurities rise to the surface of melting gold and burn off in the air, as in the novel White Darkness by Steven D. Salinger.

ffft fft ffft.

n.  the sound of “friendly fire” gunshots.

<All of a sudden you hear this funny ffft fft ffft sound, and you don’t get it until maybe your left wing catches fire.  Friendly Fire!  Somebody on your side is mistaking you for the enemy!  —Julia Cameron, Supplies: A Troubleshooting Guide for Creative Difficulties.>

ffft mm.

n.  an expression in the Jimi Hendrix song “Rainy Day Dream Away,” encouraging one to “lay back an’ groove” (Janie L. Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix: The Lyrics).

ffft, ffft, ffft.

n.  the sputter of a truck engine backfiring, as in the novel Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich.

ffft-ffft-ffft.

n.  a typical sound made by a baby attempting to talk, as discussed in Wonder Weeks: How to Turn Your Baby’s 8 Great Fussy Phases into Magical Leaps Forward by Hetty Vanderijt.

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