Who Put the Bomp in the “Bomp, Bomp, Bomp?"

I like sounds. This may be the least shocking admission I have ever made, and yet I stick by it all the same! Silence is a fine thing, don’t get me wrong here, but sounds have a certain quality to them that make me want to stomp my feet and whistle with my lips.

Yes, dear reader, today we are examining onomatopoeias, or words that imitate the sound associated with the thing or action in question.

Aside from being an amazing sounding word – which I believe is onomatopoetic itself – onomatopoeias are large parts of our lives. Had circa 1960 Batman been without these little dandy words, he never could have fought the villains plaguing Gotham City.

Pow!

However, we are not all masked crime fighters, so how can we as common-folk take advantage of the onomatopoeias? Let’s pretend that you are in some way interested in living an onomatopoetic life and that you haven’t noticed how much I like typing our buzz word for the day.

The best way to take advantage of onomatopoeias in everyday life is to narrate your every action. I know this may sound a little crazy, but you’ll be surprised at how frequently these little guys come up. Allow for me to demonstrate:

Eric typed away on the keys of his computer, ignoring the hum of the white noise in his cubicle. A small insect buzzed by his ear, but he swatted it away. The clock overhead ticked and tocked, but Eric hardly noticed it because of the cars revving their engines as they drove by. A whoosh or air ran through the office as Eric’s boss slammed the door. It was time to look diligent and concerned despite the convoluted apostrophes flying through the air.

I hope this has clarified things.

And thus I end this language series with a smashing end!