Onomatopoeia's

Onomatopoeia [on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‑mah-tuh‑]
n. the formation of a word, as cuckoo or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

I like onomatopoeia’s. They present the writer with a golden opportunity. You can make up a word and you can decide how to spell it.

I was listening to the irrigation guns yesterday and the rhythm of the shooting water began to resonate, as regular as a heartbeat, ka-thuk ka-thuk ka-thuk ka-thuk ka-thuk…

I consider my MS and I smile, because I know that I have used an onomatopoeia.

‘Ashleen heard the sinister ‘shick-shick’ as another bullet slammed down into the barrel.’

I like it. I think it’s an apt description. The cowpoke doesn’t. I think he must be pronouncing it incorrectly or maybe he’s just some staunch word purist.

Anyway, I grab a pen and paper and jot down ka-thuk. Hey this is fun! I love the whole concept. I decide to sit outside for one hour and document all of the sounds in my environment.

The breeze in the trees--how would I describe that sound? Shhhhhhh. Ah, the wind is whispering through the trees. Okay, not really an opportunity for originality there. Moving on.

A loud noise sounds from across the road. What was that? It sounds like a distant gunshot. Boom? It sounds again. Phoot?

I quickly realize that it is one of the horses experiencing some sort of intestinal issue. I also realize that I am now sitting outside on a beautiful sunny day waiting for a horse to expel gas--so that I can make up a word. This is becoming almost too stupid to be fun.

I hate to give up though. I turn to the cowpoke and in all sincerity ask him how he would describe the sound that the horse is making.

He says, “Exploding gas out of a horse’s ass.”

I’m pretty sure that comment was in reference to the horse and not to me…

I like onomatopoeia’s. I realize that they must be used sparingly, unless of course you are writing a comic strip. KAPOW!

What’s your take on onomatopoeia’s? Have any that you want to share?