Terry D

Today the wind is wild and sounds like pterodactyls. I've been sitting here for awhile trying to pinpoint what it reminded me of. It's an insane screeching sound that's flinging the trees around. Earlier I saw a flagpole bend and sway then just snap at the base. It fell across a pathway, stopping inches short of a pedestrian.

Anyway, back in high school I started this stupid noise for something to do. You know in high school how everyone has a Thing they can do. Like being double jointed or making that farty noise with your underarms. My thing was being able to mimic teachers (our Science teacher Mrs W was a goodun) and "doing Pterodactyls".

I wish I could remember how it all started and how the noise came to issue from my throat. If anyone from high school is reading (everyone else I know seems to have found their way here) and can verify how it started, please let me know.

Anyway, basically it goes like this. "WUH WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!".

The WUH is rather low and gravelly and then the WOO is drawn out for as long as possible. It's very loud and sounds quite bizarre. And naturally, the drunker you are, the better you think it sounds. I remember being in a park one Friday night back home and there was about eight of us just making that noise, over and over. It sounded like a flock of somethings.

Someone reckoned it sounded rather prehistoric. You could almost picture a pterodactyl flying along making that noise. The WUH on the downstroke then the WOOOOOOOOOO! as they pulled their creaky wings up into the sky. Noone could verify what they really sounded like, so it became known as a Pterodactyl, or Terry D for short.

Over the years when people whooped and cheered at concerts or sporting events, I'd get a nudge and that was my cue to let fly with the Terry D's. It always got a few stares, but people would give it a go, and before long it really started to catch on. Seven years since we finished school, someone still makes that bloody noise when we get together for weddings or Christmas drinks. From stupid things do fine traditions grow.

So anyway, yes. That's what the wind sounds like today. Terry D's.

| | Posted in Wacky Adventures | Comments (18)

 

Comments

1 · shauny said:

eeksypeeksy doesn't comment anymore... where did i go wrong?

2 · Ritchie said:

Wow. Not only do you write well but your page looks fantastic. Makes me quite ashamed. Thank you for your visit, and your kind words!

3 · Adam said:

You should post a WAV or MP3 of it.

4 · Jack Spratt said:

Whoa! Stay away from those flagpoles!

And yeah, post an mp3 of it.

5 · Kristen said:

my special skill is growling. grrrooooowl. a bit like roy orbison does in "pretty woman". only better, of course

and yeah, i think an mp3 is needed so that your readership can experience the wonder of an original shauna-style terry d!

6 · Simon said:

What other animal noises do you make? And will you be publishing sound files of them, too? :o)

(Grrrrr, I wish Blogger would publish. Inspired by your Terry Ds, I've just written about animal noises, 'things', and erotic knees.)

7 · paul said:

yeah, bring back eeksy and peeksy! voice of the people 'n all !! :c)

8 · Brad said:

I can do farm noises....wanna hear one?

"Oi get off the fricken tractor!"

Any way....I agree, MP3erise your Terry-D!!!

9 · Monkey said:

I have the dubious honour of having heard this noise issuing from our demure Miss Shauny. (Strangely enough I do believe there had been a few drinks involved.)
I don't think it sounds like a pterodactyl, (although not having met any pterodactyls I can't say for sure), but it is awesome fun hearing Shauny whooping like a monger.

10 · Graham said:

I do gieger counter impressions. Everyone's a freak. :)

11 · quote-unquote said:

*lol*... you never fail to crack me up, Monkey. Never met a pterodactyl, hey?!! Whew!

Actually, Shauny, I was hearing some windy-weirdness last night at uni. I was in one of the corners of building X, and for some reason the thundering was so cumbersomely huge that it felt like the city was being swallowed by the Pacific Ocean. It was fecking LOUD. Anyway. Thassall from me.

12 · mb said:

I wish I was demure enough to be able to do the whole pterodactyl thing.

13 · Row said:

It was a good day to spend at home, indeed.

14 · Petal said:

Wow! A racial memory!

15 · Kristen said:

whu? racial memory?

16 · mary said:

I spent several minutes trying to emulate this noise from your description. Unless it sounds a lot like someone crying whilst in the middle of an asthma attack, I don't think I nailed it.
I'm glad I live in the middle of the country where no one can overhear such things.

17 · Monkey said:

racial memory, like the flatheads from clan of the cavebear... anyone? anyone? nevermind.

18 · momo said:

my friends and i used to do impressions, too. we also had one that we called the 'Terror-dacktor' and it went 'GUAAAA-KAAAA-MAAAAAAA-LEEEEEEEEEEE'. we'd finish class, suddenly announce 'Terror-dacktor' and then come flying out of C-Block, leaping down the stairs, waving our arms and frightening junior school kids. Nothing like dinosaur impressions when you're young.
Also, my friend Matty used to sit there eating his sandwiches at lunchtime and suddenly say 'Look, Dodo Bird' to which we'd all look up in the sky and then continue about our lunchtime business.

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Terry D was published on September 18, 2002.

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