“Ho ho ho!” That’s “refined feminine laughter” (sorry, Santa!) at least, according to this comprehensive list of Japanese “manga” sound effects. “Ho ho ho” is distinct from more general laughter (“ha ha ha”), not to mention:
- fu fu fu (hu hu hu) = a strange laugh. M.J.: “The evil chuckle in the back of the throat.” (see also ku ku ku, pu pu pu)
- ku, ku ku, ku ku ku = giggle in the throat
- paku paku = opening and closing mouth, eating, gobbling. This is where Pac-man came from! (see also hau, gatsu)
Now, can you match each sound effect with its definition?
| 1. uzo uzo | A. licking over and over |
| 2. kotsu kotsu | B. first the sound of a washing machine, then that of a dryer |
| 3. koto, kotsun | C. menace. A sound that evil creatures and nasty plants make. (see also gi gi and go go go) |
| 4. bero bero | D. slowly but surely |
| 5. goun, guon | E. little clink, like the sound of a glass being put down or a tear gem falling. |
That’s 1 – C, 2 – D, 3 -E, 4 – A, and 5 – B. If you got these right, let me offer you pachi, the sound of clapping!