Idioms & tongue twisters in English

Idioms & tongue twisters in English

This web has originated from my extreme love for English
Idioms & tongue twisters in English

Idioms & tongue twisters in English

This web has originated from my extreme love for English

tongue twisters-part three

293

Admidst the mists and coldest frosts,
With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,
He thrusts his fists against the posts,
And still insists he sees the ghosts.

 

294

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy,
was he?

 

295

Blue glue gun, green glue gun.

 

296

Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, ...

 

297

Mallory's hourly salary.

 

298

I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, and on that slitted sheet I sit.

 

299

Don't spring on the inner-spring this spring or there will be an offspring next spring.

 

300

A flea and a fly in a flue,
were imprisoned. So what could they do?
Said the fly, "Let us flee".
Said the flea, "Let us fly".
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

 

301

King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the thistle of his thumb.
A thousand thistles King Thistle stuck in the thistle of his thumb.
If King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the thistle of his thumb,
How many thistles did King Thistle stick in the thistle of his thumb?

 

302

Five fat friars frying flat fish.

 

303

The bottle of perfume that Willy sent
was highly displeasing to Millicent.
Her thanks were so cold
that they quarreled, I'm told
o'er that silly scent Willy sent Millicent

 

304

Esau Wood sawed wood. All the wood Esau Wood saw, Esau Wood would saw. All the wood Wood saw, Esau sought to saw. One day Esau Wood's wood-saw would saw no wood. So Esau Wood sought a new wood-saw. The new wood-saw would saw wood. Oh, the wood Esau Wood would saw. Esau sought a saw that would saw wood as no other wood-saw would saw. And Esau found a saw that would saw as no other wood-saw would saw. And Esau Wood sawed wood.

 

305

A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

 

306

Extinct insects' instincts, extant insects' instincts.

by Pierre Abbat

 

307

Sweater weather, leather weather.

 

308

One black beetle bled only black blood, the other black beetle bled blue.

 

309

The big black bug's blood ran blue.

 

310

I am not the pheasant plucker,
I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.
I am only plucking pheasants
'cause the pheasant plucker's late.

 

311

Ed Nott was shot and Sam Shott was not. So it is better to be Shott than Nott. Some say Nott was not shot. But Shott says he shot Nott. Either the shot Shott shot at Nott was not shot, or Nott was shot. If the shot Shott shot shot Nott, Nott was shot. But if the shot Shott shot shot Shott, the shot was Shott, not Nott. However, the shot Shott shot shot not Shott - but Nott. So, Ed Nott was shot and that's hot! Is it not?

 

312

We will learn why her lowly lone, worn yarn loom will rarely earn immoral money.

by Ray Weisling

 

313

Unique New York, unique New York, unique New York, ...

 

314

If Dr. Seuss Were a Technical Writer.....

Here's an easy game to play.
Here's an easy thing to say:

If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
And the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
And the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
Then the socket packet pocket has an error to report!

If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
And the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
And your data is corrupted 'cause the index doesn't hash,
then your situation's hopeless, and your system's gonna crash!

You can't say this? What a shame, sir!
We'll find you another game, sir.

If the label on the cable on the table at your house,
Says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,
But your packets want to tunnel on another protocol,
That's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall,
And your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss,
So your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse,
Then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang,
'Cause as sure as I'm a poet, the sucker's gonna hang!

When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy on the disk,
And the microcode instructions cause unnecessary risk,
Then you have to flash your memory and you'll want to ram your rom.
Quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your mom!

from the Unix fortune database, attributed to DementDJ@ccip.perkin-elmer.com in the rec.humor.funny newsgroup

 

315

Picky people pick Peter Pan Peanut Butter.
Peter Pan Peanut is the peanut picky people pick.

 

316

Ray Rag ran across a rough road.
Across a rough road Ray Rag ran.
Where is the rough road Ray Rag ran across?

 

317

Elmer Arnold

personal name

 

318

A Tudor who tooted the flute
tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot or
to tutor two tooters to toot?"

 

319

Mrs Puggy Wuggy has a square cut punt.
Not a punt cut square,
Just a square cut punt.
It's round in the stern and blunt in the front.
Mrs Puggy Wuggy has a square cut punt.

 

320

Tim, the thin twin tinsmith.

 

321

Thin sticks, thick bricks

 

322

Red lorry, yellow lorry.

 

323

A big black bug bit a big black bear and made the big black bear bleed blood.

 

324

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck how much a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood.

 

325

Larry Hurley, a burly squirrel hurler, hurled a furry squirrel through a curly grill.

 

326

Six twin screwed steel steam cruisers.

 

327

A nurse anesthetist unearthed a nest.

 

328

I thought a thought.
But the thought I thought
Wasn't the thought I thought I thought.
If the thought I thought I thought,
Had been the thought I thought,
I wouldn't have thought I thought.

 

329

She sells sea shells on the seashore.
The seashells she sells are seashells she is sure.

 

330

From the programmer's desk:
She sells cshs by the C shore.

 

331

A noise annoys an oyster, but a noisy noise annoys an oyster more!

 

332

Plain bun, plum bun, bun without plum.

 

333

Slick slim slippers sliding south.

 

334

The Leith police dismisseth us
They thought we sought to stay;
The Leith police dismisseth us
They thought we'd stay all day.
The Leith police dismisseth us,
We both sighed sighs apiece;
And the sighs that we sighed as we said goodbye
Were the size of the Leith police.

 

335

Ah shucks, six stick shifts stuck shut!

 

336

Meter maid Mary married manly Matthew Marcus Mayo,
a moody male mailman moving mostly metered mail.

 

337

The king would sing, about a ring that would go ding.

 

338

How much dough would Bob Dole dole
if Bob Dole could dole dough?
Bob Dole would dole as much dough
as Bob Dole could dole,
if Bob Dole could dole dough.

 

339

People pledging plenty of pennies.

 

340

Mares eat oats and does eat oats, but little lambs eat ivy.

from a pre-war English music-hall song

 

341

To begin to toboggan,
first buy a toboggan.
But don't buy too big a toboggan.
Too big a toboggan is too big a toboggan to buy to begin to toboggan.

 

342

Courtney Dworkin

personal name

 

343

Switch watch, wrist watch.

 

344

Six thick thistle sticks

 

345

Moses supposes his toeses are roses,
but Moses supposes erroneously.
For Moses, he knowses his toeses aren't roses,
as Moses supposes his toeses to be.

Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly in "Singing in the rain"

 

346

I wish I were what I was when I wished I were what I am.

 

347

She sells seashells on the seashore. The seashells she sells are seashore seashells.

 

348

Irish wristwatch

 

349

She had shoulder surgery.

 

350

To put a pipe in byte mode, type PIPE_TYPE_BYTE.

from the Visual C++ help file.

 

351

Three Tree Turtles

Three tree turtles took turns talking tongue twisters.
If three tree turtles took turns talking tongue twisters,
where's the twisters the three tree turtles talked?

 

352

My Friend Gladys

Oh, the sadness of her sadness when she's sad.
Oh, the gladness of her gladness when she's glad.
But the sadness of her sadness,
and the gladness of her gladness,
Are nothing like her madness when she's mad!

 

353

I would if I could, and if I couldn't, how could I?
You couldn't, unless you could, could you?

common school kids nonsense, circa 1910

 

354

real rear wheel

 

355

Give me the gift of a grip-top sock,
A clip drape shipshape tip top sock.
Not your spinslick slapstick slipshod stock,
But a plastic, elastic grip-top sock.
None of your fantastic slack swap slop
From a slap dash flash cash haberdash shop.
Not a knick knack knitlock knockneed knickerbocker sock
With a mock-shot blob-mottled trick-ticker top clock.
Not a supersheet seersucker rucksack sock,
Not a spot-speckled frog-freckled cheap sheik's sock
Off a hodge-podge moss-blotched scotch-botched block.
Nothing slipshod drip drop flip flop or glip glop
Tip me to a tip top grip top sock.

articulation warmup for actors

 

356

National Sheepshire Sheep Association

 

357

The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.

 

358

The little red lorry went down Limuru road.

Limuru (Lee-moo-roo) road is a the name of a road in Kenya.

 

359

Flies fly but a fly flies.

 

360

Did Doug dig Dick's garden or did Dick dig Doug's garden?

by Paul Davies

 

361

If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot tot to talk ere the tot could totter, ought the Hottentot tot be taught to say ought or naught or what ought to be taught 'er?

 

362

How many cans can a canner can if a canner can can cans? A canner can can as many cans as a canner can if a canner can can cans.

 

363

Federal Express is now called FedEx.
When I retire I'll be a FedEx ex.
But if I'm an officer when I retire, I'll be an ex Fedex Exec.
Then after a divorce, my ex-wife will be an ex FedEx exec's ex.
If I rejoin FedEx in time, I'd be an ex ex FedEx exec.
When we remarry, my wife will be an ex ex FedEx exec's ex.

 

364

Which witch snitched the stitched switch for which the Swiss witch wished?

by Ann Clark

 

365

Does this shop sport short socks with spots?

 

366

Customer: Do you have soothers?
Shopkeeper (thinking he had said "scissors"): No, we don't have scissors.
Customer: Soothers!
Shopkeeper : No, we don't have scissors or soothers.
... scissors or soothers, scissors or soothers, scissors or soothers, ...

actual conversation in a shop in Canada, recorded by Don Monson

 

367

Tommy, Tommy, toiling in a tailor's shop.
All day long he fits and tucks,
all day long he tucks and fits,
and fits and tucks, and tucks and fits,
and fits and tucks, and tucks and fits.
Tommy, Tommy, toiling in a tailor's shop.

 

368

No need to light a night-light on a light night like tonight.

 

369

I wish to wish, I dream to dream, I try to try, and I live to live, and I'd die to die, and I cry to cry but I dont know why.

from a Song by Soundgarden named "Somewhere" composed and written by Ben Shepherd

 

370

My mommy makes me muffins on Mondays.

by Tim McCauley, age 8

 

371

A real rare whale.

 

372

Terry Teeter, a teeter-totter teacher, taught her daughter Tara to teeter-totter, but Tara Teeter didn't teeter-totter as Terry Teeter taught her to.

by Pierre Abbat

 

373

Ken Dodd's dad's dog 's dead.

 

374

I bought a bit of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. Then I took the big basket of biscuits and the basket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a biscuit mixer and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer to the bakery and opened a tin of sardines.

Said to be a diction test for would-be radio announcers: To be read clearly, without mistakes, in less than 20 seconds (from Coronet Magazine, August 1948).

 

375

Kanta is a masai girl. She can tie a tie and untie a tie. If Kanta can tie a tie and untie a tie, why can't I tie a tie and untie a tie?

 

376

I'm a mother pheasant plucker,
I pluck mother pheasants.
I'm the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker,
to ever pluck a mother pheasant. Actually, ...
I'm Not the pheasant plucker,
I'm the pheasant plucker's son.
But I'll stay and pluck the pheasants
Till the pheasant plucking 's done!

 

377

If you go for a gopher a gopher will go for a gopher hole.

 

378

Seven slick and sexy sealskin ski suits slid slowly down the slope.

 

379

The chief of the Leith police dismisseth us.

 

380

Fred Threlfall's thirty-five fine threads are finer threads than Fred Threlfall's thirty-five thick threads.

by Anthony Nichols

 

381

Bug's black blood, Black bug's blood

 

382

Reed Wade Road

name of a road in Batesville Arkansas

 

383

Jack's nap sack strap snapped.

 

384

I saw Esau sitting on a seesaw. I saw Esau; he saw me.

 

385

A quick witted cricket critic.

 

386

Hitchcock Hawk Watch Spots Record Raptors

Title of an article in the Neola Gazette

 

387

Sure, sir, the ship's sure shipshape, sir.

 

388

The Smothers brothers' father's mother's brothers are
the Smothers brothers' mother's father's other brothers.

 

389

One Double Dozen Double Damask Dinner Napkins

Name of a sketch written by Dion Titheradge for a London musical revue and originally performed by Cicely Courtneidge in the early 1930's. The comedienne Bea Lillie performed the sketch in an American film starring Bing Crosby in 1938, and that film's name was "Doctor Rhythm". The sketch became famous and Lillie did perform it on numerous occasions on radio, as well as record it on two 78rpm records.

 

390

The cat crept into the crypt, crapped and crept out.

 

391

Dear mother,
give your other udder
to my other brother.

 

392

Blended baby blue bug's blood blotches.

made up watching bugs splatter on the windshield ... ugh!

 

393

So, this is the sushi chef?

Spoken to a friend in a Japanese restaurant on the chef’s return.

 

394

Furnish Freddie's nursery with forty-four furry Furby Beanie Babies.

 

395

Arnold Palmer, Arnold Palmer, Arnold Palmer, ...

name of the famous American golfer

 

396

A bitter biting bittern bit a better biting bittern
And the better biting bittern bit the bitter biting bittern back.
Said the bitter biting bittern to the better biting bittern
“I’m a bitter biting bittern bitten back”

 

397

Certified certificates from certified certificate certifiers.

 

398

Imagine, imagining imagining, an imaginary imaginary imaginary menagerie manager, imagining imagining imagining an imaginary imaginary imaginary managerie.

 

399

What noise annoys a noisy oyster?
Any noise annoys a noisy oyster,
but a noisy noise annoys a noisy oyster most!

 

400

We need a plan to fan a pan; find a pan to fan, then find a fan to fan the pan, then fan the pan.

Some Korean students find difficult to pronounce difference between 'f' and 'p'.

 

401

How many snacks could a snack stacker stack,
if a snack stacker snacked stacked snacks?

by Christine Reynolds

 

402

Freddy is ready to roast red roaches.
Ready for Freddy's roasted red roaches?

 

403

Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear when Washington's washer-woman went west?

 

404

On mules we find two legs behind and two we find before.
We stand behind before we find what those behind be for.

 

405

Three grey geese
In a green field grazing,
Grey were the geese
And green was the grazing.

 

406

Susie sits shinning silver shoes

 

407

Ralph rakes leaves really, really lousily.

for Japanese students of English

 

408

Lady Luck dislikes losers.

for Japanese students of English

 

409

Broken back brake block

 

410

Mumbling, bumbling. Bumbling, mumbling.

 

411

Of all the felt I ever felt I never felt felt that felt like that felt felt.