masterwordsmith-unplugged

Is it argh?

Or do you prefer aargh?

Some say aaargh or  aaaargh or aaarrgh but I love  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgh best of all!



Aargh , an exclamation or a scream in written form can be an ironic cry or an expression of humorous frustration and usually used in the written rather than the verbal form. Aaaaaaaaaargh is more dramatic because of the added 'a' letters.

Whatever the case, there are probably too many variants of Aargh which are flourishing in its various forms due to the proliferation of the use of emails, online communication and social media.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary,  aargh is an exclamation used as an expression of anguish, horror, rage, or other strong emotion, often with humorous intent: Now they’re talking about putting up taxes—aargh! Apparently, it originated in the late 18th century: lengthened form of ah, expressing a prolonged cry

It seems as though the longer the version, then the longer the scream of the writer, the deeper the frustration. In fact, I use it quite often when I am alone. Somehow, it assuages the pain and frustration when I scream arrrrrrrgh aloud. There is this unexplainable sense of relief and frustration after I expel a loud Aaaaaaaarrrrggggghhhh!!

In fact,  aargh is a very peculiar and unusual word because it is probably the only word that offers us amazing versatility.

Did you know that its spelling varies most commonly in the number of 'A's, and to a lesser extent in the number of 'R's? Strangely, repetition of 'G's and 'H's is less common. Perhaps it is because A and R are more vocal and by the time it comes to G and H, the effect desired has already been attained so the person writing it or screaming Aaarrrgh is tired already :-), I know, it is a silly explanation but what the heck? :-)

There have been many types of Aarggh in movies and TV series. Have you ever heard of the Wilhelm Scream?

Check out THIS LINK to listen to it.

According to Wikipedia:

The Wilhelm scream is a film and television stock sound effect that has been used in more than 200 movies, beginning in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The scream is often used when someone is shot, falls from a great height, or is thrown from an explosion. 

Apparently voiced by actor and singer Sheb Wooley, the sound is named after Private Wilhelm, a character in The Charge at Feather River, a 1953 western in which the character is shot with an arrow. This was believed to be the third movie to use the sound effect and its first use from the Warner Bros. stock sound library. 

The effect gained new popularity (its use often becoming an in-joke) after it was used in Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series, Disney cartoons and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games.

I guess there is no word that can express frustration as much as  Aaargh

It appears that when written in capitals,  AAAAAARRRRGH - the expression is at a louder volume hence it is a very flexible and somewhat instinctual expression.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgh clearly has a touch more desperation than Aaarrgh. The use of Aaaaargh is definitely increasing in the 21st century, and in different ways much like the 'Duh' made famous by Homer Simpson.

Interestingly, there are 2, 410, 000 entries if you Google for Aargh and there is even a board game named Aargh!

So the next time you want to say Aargh in frustration or for whatever reason, think for a moment about the many variations and choose the one that best fits your mood and feelings!

Have a lovely evening!