By Maki
In the vibrant tapestry of language, certain words stand out not just for their meaning but for their playful repetition. Tautonyms, as they're called, are words that duplicate their own syllables, creating a rhythmic, almost musical quality to speech. From the catchy tunes of pop songs to the chants of tribal rituals, tautonyms have found their way into various aspects of human expression. Let's explore the cadence and charm of these repeated words – some of which, it’s true, may not strictly be tautonyms!
"Sugar Sugar," the sweet refrain that echoes through countless love songs and candy commercials alike, evokes a sense of indulgence and delight. It's a phrase that rolls off the tongue like a sugary treat, leaving a lingering taste of sweetness in its wake.
"Ring Ring," the familiar sound of a telephone's call, beckoning us to connect with others across distances. The repetition of "ring" adds a sense of urgency and importance to the moment.
"Tut Tut Tut," the gentle reprimand or disapproval expressed through a series of tuts, conveying everything from mild admonishment to outright disdain. Seems to chime with nominator pejepeine’s distaste for pretentious sixties cinematic masterpieces!
"Go Go Girls," the lively and energetic chant that encapsulates the spirit of enthusiasm and determination, driving performers to push their limits and dazzle audiences with their skills.
"Goo Goo Muck," a playful and nonsensical phrase that evokes images of gooey, messy fun. It's a reminder of the joy of letting go and embracing our inner child, reveling in the simple pleasures of life like monsters and cheesy horror.
"Cuss Cuss," the sharp and biting words that fly in moments of anger or frustration. Here’s a reminder to choose our words carefully, as once spoken, they cannot be taken back.
"Black Wa Da Da," a rhythmic and hypnotic chant that transports listeners to distant lands and ancient rituals.
"Boogie Oogie Oogie," the infectious groove that gets bodies moving and feet tapping on dance floors around the world. It's a phrase that captures the essence of disco fever, inviting us to let loose and shake off our worries in the rhythm of the night.
"Talk Talk," the endless chatter and gossip that fills our days with noise and distraction, often obscuring the deeper truths beneath the surface. It's a reminder to listen more and speak less, to seek understanding rather than simply filling the silence with empty words.
"Dumb Dumb Dumb," the mocking refrain that echoes in moments of foolishness or incompetence, reminding us of our own fallibility. It's a humbling reminder that none of us are immune to making mistakes, and that humility is often the first step towards growth.
"Neat Neat Neat," the tidy and orderly mantra that has nothing to do with how my mother wanted me to leave my bedroom as this blared out across the garden to our retired neighbours’ delight!
"Zoom Zoom," the exhilarating sensation of speed and motion that comes with zooming down a highway or racing through the sky. Spanish speakers don’t do voiced consonants so some of the onomatopeia, quite frankly, is lost.
"Work Work," the relentless rhythm of the daily grind, pushing us to keep going even when we'd rather rest.
"Coucou," a simple yet warm sound that travels across borders, carrying with it a sense of familiarity and affection.
"Doni Doni," a dreamy chant that doesn’t really go anywhere. It doesn’t have to – it’s perfect where it is!
"Beng Beng Beng," the explosive energy of celebration and revelry, pulsating through the air with each beat of the drum.
"Afous Afous," the gentle whisper of friendship and solidarity. Hand in hand we move through life in peace.
"Xam Xam," the hushed murmur of what I believe to be a call to unity. “Diverse peoples, come together” seems to be the message.
"Baku Baku," a lovely song about a tapir, apparently.
"Ye Yo," means mother in the Maasai language. This song, which samples Erykah’s own song Sometimes and is often confused with it, is a gentle reminder of how we need the people around us and the dangers of loneliness and being alone.
One final note – thank you for not nominating Massiel’s Eurovision winning “La la la”. I respect and admire you all even more than ever for that!
Again-Again A-List Playlist:
The Archies – Sugar Sugar
Abba – Ring Ring
Gillian Hills – Tut Tut Tut
The Milkees – Go! Go! Girls
Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads – Goo Goo Muck
Dub Syndicate – Cuss Cuss
Burning Spear – Black Wa-Da-Da (Invasion)
A Taste of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie
Talk Talk – Talk Talk
Teenage Fanclub – Dumb Dumb Dumb
The Damned – Neat Neat Neat
Los Bárbaros – Zoom Zoom
Rihanna- Work
Django Reinhardt – Coucou
Erik Truffaz – Doni Doni (feat Rokia Traoré)
Philou Louzolo Ft. Cool Joe & Elvira – Beng Beng Beng
Tinariwen – Afous Afous
Touki – Xam Xam
Soraya – Baku
Erykah Badu – Ye Yo
B-B-B-List Playlist:
Scooter – Jigga Jigga!
Grateful Dead – Mr Charlie
A Certain Ratio – Do the Du
The Jamaicans – Ba Ba Boom
Miriam Makeba – Pata Pata
The Delfonics – La La Means I Love You
Fox – Imagine Me Imagine You
Goldfrapp – Ooh La La
Otis Redding – Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)
Jacques Brel – La La La
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – Yallah Yallah
King Crimson – Vroom Vroom
Iggy Pop – Dum Dum Boys
John Lee Hooker – Bang Bang Bang Bang
Rockin’ Sydney – My Toot Toot
Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep
The Mamas & The Papas – Monday Monday
Dicky Doo and the Don’ts – Click-Clack
Baby Ford – Chikki Chikki Aah Aah
Cab Calloway – The Hi-De-Ho Man (That’s Me)
Fela Kuti – Mr. Follow Follow
The Undertones – Jimmy Jimmy
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
The Stranglers – Shah Shah A Go Go
Fruko y Sus Tesos – Tenguere Que Tengue
Celia & The Mutations – Mony Mony
Bebe - Malo
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Hear hear: songs featuring tautonyms and other repeat-word phrases. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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