Onomatopœia, words which sound like the sound they're describing, are fun, and I enjoy using them in casual writing. Common onomatopœia include zip, click, and tap. Non-word utterances can be written as onomatopœia as well, and can convey emotion simply that otherwise would require a lengthy explanation. The following is a spelling guide to three of my favorite onomatopœia, which are of course non-word exclaimations of frustration.
Argh
"Argh" is a brief sound of disgust before resolving a situation that's been made more complicated than it needs to be, either by my own incompetance, happenstance, or someone else being a jerk.
Aaarrrggh
"Aaarrrggh" is a longer growl of frustration at a situation that has no reasonable resolution.
AAARRRRRRGGH
An exclamation of frustration and rage. Think Capt. Kirk's "KHHAAAAAANN!"
I seem to use that last one fairly often.
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Comments: 18
That's what she gets for meeting Neil Gaiman when I haven't yet.
Perhaps that could be followed closely with the most commonly used ones to describe the sound made by a shoe stepping on a large spider...
My senses tell me hubba
And I just cant disagree
I get a feeling in my heart that I cant describe
Its sort of lub, dub, lub, dub
A sound in my head that I cant describe
Its sort of zoom, zip, hiccup, drip
Ding, dong, crunch, crack, bark, meow, whinnie, quack"
--Todd Rundgren
Ivy, Charles, Janna - I had no idea that there were poems and songs praising onomatopoeia. Thanks, y'all!
I have a searchable email account that will bring up several messages depending upon how I spell "argh" -- usually it's the number of Hs that rules some out and some in on search results.
Literature profs certainly use it for the "use" as well. Merriam-Webster thinks so too, but they do not attempt a plural either. :-)