How now brown cow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"How now brown cow" is a phrase used in elocution teaching to demonstrate rounded vowel sounds. The original words came from a nursery rhyme from the 19th century.
[edit] References in popular culture
In the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell, recites "How now, brown cow" before he goes on live television. It is also used in The Avengers where Emma Peel played by Uma Thurman when she speaks to Mother (who is actually a cow). Thurman also uses the phrase in the movie Gattaca, as a password used to enter a building. It is also one of the first things said by "Mr. Ed" in the pilot episode, The First Meeting (1961). During a recent episode of WWE RAW, the phrase is uttered. The phrase is also uttered by Charlie Brown in the second verse of "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest.
In addition, in Treehouse of Horror VIII of The Simpsons, Homer imagines himself dropping a miniature atomic bomb on a group of beatniks from an airplane and riding the bomb, like in Dr. Strangelove. It briefly shows a beatnik reading part of a poem, with the words "How now, brown bureaucrat?" which is a play on the phrase.
On Saturday 6th January 2007 this phrase was used for a question in the fastest finger first stage of the quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The contestants were asked to put the 4 words from the phrase in the correct order. John Tennant was the contestant to get the answer in the quickest time.
Also used in the song "Used to Get High" by John Butler Trio
 |
This linguistics article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
