November 8th was International Tongue Twister Day #TongueTwisterDay. I remember as a child trying to say Tongue Twisters as fast as I could to bet my sister and brother and messing up so much we would end up laughing so hard I would end up with the Hiccups but those were fun times.
Now, I can say Petter Piper Picked a Peek of Pickled Peppers 3 times fast and not mess up only there is no, one to challenge because both Charlie refuse to say it with me. Don’t tell me to look up other Tongue Twisters to challenge them with because I did that as well and they still refuse to say them with me. There #partypoopers.
For International Tongue Twister Day, which is celebrated every second Sunday in November, don’t get your tongue tied this November 10th. We’re not talking about rolling or curling your taste-tester. In fact, we’re looking at Peter Piper, the Woodchuck, and all their friends. Tongue twisters are a silly way to pass the time or practice pronunciation. Shoot, you can even use tongue twisters to practice a foreign language! Remember it’s time to celebrate all the twisty things you can say with your tongue.
Tongue twisters, is the popular nonsensical sayings that are ridiculously hard to say (or deceptively easy, whichever way you want to look at it) tongue twisters might seem to be simply alliterative strings of words meant to trip up, well, your tongue but, as it turns out, tongue twisters are not random, which is why the popular ones like Peter Piper and the Woodchuck have been around for a hot minute.
Tongue twisters have technically been around since the 19th Century when John Harris published “Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation,” which included a twisty tongue tango for every letter of the alphabet. The book was meant to help children learn the fundamentals of speech mechanics, its titular twister garnered quite the attention and inspired a lot of lore about its namesake.
Speculation aside, it turns out Peter Piper was based on French horticulturalist Pierre Poivre, whose last name actually means ‘Pepper’ in French. Pierre was said to be exploring the viability of growing American spices in the French Mediterranean.
Whether you’re trying to master Peter Piper, the Woodchuck, or even “The Guinness Book of World Records’” most difficult recorded tongue twister, “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick,” you’re sure to get your tongue endlessly tied.
INTERNATIONAL TONGUE TWISTER DAY ACTIVITIES
- There is no, better excuse to perfect the most twisted tongue twister of all and you should spend the day mastering your favorites and then put them to the test in front of friends and family.
- If you think you’ve got the chops to best your crew at the classics? Put your skills to the test in a friendly tongue-twister-off. Bonus if you can give them a run for their money with more than tongue twister.
- The classic tongue twisters are great, but they’re a little tired. We could all use a reboot with some new additions. Who better to whip one up a tongue twister than an enthusiast?
AMAZING FACTS ABOUT PETER PIPER
- The most infamous tongue twister started out as the 1813 “Peter Piper” nursery rhyme.
- Peter Piper is based on a real personPierre Poivre who was a French horticulturalist who may have been the subject of the infamous nursery rhyme a generation before its publication.
- Not only does ‘Poivre’ mean ‘Pepper’ in French, but Poivre was investigating the possibility of using the Seychelles to grow Spices/
- Peter had a lot of Peppers because a peck is the modern-day equivalent of two gallons.
- Peter Piper has become the name of several businesses, which specifically are Pizza joints.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE INTERNATIONAL TONGUE TWISTER DAY
Forget complicated lying on International Tongue Twister Day, you have a good excuse to get caught with your tongue in a bunch of knots and that’s certainly the preferable reason over lying.
Tongue twisters were invented as nursery rhymes and they’re quite silly nonsense. Unleash your inner child and forget the hustle and bustle of adult life with these dastardly dramas.
Tongue twisters were originally invented to help children learn speech and pronunciation. and they can also be great tools and pneumonic devices for learning foreign language concepts. Find tongue twisters in another language and get twistin’.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
