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Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word hmmmm.
Examples
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Thu 11/12/09 1: 45 PM hell ya … Rufus and V that woul dbe cool …. .let Lilly mess up and teh R-man can take V for a ride on the 90′s train evey watch how those two look at each other sometimes …. hmmmm is it the characters or the actors?
'Gossip Girl' recap: Dan, Olivia, and Vanessa get REEEEAAAAALLLLY close | EW.com 2009
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Who Knew - Pink: hmmmm is this who knew what tomorrow would bring?
I am ass Invaded! 2008
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McCain ..... hmmmm ... do not vote for GI bill because it gives to many benefits to soldiers?
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Now They like to change rules again hmmmm, now popular vote counts?
McAuliffe says Clinton staying in, will win popular vote 2008
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Who Knew - Pink: hmmmm is this who knew what tomorrow would bring?
Archive 2008-07-01 2008
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Things that make you go "hmmmm" - HBR Twitter study
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Things that make you go "hmmmm" - HBR Twitter study
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Tradition, the right thing or career ... hmmmm, that is a toughy!
Army Rumour Service 2010
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Tradition, the right thing or career ... hmmmm, that is a toughy!
Army Rumour Service 2010
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Tradition, the right thing or career ... hmmmm, that is a toughy!
Army Rumour Service 2010
reverse commented on the word hmmmm
Andy spells it with four "m"s. I think that's a bit excessive, to be honest.
July 21, 2008
frogapplause commented on the word hmmmm
Four "m"s breaks the RULE OF THREE: the literary principle that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things.
July 21, 2008
bilby commented on the word hmmmm
I'm a four hmmmm-er by birth. I only three hmmm when I'm tired, or when the market rate for the letter m exceeds certain price points.
July 21, 2008
yarb commented on the word hmmmm
Call me fusty, crusty, dusty and musty, but hmmmm is excessive, in my opinion. All things in moderation. Even a hmmm ought to be justified. Often a simple hm will suffice.
July 21, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word hmmmm
I agree, yarb, but you're fusty, crusty, dusty, and musty.
Well, you said to.
July 22, 2008
yarb commented on the word hmmmm
Thank you.
July 22, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word hmmmm
I am usually pretty careful about how many M's I use with my Hm or Hmm. But generally two is enough for almost any purpose. "Hm" is more like a "hmph" without the peevishness, and "hmmm" implies a level of thinking that is not serious enough to be remarked upon.
...Why do I spend time thinking about this stuff?
July 22, 2008
dontcry commented on the word hmmmm
I think three is the right amount to illustrate thinking. More than that and you're being comical (of course, there's nothing wrong with that).
July 22, 2008
plethora commented on the word hmmmm
I agree that four is excessive in most cases. I think two is right for thinking, as in: "Hmm, I think the answer is 42." But three is for questioning, like when someone says something to you and you're only half listening. So it really should be Hmmm?
July 22, 2008
Telofy commented on the word hmmmm
"Why do I spend time thinking about this stuff?" -- cb
First off, I agree with what you figured out about the meanings of "hm", "hmm" and "hmmm" and hence I'm happy my fondness for that word no longer coaxes me to contribute my views.
The importance of this topic I think lies in the interjectional character of that sound: As it has very little of this tangible semantic kind of meaning, the word has great value for pointing out how important this other layer of meaning can be. Perhaps it could be called something like "connotative", but that word I think is not as apt as I would like it to be.
January 27, 2009