Strč prst skrz krk ( ˈstr̩ʧ ˈpr̩st ˈskr̩s ˈkr̩k ) - patter in Czech and Slovak languages, means "stick your finger through the throat."
It has no vowels ; all four words are monosyllabic, the apex of each syllable is the syllable sonant [r]. The presence of syllabic sonants is a characteristic feature of some Slavic languages, in particular Czech and Slovak; so the patter illustrates it.
This phrase is the motto of the Swiss newspaper Distinction ( ) [1] . T-shirts are sold in the Czech Republic with this patter.
“Strč prst skrz krk” is one of the most famous phrases in Czech and Slovak languages, it is included in many grammars of these languages. The phrase is present, for example, already in the “Czech grammar”, published in Russian in 1852 .
The second most popular Czech patter without vowels is even more complex: "Prd krt skrz drn, zprv zhlt hrst zrn", meaning "He smelled a mole through turf, after eating a handful of grains first," or literally "He farted a mole through grass, first swallowing a handful of grains."
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Other Czech patters without vowels
- Strč čtvrtʼ prst skrz hrst
- Mlč, strč čtvrtʼ prst skrz hrst
- Prd krt skrz drn, zprv zhlt hrst zrn
- Smrž pln skvrn zvlhl z mlh
- Chrt pln skvrn zdrhl z Brd.
- Chrt pln skvrn vtrhl skrz trs chrp v čtvrť Krč, prv zhltl čtvrtʼ hrst zrn.
- Chrt pln skvrn zhltl hrst zrn.
- Plch zdrhl skrz drn, prv zhltl hrst zrn, škrt.
- Chrt pln skvrn zhltl hrst zrn.
- Vlk pln žbrnd zdrhl hrd z mlh Brd skrz vrch Smrk v čtvrť srn Krč.
- Chrt zdrhl z Brd. Vtrhl skrz strž v tvrz srn, v čtvrť Krč. Blb! Prskl, zvrhl smrk, strhl drn, mrskl drn v trs chrp. Zhltl čtvrthrst zrn skrz krk, pln zrn vsrkl hlt z vln. Chrt brkl, mrkl, zmlkl. Zvlhls?
Other Slovak tongue twisters
- Strč štvrťprst skrz hrsť
- Mlč, strč prst skrz štvrťhrsť, chrt.
See also
- Shibboleth
- Concordance
Notes
- ↑ La Distinction, revue de critique sociale, politique, littéraire, artistique, culturelle et culinaire (Fr.) . La Distinction. The date of circulation is September 10, 2015. Archived on May 29, 2012.