Peggy Babcock
proper noun

- an invented tongue twister intended to create amusement or confusion

Wikipedia

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WORD ORIGIN

Although no one is sure exactly where the tongue twister 'Peggy Babcock' comes from, it's probably best known for appearing on the kids' TV show Razzmatazz in the 1980s. The show hosted a competition where kids had to say ‘Peggy Babcock’ repeatedly in order to win prizes.

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WHY TWIST TONGUES?

Tongue-twister exercises are used in drama practice and by speech therapists to improve pronunciation and fluency. They also help to develop accuracy and fluency for 2nd-language speakers:

- Pronunciation: forces speakers to articulate clearly and precisely

- Intonation: makes speech sound more natural by developing cadence and rhythm

- Accent: helps to reduce slurring, sharpen accents, and thus clearer speech

- Speed: increases velocity by reducing hesitation

- Listening: helps learner to recognize and distinguish between similar sounds

- Vocabulary: broadens language repertoire by introducing new words and idioms

- Retention: supports cognitive health by stretching working memory

- Feedback: promotes learning by quickly exposing errors in pronunciation, cadence, and structure

- Confidence: the satisfaction of mastering a tongue twister boosts confidence in one’s language skills

- Fun: makes learning and practice more light-hearted and enjoyable

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NOW TANGLE YOUR TONGUE

To put these benefits into practice, try out the following tongue twisters. Repeat each one quickly six times.

- Selfish shellfish

- Red lorry, yellow lorry

- The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick

- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

- The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

"Hey Manfred, try to say the name 'PEGGY BABCOCK' six times quickly, without making a mistake?"

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