Jerry Lewis - The Announcer's Test

From the 1990 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four Limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alverzo's tweezers
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array
Eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt
Nine apathetic, sympathetic, diabetic old men on roller skates, with a marked propensity towards procrastination and sloth
Ten lyrical, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deep who all stall around the corner of the quo of the quay of the quivery, all at the same time.

[@mymistydaydogs]

Let it be known that Jerry also never forgets a name. Once he's introduced he will remember forever. He once personally said Good Night to all 70+ film crew staff BY NAME to whom he'd met only that morning.

[@shepburn4755]

I learned it on Creative Dramatics class in sophomore year in college back in 2973. Our Professor told us once we learned it, we'd never forget it. He was right. People are so impressed with my memory skills in my 70s.

[@charlotte-wr7ji]

My dad taught me this when I was six and now its stuck in my head eternally lol

[@7nealfreedman]

Me too!

[@debbiedoherty2327]

Mine also! I'm a nanny and I teach it to some of my brighter kids...lol

[@e.l.s.3048]

So did mine.

[@HeartMindConnection]

Me 5! Just posted a video of me doing it while juggling on my channel...

[@User31452]

ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@emilym8571]

Had to memorize this on long car rides growing up except my Dad's version had "10 pregnant penguins placidly pushing perambulators passed paradise pond."

[@emmarubin4302]

I have to memorize this and perform it in my drama class

[@bp_cherryblossomtree723]

Same

[@Cricket-zp6wi]

I learned this--set to music, yet--when I was a counsellor at summer cam, ever so many years ago. It became an earworm!

[@soidog10]

I memorized this bit when I was 12 yrs old after watching Lewis do it on the Carson show. Some things you never forget.

[@elnirbok]

That's when I memorized it too. I can still do it even though I'm old and my memory's not what it used to be.

[@terrymay2000]

Me too. I was fascinated and determined to memorize it. Do I correctly remember him doing it 2 nights in a row? I love it and I still think of it from time to time. Glad to see the to here although I would love to see it on the Tonight Show.

[@terrymay2000]

Jerry did this when he hosted the Tonight Show. I memorized it and still remember it to this day. I'm now 75.

[@djmammo9826]

He and Ed did it together didn't they?

[@terrymay2000]

@djmammo9826 I truly don't remember. Sorry.

[@Maltsky3773]

I love this. I memorized this years ago.

[@DrBeah]

I saw this as a kid and the next day all the guys were trying to repeat it!

[@Tinkerellastreasuretrunk]

Classic !!!!!!!!! ❤❤❤RIP Jerry

[@Mickkie]

My dad taught this limerick to all 6 of his children when were very, very young- er😊
Many, many, MANY moons ago😊😊

[@bobzani]

It's not a limerick.

[@Mickkie]

​@@bobzani:Agreed and correct. It is a tongue twister. Haven't heard it in ages.

[@kylecarson5723]

and a partridge in a pair tree

[@veganioan]

you are funny. :))

[@jebVlogs556]

​@@veganioanhe said .."hold my 🎤..
And I was like "oh 🤣 he about to blow their minds 😅

[@sparroweyy]

I love this thing!

[@sarazentner2319]

Memorized that in school

[@yelsewx1f]

I remember this from the Late 50's, early sixties listening to Juicy Brucie on WBZ in Boston, I live in southwest Pa. I listened on a small transistor radio, I also listen to The Chicken Man on the same station, what good memories from my child hood. I am now 70 years old

[@MWGAdalius]

No. 6 is now modifying the number of groupings (pairs) ergo pairs is pluralized. See Garner’s Modern American Usage (3rd ed.), Fowler’s Modern English Usage (rev. 3rd ed.) and several other key books related to the proper grammatical use of the language. While using the singular '6 pair' is considered acceptable, pairs is still the 'more correct' usage.

[@tpirfan2004]

I love how the audience ALWAYS would applaud when he got to the eighth or ninth part, BEFORE he finished off the 10th. lol.

[@sofa101]

about a month ago, i found this through a random tiktok and learned it by heart in 2 and a half school periods

[@chewytoffee2002]

I have to memorize this for theatre

[@MrAdriancooke]

Is anyone else over 60 having trouble learning/remembering this?

[@fidopapoi7792]

I wanted to meet him since I was a child...dream never came true ☹️

[@griffredux9966]

They do this at our Boy Scout camp every Summer :)

[@alecboi777]

We do it every campout during the campfire

[@SuperChampionRocker]

I have a vague memory of seeing this long ago.

[@bitsy_0523]

I was once told this test is supposed to be done all in one breath every reset which is a way harder challenge. Basically ur only allowed to breathe every once before u say the first line “One hen…” and then it repeats until u can say the whole entire thing in one breath.

[@angelgonazlez4019]

Cool

[@GRice999]

It's supposed to be an announcer's test. An announcer should know that quay is pronounced "kee", not "Kway". Placing quay between quo and quivery was probably meant to trip up someone reading the test.

[@matthewheim3853]

My program director at summer camp did this.

[@tpirfan2004]

Actually, my friend, this is from the 25th Anniversary show in 1990. I know from the set design. Regardless, classic JL. Thanks for posting!

[@CaptainOT]

We stand corrected - thanks for the info TPIR!

[@snuggletiger]

Funniest thing I think Lewis has ever done.

[@daffertube]

They taught us this at comedysportz improv. Today I remembered part of it and had to refresh my memory. It took me 15 minutes of attempting it before I could get the whole thing without failing.

[@g080870]

I LOVE:):)

[@deltaesteril59]

😂😂😂

[@joyousbloom731]

to make the 'kw' sound

[@girliestudios627]

I’m can do it without looking at the words

[@PhosphorDigital]

I first learned this when I was about 16, in 1975, from the Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan from the pop band The Turtles) album "Illegal, Immoral, and Fattening." I can still rattle it off at breakneck speed.
TBH, Jerry's version is a little slow and lame-ish. The point is to spit it out quickly, without tripping over your tongue.
I'll cut him some slack in this one, since he'd been up long hours, was a smoker, and was probably tired.

[@anonyanonymous1900]

Phos.... FourDots Originally, the point of it was actually to test for a subject’s breath control. You were supposed to do it in such a way that you could do the entire thing in one breath but not sound rushed to a listening ear, as part of a radio announcing exercise.

[@MrJbrown1014]

my dad had me memorize this when i was 5

[@akizmetkat999]

its one thing to memorize it when you're 5. its quite another to do it when you're 65!!!!

[@jasonbeard4713]

Once again, he did it just to say "Look at me, doing something you'll never master!!"

[@kalebkoch9134]

okaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy

[@cheyennelawson8923]

i know how to say it verey fast

[@Riordan37]

He messed up he says "6 pairs" when it's six pair

[@cjaquilino]

This definitely influenced George Carlin's "Modern Man" routine.

[@blackcitroenlove]

He still has a New York accent. An announcer will have no accent, speaking in Standard American English or Received Pronunciation.

[@mrfarina1474]

but new york accents are good

[@emilym8571]

Love the Brooklyn accent, especially the corpulent part!

[@CaptainOT]

Jerry was born and raised in Newark. Any differences in accent?