Trrrilling Rrrs

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Enrrrique Mas: You can call me... Enrrrrrique! Rrrose: ...no, I don't think I can. —The Golden Girrrls

Forrr added emphasis in yourrr worrrds, speak with rrrolling R's to show yourrr contrrrol overrr yourrr dominion.

Usually the Hammy Evil Overlorrrd will constantly rrroll his tongue. Forrreign People will also speak like this. In some cases justified, as in severrral languages/dialects the R is always prrronounced like this (Rrrrrussian, Spanish, Dutch, some Gerrrman and Trrrransylvanian dialects, and Scots), otherrr than in English. Also frrrequently employed when the speakerrr is rrrelated to felines in some way, imitating a cat's purrrrring.

Not to be confused with the way pirrrates constantly say "Arr!". Compare Sssssnaketalk.

Examples of Trrrilling Rrrs include:

Adverrrtising

• "Rrrrruffles have rrrrridges". You prrrobably have to be of a certain age to rrrremember that ad campaign.
• The Tim Horrrton's Donut/Coffee shop in Canada has an annual contest called "Rrrrrrolll up the rrrrrim to win." Bonus points for those who can rrroll the R's.
• There was a great Taco Bell commercial where these two lions were talking about the latest roast beef burrito. The one said to the other, "No, say it like Ricardo Montalban." So the other lion says, "Okay. Carrrrrrrrrrrrne asada." It was funny.

Anime and Manga

• Keroro Gunsou. Noo prrrrrooblem!
• According to the editor's notes in the Dark Horse Comics translation, Reina Gorn from Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service rolls her Rs to reflect her imperfect Japanese.
• Kamichama Karin gives us Student Council President of Love and Justice, Prince Kirrrrrrrrrrrio!
• Scanty and Kneesocks sure do love their "Rrrrrrrrrrules" RRRRRRUUURRRRRUUU.
  • To the point that the protagonists eventually mock their pronunciation.
• In Fairy Tail, Happy incorporates this trope as part of a Running Gag whenever he lampshades perceived romantic implications between characters.
• Germany from Axis Powers Hetalia has a tendency to trill his r's, especially when he's singing.
  • In the English dub, all the Italy family is prone, but the best is definitely Ian Sinclair as Romano, the hammy incarnation of Southern Italy. PREPARRRE TO MEET YOURRRR BOOORRRRING GOD IN YOURRR BORRRRRRRING GE-AR-MAN HE-A-VEHN
• Franky from One Piece. "Good smell! Frrravor!"
• Onsokumaru from Ninin ga Shinobuden usually tacks these in his lines - as if he wasn't hammy enough.
• The massively hammy introduction of Oda Nobunaga, from Sengoku Basara. (It helps that he's voiced by Norio Wakamoto).
• A fairly mild example pops up a couple times in Michiko to Hatchin to rrrreflect the Porrrtugese language influence in the setting.

Comic Books

• Catwoman tends to do this.
• The villain Katastrophe from Empowered. (It's not an accent, rather him purring to fit in with the sabertooth theme. Although sabertooth tigers probably are unlikely to purr.)

Fan Worrrks

• This Ponyville strip.

Film

• Braveheart: Scottish rebels have routed one of my garrisons and murdered the noble lord.
• What arrrrrrrrrrr ye doin'?
• Superman Returns: Krrrrrrryptonite!
• Grand Moff Tarkin from Star Wars IV. You may fire when rrrrready...
  • Extra ham/elocution points for also pronouncing the "h" in "when".
• Any character played by 1930's actor Herman Bing (who was usually typecast as a comic German foil).
• Street Fighter's M. Bison did this so hammily that it became delicious! I dare you to watch this.
• Could be a drinking game in The Lord of the Rings. Sophisticated characters, like wizards and elves, will have a great go at this; more rustic folk like Hobbits just won't bother. "Morrrdorrr," "A Balrrog of Morrrgoth," "Isildurr's Heirr," etc.
• The Golden Compass: I am queen of the witches of Lake Enarra."

Literrraturrre

• The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland does this.
• In the Heralds of Valdemar series, gryphons both hissss their essess and trill their arrrs. Skandranon can and usually does speak carefully and deliberately to make his speech as articulate as any human's, but when he's tired or angry, or trying to convince someone that he's feeling that way, he reverts.
• Outcast of Redwall gives us the spy Wrrrrrrraith.
• The Lady of the Green Kirtle in The Chronicles of Narnia gets as her introduction: "Good day, t-r-r-avellers," she cried out in a voice as sweet as the sweetest bird's song, trilling her R's delightfully.
• The Grand High Witch from The Witches, along with Vampire Vords; it's said to be derived from a Norwegian accent as witches originated in Norway.
• The Scottish demon in The Screwtape Letters rolls his r's.

Live Action TV

• The Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who turned this into an art form. Which led to extreme Narm when he had to face The Gods Of Rrrrrrragnarrrrok.
• Monty Python's Flying Circus: Gavin Millarrrrr.
• The Two Fat Ladies frequently do this.
• On Batman, King Tut. Also the Joker, particularly when he enunciates "Batman and Robin."
  • Both Catwomen, especially Eartha Kitt.
• Fez on That '70s Show: "You know how he rolls his Rs? He did that in my mouth!"
• In Greetings From Tuscon, a whole episode was primarily on the fact that one the daughters couldn't roll there r's despite being Hispanic.

Music

• The Beatles rrroll up, roll up for the "Magical Mystery Tour".
• Rrrammstein. Even Germans make fun of Till Lindemann's use of overly theatrical rolling R's.
• Gorillaz bassist Murdoc tends to do this in interviews.
• John Lydon from the Sex Pistols. They made you a MORRRRROOOON.
• Miss Lotte Lenya was famous for this.
• Two words: Nina Hagen.
  • Then she goes and covers a Rammstein song, and turns the trilling Up to Eleven by rolling an R for an entire measure.
• Billy Stewart, in "Summertime".
• Japanese singer Shiina Ringo.
• "Shabondama" by Morning Musume.
• IAMX singer Chris Corner often rolls his R's in songs.
• Rin Kagamine. "Don't MyList Me!" It's really subtle, but once you can hear it, it's really awesome.
• Rrrroza Rrrrymbaeva will roll her Rrrrrs a lot, as seen in "Love Has Come". Not that it's a bad thing in any way.
• Eartha Kitt.
• Kraftwerk: "Wirrr sind die Roboterrrrr"
• The Comedian Harmonists, a German a capella band active during the 20's and 30's, because that's how people used to sing back in the time of the Weimar Republic.
  • The Present Day singer Max Raabe, because he is basically a walking homage to the music of that era.

Prrrofessional Wrrrestling

• Alberto Del Rio. Or, as he's introduced by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, Albertooo del Rrrrrrrrriooo.

Rrrecorrrded and Stand-Up Comedy

• The Japanese comedy group Rahmens, in the Italian version of their language-class skit. "Tokyo... Osaka... Ibarrrrrrrrraki!"
• Greg Behrendt once made a joke about how Jesus Christ is always depicted as having rock-hard abs, and he says that he wants to train every day so that he can be "rrrripped, like Jesus."

Tabletop RRRPG

• Paranoia:
  • The Acute Paranoia adventure "Me and My Shadow (Mark IV)" has two encounters with Communists who trill their R's.
  • Clones in Space has the McShmegegus of Shmegego.

"...the shimmerrring currrtains through which ye ha'e passed on yourrr explorrration of the ship."

Theatrrre

• When the Reduced Shakespeare Company assumes fake Scottish accents to perform Macbeth, they inevitably fall back to simply trilling their R's. A lot.

Video Games

• The Legend of Zelda CDI Games: Join me, Link, and I will make your face the grrrrrrreatest in Koridai!
• Zhang Jiao does it in Dynasty Warriors, and the effect is absolutely hilarious.
• And a certain E3 conference gave us Rrrrrrrrrrriiidge Rrrrrrracer!
• Mithra in Final Fantasy XI do this for the most part. So far there's no sign that Miqote will follow suit in Final Fantasy XIV.
• Team Fortress 2: "CRRRRRY SOME MORE!! AAAAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!!! CRRRRRY SOME MORE!!!"
• Your yoo-ay-vee rrrecon is rrready for deployment. UAV online.
• The Great Mighty Poo from Conker's Bad Fur Day does this during his villain song.

Web Comics

• Grim-Eyes in Digger used to do this, especially when dealing with that pesky Earrrrth Rrrrat.
• Homestar Runner: Hilariously subverted in Limozeen's hair metal cover of sloshy's emo hit song "We Don't Really Even Care About You." At one point, Larry Palaroncini sings "We don't rrreally even care," but a minute later changes it to the tongue-twisting "Rrre rrron't rrreally rrreven care!"

Web Orrriginal

• Sir Ron Lionheart: Rrrrupees!

Westerrrn Animation

• Dr. Robotnik from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog does this all the time:

"I'll have to give myself a PRRRRRROMOTION!"

• In Disney's Lady and the Tramp, Jock the Scottish terrier does this (among other times) while he's singing a song: "forrr me own", "back yarrrd".
  • Scrooge McDuck, another Scottish character, often does this on DuckTales (1987).
• In an effort to show how perfect her Spanish is, Peggy Hill does this way too much.
• Principal Luna from Class of 3000 does this, but then again, he's Latino.
• The early Looney Tunes short Daffy Duck in Hollywood features a pig movie director with a thick German accent named von Hemberger, a parody of Josef von Sternberg voiced by Herman Bing (see "Film" above), who keeps doing this.
• Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons:

"Bonjourrrrr...ya cheese eatin' surrender monkeys!"

• The Great Mouse Detective: Ratigan, in his Villain Song.
• The old goose in Charlotte's Web (the animated 1973 film), especially noticable in her part during the "Veritable Smorgasbord" number.
• The "Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie" from My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic.

Rrreal Life

• People from Skåne, Sweden.
  • Also Gothenburgers.
• Norio Wakamoto really loves doing this when he's voice acting... and even when he's not voice acting.
• Adolf Hitler often did it.
• Jon Gaunt.
• Patrrrrick Stewart.
• Brazilian sportscaster Galvão Bueno (yeah, that Galvão) is a great fan of Ronaldo, I mean, RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRONALDINHO! (Anyone who parodies him turns his "Rs" Up to Eleven).
  • Mexican sportscaster José Ramón Jiménez also used to signal the beginning of a match with "¡ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRANCA la primera mitad!".
  • This is actually reflected in the Spanish language alphabet, which has a few consonants alien to English. "R" is almost always read like "tidal", in most (all?) American accents. Nobody everr errs in rreading "Rr".
• One possible way to identify someone from El Salvador is whether or not they roll their "r"s exaggeratedly at the end of sentences that end with words that end in an r. A longer trill correlates with high Salvadoran-ness.
• Jack Black. Through the skies, he flies, he doesn't know the RRRRRREASON why, but he flies... so high... you'll know that it's TRUE!
• Esperanto, the Universal Language is meant to be pronounced with trilled R's, but native English speakers usually omit them.
• Everyone's favorite dirty old little lady, Dr. Rrrrruth Westheimer is known particularly well for this.
• Christopher Lee is famous for this, along with his baritone and cool British accent.
• Björk.
• When the Reduced Shakespeare Company assumes fake Scottish accents to perform Macbeth, they inevitably fall back to simply trilling their R's. A lot.
• Stephen Fry does this on occasion when presenting QI. Brrrrrrilliant!
• Mixed Martial Arts announcer Lenne Hardt's signature announcing style involves rolling every R in each fighter's name, often holding them for several seconds. They didn't call her "PRIDE Crazy Lady" for nothing.
• Cats have these in almost all of their extended vocalizations.