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About this sound

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A quick string pluck, metal clank and vibrating boing from the 1941 Mickey Mouse cartoon Lend a Paw, used for cartoon slips, bounces and silly impacts.

This is a very short cartoon sound effect built from three hits in rapid succession: a tight string pluck, a light metallic clank, and a springy vibrating boing that wobbles as it fades. The whole clip lasts only a fraction of a second, so it lands like a punctuation mark rather than a scene. It makes a small physical action feel elastic and exaggerated, as if an object has snapped, bounced, or recoiled on screen. Editors use that instant springy tail to sell a slip, a bonk, or a goofy reaction without needing any dialogue or music underneath it.

The effect comes from the classic cartoon era and is listed as appearing in the Mickey Mouse short Lend a Paw, released October 3, 1941. It later circulated as part of the Hollywood Edge sound effects library under a stretch and whiz bonks collection, which helped preserve the pluck, clank and boing combination for modern editors. Because vintage cartoon sounds were widely reused in television, games and online videos, this tiny hit survived as a go-to shorthand for elastic physical comedy long after its original short.

Pro Tip for Usage

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Place the clip right on the frame of contact so the pluck starts the gag, the clank hits the impact, and the boing rings over the recoil. Keep it dry and upfront, and do not stretch it or loop it, the joke is its brevity.

Use Cases

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  • Add to a cartoon slip for instant springy impact.
  • Punctuate a tiny bonk in a funny edit.
  • Layer over a bouncing object in animation.
  • Drop under a goofy recoil or snap gag.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the String Pluck Clank and Vibrating Boing sound?
It is a very short cartoon sound effect that combines a plucked string, a metallic clank and a springy vibrating boing in quick succession, creating a tiny elastic impact for slips, bounces, bonks and other silly physical gags in edits.
Where is this sound from?
The clip is listed as coming from the Mickey Mouse cartoon Lend a Paw, released in 1941. It was later included in the Hollywood Edge effects library, which is why the same classic pluck and boing is heard in modern videos.
How do creators use this boing sound effect?
Creators place it exactly on a hit, bounce or recoil moment so the sound sells the motion in under a second. It works best dry and short, under animation, meme cuts and slapstick reactions where dialogue would slow the joke down.

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