Vocal Impressions: Brando, Channing, Lieberman

by Brian McConnachie, NPR

In "Vocal Impressions," a monthly contest, listeners provide word pictures brought to mind by distinctive voices.

In the latest challenge, listeners said actor Marlon Brando has a rumbling, dry voice and singer and actress Carol Channing sounds like a heavy smoker and a cougher. Listeners found singer-songwriter Dave Matthews' voice sexy and playful, but said Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) sounds boring and squeaky.

This concludes our series. Thanks for all of your submissions.

Marlon Brando

The snake explaining to Eve outside the garden what just happened — John Hirdie

Testosterone on a stick — Adele Satterwhite

An itch that shouldn't be scratched in public ... but is — Daphne Case

A keynote speaker perpetually on the verge of a sneeze — Sky Chamberlain

A slow waltz on the beach in your socks — Jeremy Grem

Someone in a public toilet who finds out too late there is no paper — Nicholas Freidin

The ground that rumbles before the train comes through — Terrena Derby

A ventriloquist throwing his voice into the deep crevices of his own tonsils — Vicky Owens

Mel Blanc doing Shakespeare — Peter Onorati

A moonlit mile of skid marks on a deserted highway — Beth Balter

A rustic sun that bakes the cobblestone road in the middle of Tuscany — Anneliese Harmon

Carol Channing

A gaggle of school girls on an amusement park teacup ride — Beth Blater

The Keebler Elf's wife who chain smokes — Liz Galant

The scary lady with the stinky perfume who always wants to pinch your cheek — Lindsey Osborn

The squeaky wheel that never gets oiled — Annie Kocur

A Care Bear with a licentious past — Lisa Jones

A spilled box of BBs on the glass countertop at the hardware store – Laura Hooning

A head of cabbage as it's being turned into coleslaw – Joe Nicholas

A baby who smoked two packs a day — Brayne Varner

A Persian cat that just heard the juiciest gossip and can't wait to tell the Pomeranian — Jane Hanna

A blond-haired, blue-eyed, pack-and-a-half-a-day smoker — Dave Airozo

The slow leak from the last balloon on New Year's morning — Alan White

Winnie the Pooh trying to cough up a hairball — Jim Young

Joe Lieberman

A flat tire on a Segway — Greg Pyne

A soggy brown paper bag — Tess Wilson

A turtle standing on a stack of telephone books — Tim Rossiter

A grease stain on a new silk blouse — Susan Edwards

Max White [the father character on the TV show Alf] reprimanding Alf for trying to eat the family cat, Lucky — Jami Dennis

The straining engine of a previously owned Yugo — Dave Airozo

An exhausted math teacher who needs to explain what a square is for the Nth time —Nicholas Freidin

A person suggesting we form another committee to look into a "mission statement" after a two-hour meeting — Dina Borzekowski

The fine, boring, important print in your insurance policy — Susan Kunkel

Ben Stein being smothered with a pillow by Ralph Nader — Laura Hooning

A dog's squeak toy after the squeak has been removed — Matt Underwood

The cowardly lion's petite weaselly, older brother — Dawn Francher

A discarded banana peel — Michael Daukrof

Like Gumby and Pokey were his speech therapists — Tina Biegel

Dave Mathews

Brushing against a brick wall in a heavy wool sweater — James Rodgers

The one-night stand you still smile about years later — Krista Burczyk

Old fishing gear discovered at a yard sale — Rex Thomas

Someone trying to whisper a secret who can't quite get the volume right — David Senette

The way your tongue feels after eating a super colossal, giant-size, jumbo supreme Slurpee — Irene Dvoraczky

The sticky sweetness of a ripe peach that runs down your arm when you take a bite — Meagan Callahan

His voice lives at the intersection of playfulness and sex appeal — a Matchbox car being driven over a toned, naked torso. Vroom Vroom. – Deneece Huftalin

That slightly sour-smelling ball of cotton on the top of the aspirin bottle — Laura Hooning

A harmonica playing the kazoo – Jeremy Grem

A cross between Marlon Brando and Otis from The Andy Griffith Show — Hilery Davis

A stream running through a parched desert: unexpected --- Wendy Connolly

A soul-warming sip of smoky scotch from a Baccarat tumbler — Dan Bayer

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, May 26, 2008