Yes, I have heard that description. The low rumble thunder is particularly perplexing to me.
What may make understanding difficult is that we don’t have an idea of the air masses being moved.
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The loud booming or rumbling sound caused by a flash of lightning. When lightning strikes, it instantly superheats the surrounding air to extreme temperatures, causing the air to expand rapidly and create a powerful shock wave that travels to our ears.
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It is said that you never hear the thunder crack from the lightning bolt that kills you…
Lightning moves at the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second…
whereas thunder moves at the speed of sound around 750 miles an hour.
You can count the seconds between the flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder to determine how far away the storm is…186,000 divided by 750 divided by 60 seconds = about 4 seconds per mile. I think… 
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Tell me is that the same as a tummy rumble before a fart? 
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I’m just glad thunder and lightening is still in MPH 
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When I was around 6 years old my Mum told me that the thunder was caused by God banging a drum - at 79 I have no reason to disbelieve my Mum 
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I always remember my grandmother who would cover all the mirrors, turn off and unplug the ariel from the telly and turn off as many lights as she could whenever there was a thunderstorm, thinking it would attract lightening.
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My Grandmother did the same @Graham she would cover all of the mirrors whenever there was a thunder storm.
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Why would you want to understand the thunder?
It might mean you getting the “Clap” 
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Ditto!
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Thunderclap Newman? 
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AI Overview
“The clap” is a common slang name for Gonorrhea, a bacterial sexually transmitted infection It infects moist areas of the body like the genitals, rectum, and throat, and it is easily cured with antibiotics.
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Thunderbags. n.
An older Australian colloquial term for men’s underwear.
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And of course Thunderbox!
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Not a bad idea considering that there often was no lightning arrester nor earthwire.
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Mum also opened the back door to let the thunderbolt out.
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I was told as a child that it was God moving furniture around. 
Over here, I’ve heard a myth about throwing a metal spoon outside your house, onto the ground, to stop the lightning from entering.
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Or 299,338 km per second now that we are System International !!!
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