Monday, April 27, 2009

subtelties of cross-cultural animal sounds

A typical conversation around the dinner table:

AnguBogu: Look, I've got a frog.
Mummy: What do frogs say?
AnguBogu: Quack quack.
Mummy: Ducks say Quack. What do frogs say?
AnguBogu: Quack quack.
Mummy: No, thats what ducks say. Frogs say "ribbit ribbit".
AnguBogu: Quack quack.
Mummy: No, ribbit ribbit.
AnguBogu: Quack quack.
Mummy: Look boy, you're never going to make it in the real world if you go around saying frogs say quack. Thats Israeli. I'm trying to teach you things so you're not going to look stupid out there. Frogs say ribbit.
AnguBogu: Quack quack.
Mummy: [clenches teeth, lowers chin] ribbit ribbit.
AnguBogu: [clenches teeth, lowers chin, moves lips around trying to nail correct aggression level] Quack quack.
Mummy: RIBBIT RIBBIT!
AnguBogu: QUACK QUACK!
Mummy: Ribbit.
AnguBogu: Quack.
Mummy: Ribbit.
AnguBogu: Quack.
Mummy: RIBBIT.
AnguBogu: QUACK.
Mummy: Eat your food.

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