Dog as a Second Language
Yesterday, I offered a little ditty to help us all get through Monday. Today, I have a little joke for you. If we get past Monday and Tuesday, then we should be able to get past hump day, right? Hump day is what we informally call Wednesday. A hump is a round area that is higher than the area around it. If you encounter (meet) a hump in a road, you’ll need a little extra gas to get over it. (A hump is also what’s on the back of some animals, like camels (see photo).) If we can get past Wednesday, the hump, than the rest of the week will be a cinch (something easy to do).
Here’s a little language joke, which also helps to explain why Cody was looking for Jeff and how he knew about ESL Podcast.
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There was a mother mouse who was scurrying (running quickly) across the kitchen floor with her six little mice in tow (following). All of a sudden (suddenly), she came eye-to-eye with a very large and very mean-looking cat. Mother mouse was terrified (very afraid)! But she pulled herself up to full height (stood up as tall as she could) and said at the top of her lungs (as loudly as possible), “Bow Wow!”
The cat nearly jumped out of his skin (was very shocked, very scared) and in the blink of an eye (immediately; very quickly) ran up a tree two blocks away. Meanwhile, mother mouse gathered her little ones around her and explained, “Now, my dears, you see what I’ve always told you about the importance of learning a second language!”
* “Bow wow” or “woof woof” is the way we represent in English the sounds a dog makes when “speaking.” Of course, it’s different in every language.
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I wish you a good and easy Tuesday!
~ Lucy
Reader comments (19)
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So funny! I wish all of you a good Hump day, because here in Brazil Tuesday is finishing.
Hi guys ,I wish you all a happy new year
It’s funny! If we get past Monday ,Tuesday then we should be easy to get past hump day. It’s the same thing in my country,but express in different language. It is almost finnishing a whole week when past hump day.We all have a relax weekend again and can do everything what we like to do. I am getting through Wednesday now. Lucky for everyone this day!
Thank you Lucy! I love very much your sense of humor and, specially, your kindness.
Very funny!
I liked the joke Lucy. I hope you and Jeff are having a good week. I always stop by to read your blog.
Hi Lucy,
You explained the reason that why Cody was looking for Jeff to learn a second language, that’s so funny! Well, I guess he may learn from Jeff what the sound of a tiger represent in English!!! That might be helpful when he is facing another brave mother mouse…
May you a nice hump day!
Hua from China
hump day is almost over now and cinch day is coming. and weekend. it was really hard week for me.
thank you for joke Lucy!. That make me relax.
Hi Jeff,
In Cafe 224, you pronounced the word “baggy” twice in different accents. But as a second language learner, I can’t hear the difference (is it the tone?). Could you explain more about midwestern accent in pronouncing this word? (that sounds cool and I want to imitate 😉
this story i have heard several months ago,as though i always feel that it is very funy,.today is thursday in china.i feel more relax than before two days,it is real fact,if we get past monday tuesday and we will be able to get though wednesday
It was really niece, good jok with excellent pharses and new expressions for me, for me days pass in the blink of my eyes, due to i am working everyday through eight in morning to five and thrity after sun sit , at evening a give myself some times off as creative time i am listening to some podcasts and do some reading or doin some translation.however since i branch out and find my own niche in business as a translator and project writer in new job espcially this week i am quiet busy and feel becoming more creative and enlightening person.but i don’t want to pull myself up to full height and stand in the crowd as soon as i could , and work keen and rush and scurring during work time.
Hi ! I love very much the animals . It is a pleasure for me to read stories for children . Unfortunately , too difficult for me in English . All is unknown : plants , animals , birds …and all these onomatopoeia …
It is cool the idea with “dog as a second language “. Indeed funny . Thank you . Sometimes my pronunciation can sound like an onomatopoeia.
All the best for you all ,
Tania
Hi thank you Lucy.
My mind is clear now, as I know why I am learning English for so long time.
I want to do as the mother mouse did and following her teaching I am doing dayly efforts to say extrange sounds that can scare other people if they wanted to do something wrong with me.
But it is really difficult I need to have an English mouth that I haven´t to shout so extrange and difficult sounds.
Yes, I only have a Spanish mouth and a tongue and they hurt doing that kind of efforts.
Incredible nice story Lucy, it´s really amusing.
But be in mind that an Esglish dog doesn´t understand Spanish words or either by the contrary.
Some english friends adopted a dog who was in the street in Torrevieja (Alicante) and when they said something to the poor dog in English ….the dog didn´t mean to understand anything.
But when they used some Spanish words, the dog started to understand the orders and doing what it was requested.
Conclusion, it was a Spanish dog than didn´t learn English before.
This is a real true story and I have the opportunity of watching it.
Attagirl Lucy,
Lucy , you are funny.once,I pegged you as a very strict and stickler woman.you proved me wrong sis.ha ,you are funny
I like it.
Man,every single time you get me Lucy with something interesting and new.
You and Jeff are perfect match,Teaching wise
you guys make a perfect colleages.
What else you have hiding under your sleeve.
Thanks for pumping up smile into the abject misery I live in!
Thanks my mystique prof
You know what Lucy ,
it takes two to tongo!
And,You and Jeff are gliding all over the Eslpod.never excercise authority,yet you have everything pulled together.
who are you people,perefectionist perhaps.
Indeed Eslpod is a grip!
Dear Lucy,
what kind of poem is a futurist poem,I have a vauge memory of you breaking it down in one of English Cofe.I used The site search engine.nothing came up.
Could you indulg us.
Of course ,if you see fit
yours truely ,
Peter
Emiliano,
I have no business giving you some advice. But, take it from me, honesty always ward con people off!
I am telling you bro ,it is exactly what it takes.
You struck me as an upstanding person.that will do it my friend; that will do it!
[correction:you strike me as a upstanding guy]
I learned that kind of correcting note from the Learning Guids
Eslpod is perfect, but Jeff and Lucy truely outdo themsleves at the Learning Guids
The Learning Guid is a whole another level ( perfect)
I am not angling for( butter up) any body. I just called it as I saw it
Indeed ,the Learning Guid is unbeatable!
Thanks Jeff for the phenomenon -that is, The Learning Guid.
drinking & posting…..what a dangerous business!