Monday, September 11, 2017

What does the fox say?

I take attendance by having the students answer a question. Today's timeless question was:

What does the fox say?

I ask because I actually do not know the answer --- are foxes one of those animals that emits a human-like scream? I have a vague memory of learning something like this. One student confirmed: "It sounds like children crying and is super creepy."

Many people answered with onomatopoeia or other sounds:

  • ahhhhhhhh!
  • moo
  • ughh
  • screaming in the Crum
  • WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA
  • meow
  • ring ding ding ding ding ga ding
  • "..."
  • qwak
  • bleh
  • oo
  • wah
  • nati nati nati noo
  • QUACK!
... of which my clear favorite is the callback reference that foxes make "Bluth family chicken noises" (reference).

Then there were the replies that suggest the fox can speak (sometimes at length):
  • noooooooooooooo
  • I'm sleepy
  • suhhh, dude
  • bird
  • Hello I am a fox
  • stop talking about me
Then there were the editorial answers, describing what the fox says rather than rendering what the fox says:
  • nothing
  • It's Monday, the fox is still sleeping
  • Too much annoying stuff
  • Isn't there a song about this?
  • This song was way too popular
  • I disagree. This song was not popular enough and we should bring it back.

This post's theme word is bombilate, "to make a humming or buzzing noise." The fox snuck up on me without bombilating! -- how is that even possible?

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