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?

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

I take attendance by having the students answer a question. I didn't manage to find her last year, so I asked again:

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

The unsure:

• IDK
• who dat
• no idea
• Wonderful question, I'm from the South.

I guess Carmen Sandiego might be a regional/cultural thing.

Some students suggested a good collection of places I'm totally willing to go in an around-the-world montage/vacation:

• Toledo, Spain
• San Jose
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Cornfield, USA (<-- --="" an="" challenge:="" finding="" have="" i="" li="" location="" might="" slightly="" such="" trouble="" underspecified="">
  

on Earth (<-- --="" ditto="" even="" li="" more="" underspecified="">

Gallifrey (<-- --="" a="" challenge:="" challenge="" distance="" expenses="" hugely="" li="" pose="" significant="" still="" time="" travel="" underspecified="">

Swarthmore-specific answers, of course:

• Clothier
• Swarthmore
• Willets 325
• on my comp in 2005
• here<-- attendance="" be="" for="" just="" li="" might="" present="" registering="" someone="">
  
• Bell Tower
• in class

The remaining answers were eclectic. On-topic for Algorithms Award goes to "unsure, but there's probably an algorithm we can use to find out." The Unhelpfullest in Searching Prize is tied between "wherever you look last" and "Have you checked under the couch?" The Trophy of Nerd Supremacy goes to "Schrodinger's Box, with the cat."


This post's theme word is retral (adj), "located at the back" or "backward." The professor calls on the retral students first, so sit near the front!