Tuesday 12 January 2010

Not clueless

English is a funny old language. There are so many phrases that are grammatically correct, but we just never say them.

Yesterday afternoon, I was musing over (ok, I was being dragged by the arm and being encouraged to think about) what had happened to the playmobile pirate's sword. The boys were looking for it and I was muttering darkly that I didn't have a clue what had happened to the sodding thing but it would be certain to turn up piercing my foot shortly. Luke stopped me in my tracks, excitement filling his little face.

'Mummy! I have a clue!'

Why do we not say that more often? Why do we never have a clue, but seldom have one? I think I prefer the toddler take on it. I shall be endeavouring to have a clue more often. It is much more fun that way.

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Victoria, over at It's a Small World After All, is planning a round the world trip with her three children, they have just bought the tickets and everything. Getting into the swing of this travel thing, she is hosting a travelling with children carnival, complete with the horror stories of getting children from a to b with sanity far from intact, clothes vomited on and not enough time to go for a pee without small people opening the cubicle door. There are some brilliant reads, in an oh please let that not happen to me kind of way.

12 comments:

Victoria said...

Thank you on two counts: the first one for publicising my carnival and the second one, because you've just reminded me that I promised Dickon I'd take a Playmobil knights' sword to nursery when I pick him up in 5 minutes. His knight is currently swordless, which as we know, simply will not do...

Michelloui said...

I love it! 'I have a clue!' I think it sounds sweet, a child saying it but I also think it is a great phrase--you're right, it should be used more often. I shall endeavor to use it at least once by Friday.

WeDoAdventure said...

On the subject of travel and the interesting things children say I present this tale from my brother's recent arrival at a very windy Dubrovnik airport. As he was trying, unsuccessfully, to reassure his wife that the extreme shaking of the plane, and frequent, violent changes in the position of the it's flaps was, in fact, perfectly normal his eldest son, aged 4, turns to them with a big grin announcing: this is fun for boys!

They landed safely but she needed brandy before bedtime!

nappy valley girl said...

And this is why I hate Playmobil. It is just too bloody SMALL and should not be allowed until they are over the age of about 10, when they can play properly with it without losing it. Ditto small pieces of grownup Lego.

My children go around writing 'clues' in notebooks - or pretending to, as they can't write. I think they got this from a programme called Blue's Clues which is on here.

Footballers Knees said...

Ah, just wait until they start losing the expensive stuff...and they have No clue!

Jean said...

I used to work with someone who would say "I could care less" instead of 'couldn't' and it never seemed to make any sense to me. If he could care less, doesn't that mean he cares a lot?

Iota said...

"I have a clue."

I'd never thought of that.

Cluedo in America is called Clue. Of course that misses the clever pun on the word Ludo, but since they don't call Ludo Ludo either, it doesn't really matter. They call it Sorry. And that means that they miss the cleverness of Ludo being Latin for "I play". Oh my goodness. I'm feeling *sorry* for them even as I type. All those missed allusions.

A Modern Mother said...

My daughters come up with some real crackers, but she is still clueless.

Dorset Dispatches said...

Victoria - hope you find it. There is a special place in hell for playmobile swords... mine are all there.

Michelleoui - why don't we say it? Hope you use it.

WDA - Your poor sister in law. Does she have any daughters in her life to keep her sane?

NVG - I have a love hate relationship with it. Hate that it ends up in my feet all the time, love that they boys will play with it for hours.

FK - scary thought!

not supermum - confusing. You are right though, it means that he does care. Surely?

Iota - never thought of Ludo meaning I play in Latin. That Latin GCSE gone to waste then!

MM - tee hee.

WeDoAdventure said...

No - just two 'daddy's boys'!

Unknown said...

My 4 year old has banned me from saying 'dead right', apparently God doesn't like it??

Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heels said...

LOL - I love it when they come up with perfect sentences that sound kind of out of place in their little voices. IIt's surreal and hilarious at once :-D