"We can't store the persimmons in the garage," I said to the Mama and the Husband at the lunch table one day. "There's an uh-toot."
The Mama laughed.
"What's that?" the Husband asked.
"A mouse," I said. Most likely I shuddered. Rodents give me the creeps. "Uh-toot in Ilocano means mouse. Right, Mama?"
"Uh-taut," said Mama. "You have a funny pronunciation."
"Uh-toot," I said.
"Uh-taut."
"Uh-toot," said the Husband. "She's saying the same thing."
The Mama smiled.
"Uh-toot," I said. "Be careful. If you say Ah-toot, you're talking about a fart."
That conversation happened a few years back. Recently, I learned that the Ilocano word for mouse is bau, which I never heard the Mama or the Daddy use. I also found out that the spelling for fart is o-t-o-t.
The Mama considered mice as farts. Giggle.
Today is the letter U at ABC Wednesday. Click here to join in and/or check out what other participants are sharing. Thank you, ABCW team!
;-) no matter how the pronunciation.... let's keep those creatures safe
ReplyDeleteHave a nice ABC-day / - Week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-team)
http://melodymusic.nl/a-b-c-wednesday-19-u/
I prefer that these creatures not visit our home. :-)
DeleteI can imagine... me too but on the other hand, if our cat catches one I try to set it free
DeleteYou and your dear 'The Mama' must have had a wonderful relationship she really seemed to have a great sense of humour, who ever heard a mouse fart? But then there was a movie called The Mouse That Roared....so, if a mouse can roar surely it can fart, so as we both have fertile imaginations let's write a sequel..... Yes you've guessed.... The Mouse That Farted and started WW3.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK.. we call farts TRUMPS.... Make of that what you will..
Love n Hugs.
Di.
ABCW team.
Di, the Mama and I had our moments. Hot-tempered ones as well as good ones. Friends and family tell me our fights are part of the mom-daughter thing that was us. I suppose.
DeleteThe sequel would be a blast to write! hahahaha. Perfect name -- Trumps! May these next 4 years not be as bad as we think.
Love your giant mouse picture, hope when you prod it with that utensil it doesn't Ah-toot, and blow you off that table:)
ReplyDeletehahahahhahaha.
DeleteThank you for sharing your family treasure story!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Cloudia. I was the only one who saw the rodents in the garage. Both the Mama and the Husband thought I was seeing things until they started seeing the pellets.
DeleteWonderful folk lore. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI love this and your Mama made me laugh and this was nice to read...thank you
ReplyDeleteThank goodness we have our Mama's stories.
DeleteOur family is very familiar with otot, LOL!
ReplyDeletehahahah. Here an otot. There an otot.
DeleteThe mouse in your artwork does look like capable of everything:) I liked it:):)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amit. I hope to not ever see one that large.
DeleteSo funny! Thanks so much for calling by and commenting on my recent ABC Wednesday post, much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lindy Lou!
DeleteWow!!! Run and take the persimmons with you - THAT is one BIG rodent - whatever we're gonna call it.
ReplyDeleteRodents that I meet are always this BIG!
DeleteI discovered early on that farts are politely called 'toots' in some circles here in Canada. Until I figured it out I thought when they said 'toot' they were talking about blowing your own horn ... which when you think about it, is exactly the same thing!!! :)
ReplyDeletehahahahahaha.
Deletetoot toot!
ReplyDeleteROG, ABCW
Toot!
DeleteThe Mama was right as usual.
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteMy mother helped me to speak Malayan when we lived in Indonesian before the war,but I forgot a lot.
ReplyDeleteWe need that daily usage. I'm missing the Mama's language right now.
DeleteMy mother taught me to speak Malayan when we lived in Indonesia before the war, but I almost forgot everything sadly enough.
ReplyDeleteDear Su-sieee, I wish you lots of great December thoughts, but it will be sad that the Mama is not with you now.
Thank you, Will. Hugs.
Delete