I swear this dog is real

puffy_dog.jpg
puffy dog, Canon Digital Rebel

At this same store in Chinatown, there is also a big black cat with a Hitler mustache. My friend Micki is convinced that he is actually Hitler reincarnated. It’s odd to look at a cat this way. It gives you really mixed up feelings about the cat.

A site where you can hear kids from all over the world make animal and truck sounds. {via Sarah} Have you ever noticed that when you go to a different country they have a different sound for a rooster? Cock-a-doodle-doo just doesn’t translate. In Italy they say, “ki-kiri-ki!”

My personal favorite however, is the Mexican sound for techno music. When I was traveling there, young people would refer to dance music as “Ponchis Ponchis.” I had no idea why until I said {with a Mexican accent} “Ponchis Ponchis Ponchis Ponchis…” several times in a row to a techno beat. Do you see? Try this at home people.

      

26 Comments

  1. amy in paris
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 9:01 am | Permalink

    My French boyfriend and I always make fun of each other’s cock-a-doodle-doo’s. For him and les autres francais, it’s “Co-co-ri-co!”
    Thanks for the laughs!

  2. Posted June 28, 2005 at 9:51 am | Permalink

    I Slovakia we say ki-ki-ri-kiiiiii too :)

  3. Posted June 28, 2005 at 10:01 am | Permalink

    I remember learning that Spanish turkeys don’t say “gobble gobble,” they say “Mayo Junio Julio” (May, June, July) squished together, all real fast. Which actually sounds closer to a turkey warble than “gobble gobble.”

  4. Kate
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 10:42 am | Permalink

    All I remember about Italian roosters is that they sound off at about 3 in the afternoon…for REAL!

  5. Posted June 28, 2005 at 11:23 am | Permalink

    hee!
    Colin and I call it “nnn-tah, nnn-tah” music. :)

  6. morgan
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 12:13 pm | Permalink

    When I was in Japan, my favorite was the pig…and instead of “oink oink”, it is “booo-booo”. Kind of like a horn honking.

  7. Posted June 28, 2005 at 1:23 pm | Permalink

    Those little pomeranians look like teddy bears come to life.
    In Germany they say Kikiriki for roosters as well. I can’t recall what specific animal translations they have, but I know the dog and cat sounds are slightly different as well. Zeroing in on the sounds of a country is an interesting idea. I always think of the ring-ring of British phones, they way Germans say “Hallo” instead of hello, and the gentler sound of European sirens.
    My Mexican father always said “aiyiyi” instead of “ow!” :)

  8. fin
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 2:42 pm | Permalink

    Can I take the dog home?

  9. Kelly
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 3:12 pm | Permalink

    Another good techno sounds is “oonce, oonce, oonce, oonce”.

  10. Darcie
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 5:08 pm | Permalink

    Have you seen Mr. Winkle? (www.mrwinkle.com) That dog looks a lot like him.

  11. Sarah H
    Posted June 28, 2005 at 6:02 pm | Permalink

    Love the picture!
    There are actually a couple of children’s books about international sounds. They’re done by a friend of mine, Linda Sue Park, and you can see them on Amazon. The first is Mung-Mung, and the second is called Yum-Yuck. Yum-Yuck is now one of my nephew’s favorite books…
    Take care,
    Sarah

  12. Posted June 28, 2005 at 8:07 pm | Permalink

    The dog’s cute but I love the shoes!

  13. wilsonian
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 4:14 am | Permalink

    I don’t think that’s a dog… I think that’s a huge dust-bunny that got missed… ;)

  14. mariag
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 8:41 am | Permalink

    In Sweden rooster and chickens, hens and all poultry says
    Kuckeli-Ku
    Pig says Noff – Noff ( but not with a o but an O with dots over it, so it’s more like a mix of O and E)

  15. Theresa
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 9:57 am | Permalink

    I just can’t believe nobody has taken the opportunity to say the word “onomatopoeic”, here. It’s such a great word.

  16. paula
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 10:45 am | Permalink

    in spanish, a kissing noise is “chuac”. i find this endlessly entertaining.

  17. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  18. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  19. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  20. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  21. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  22. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  23. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  24. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  25. Anonymous
    Posted June 29, 2005 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    hungarian roosters say kukur?k? (coo-coo-ree-coo :-) ). and techno music is toots-toots.

  26. Posted June 29, 2005 at 5:18 pm | Permalink

    such a cute dog!
    in russia the cows seem to moo backwards. :)