08 July 2009

Don't misunderestimate your children

I was reading a Wallace and Gromit story to my (now 5-year-old) son, and he energetically pointed out

son Look, a grandfather clock!
me Yes, that's a grandfather clock. It's about to fall on top of Wallace!
Wallace That's just the thing, my lad, we'll have to turn back the clock ...
son What's "turn back the clock" ?
me Well, suppose something happened yesterday that you weren't happy about, so you decide to <blah blah long-winded explanation of expression with digression into the role of metaphor in language>
son Oh, you mean he builds a time machine?

Duh. I should have realised time travel is a standard part of every 5-year-old's vocabulary.