Funny, Or Not So Funny, Things Dad Say
2021-06-20
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1And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!
2On this program we explore words and sayings in American English.
3In the United States, we celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday in June.
4So, for today's show we will celebrate fathers, too!
5Now, being a father is no easy task.
6To make it easier, some dads like to make jokes.
7Jokes, of course, are supposed to be funny.
8But Dad jokes are known for being ... not funny.
9They are corny.
10They often result in eye rolls from the children who hear them.
11Many children are embarrassed when they and their friends are subjected to fatherly humor!
12For example, here is a joke my father used to make when I was a child.
13He loved to watch baseball on television.
14If I came between him and the TV, he would say, "You make a better door than you do a window."
15In other words, "I can't see the TV. Move!"
16Little did I know, he is not the only dad to say this.
17To research this story, I searched the web and found several sites that gather dad sayings.
18A list on BoredPanda.com included "you make a better door than you do a window."
19Now, let's talk about work.
20Dads love to say this to any worker in any kind of workplace:
21"So, are you working hard or hardly working?"
22Many, many, many, many children have been embarrassed at stores, restaurants, repair shops ... just about anywhere with that joke.
23Dads have a few sayings they find funny about money.
24If your father gives you a little money, not a lot, he might say, "Don't spend it all in one place!" Or he might tell you to "keep the change!"
25when in fact, there is not much money left over.
26Thanks, dad.
27When it comes to paying a bill, dads' corny side really shines through.
28Before even looking at a bill, they might say something like, "What's the damage?"
29Or they might look at their young children and say, "I hope you brought your money!"
30In life there are few guarantees.
31Thankfully, you can count on a father for many things.
32They are usually there for their children through good and bad times, or through thick and thin.
33You can also count on many fathers to say the same things when they see another man washing a car.
34It is almost guaranteed that he will say one of two things.
35He will either say, "Hey, you can do mine next."
36or "You missed a spot! Ha, ha ...!"
37Oh dad, that's a good one.
38Now, let's talk about departures. When it's time to leave, why just say, "Come on. Let's go..."?
39Dads have so many interesting and really corny ways to say, "It's time to go." Here are just a few:
40"Ready to skedaddle?"
41"Let's rock and roll!"
42"Time to hit the road."
43Some fathers also like to talk as if they were cowboys of the Old West.
44They might say, "Saddle up partners!" "Time to hit the trail!" Another cowboy favorite is, "Let's get the heck out of Dodge!"
45The saddle is a seat for a horse rider. So, to saddle up means to get ready to go.
46And the saying, "Let's get the heck out of Dodge!" means to escape a place quickly.
47Dodge City is a town in Kansas created in the 1800s.
48The frontier town saw lots of danger and action in its early days, including shoot-outs between lawmen and criminal groups passing through.
49However, Dads who have never been on a horse nor have been to Dodge can use these expressions.
50And remember, you don't have to be a father to use any of these expressions.
51Just know that if you do, expect a few eye-rolls in your general direction.
52And that's it for this Words and Their Stories. Time for us to skedaddle!
53Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English! On this program we explore words and sayings in American English. 2In the United States, we celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday in June. So, for today's show we will celebrate fathers, too! 3Now, being a father is no easy task. To make it easier, some dads like to make jokes. 4Jokes, of course, are supposed to be funny. But Dad jokes are known for being ... not funny. They are corny. They often result in eye rolls from the children who hear them. Many children are embarrassed when they and their friends are subjected to fatherly humor! 5In the way of the television 6For example, here is a joke my father used to make when I was a child. He loved to watch baseball on television. If I came between him and the TV, he would say, "You make a better door than you do a window." In other words, "I can't see the TV. Move!" 7Little did I know, he is not the only dad to say this. To research this story, I searched the web and found several sites that gather dad sayings. A list on BoredPanda.com included "you make a better door than you do a window." 8Now, let's enjoy some other common and corny sayings among fathers. 9Work 10Now, let's talk about work. Dads love to say this to any worker in any kind of workplace: "So, are you working hard or hardly working?" Many, many, many, many children have been embarrassed at stores, restaurants, repair shops ... just about anywhere with that joke. 11Money sayings 12Dads have a few sayings they find funny about money. If your father gives you a little money, not a lot, he might say, "Don't spend it all in one place!" Or he might tell you to "keep the change!" when in fact, there is not much money left over. 13Thanks, dad. 14When it comes to paying a bill, dads' corny side really shines through. Before even looking at a bill, they might say something like, "What's the damage?" Or they might look at their young children and say, "I hope you brought your money!" 15Cars 16In life there are few guarantees. Thankfully, you can count on a father for many things. They are usually there for their children through good and bad times, or through thick and thin. 17You can also count on many fathers to say the same things when they see another man washing a car. It is almost guaranteed that he will say one of two things. He will either say, "Hey, you can do mine next." or "You missed a spot! Ha, ha ...!" 18Oh dad, that's a good one. 19Time to go! 20Now, let's talk about departures. When it's time to leave, why just say, "Come on. Let's go..."? 21Dads have so many interesting and really corny ways to say, "It's time to go." Here are just a few: 22"Ready to skedaddle?" 23"Let's rock and roll!" 24"Time to hit the road." 25Some fathers also like to talk as if they were cowboys of the Old West. They might say, "Saddle up partners!" "Time to hit the trail!" Another cowboy favorite is, "Let's get the heck out of Dodge!" 26The saddle is a seat for a horse rider. So, to saddle up means to get ready to go. 27And the saying, "Let's get the heck out of Dodge!" means to escape a place quickly. Dodge City is a town in Kansas created in the 1800s. The frontier town saw lots of danger and action in its early days, including shoot-outs between lawmen and criminal groups passing through. 28However, Dads who have never been on a horse nor have been to Dodge can use these expressions. 29And remember, you don't have to be a father to use any of these expressions. Just know that if you do, expect a few eye-rolls in your general direction. 30And that's it for this Words and Their Stories. Time for us to skedaddle! 31Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 32Do you have common "dad expressions" in your language? Do you have a favorite dad joke? Share them in the Comments Section. 33Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. 34_____________________________________________________________ 35Words in This Story 36corny - adj. so simple, sentimental, or old-fashioned as to be annoying 37eye roll - n. an upward turning of the eyes especially as an expression of annoyance, exasperation, disbelief, etc 38embarrassed - v. feeling or showing a state of self-conscious confusion and distress 39guarantee - n. a promise that something will happen or be done 40departure - n. the act of leaving a place especially to start a journey 41skedaddle - v. to leave immediately 42trail - n. a route that someone follows to go somewhere or achieve something : a path through a forest, field, etc.