They Said I Say | POEM

The transcript explores a series of humorous misunderstandings of common phrases and sayings passed down from a mother to her child. The narrator reflects on their childhood confusion over phrases like 'Where's my hat, I'm going,' 'Take the bagels out of your socks,' and 'Great Scott, you're for the high jump.' These sayings are then humorously passed on to the narrator's own daughter, who similarly questions their meaning. The narrative highlights the generational transmission of language and the humorous misunderstandings that can arise from idiomatic expressions.

What did the narrator's mother mean when she asked for her hat?

• It was a way of saying she was leaving.

• She was looking for a specific hat.

• She was reminding herself to wear a hat.

• She wanted to buy a new hat.

What did the narrator's mother mean by 'Take the bagels out of your socks'?

• She was asking for a snack.

• She wanted the socks to be washed.

• She was talking about wrinkles in socks.

• She was referring to actual bagels.

What was the narrator's confusion about the song 'There is a green hill far away'?

• The hill didn't have a city wall.

• The hill was too far to see.

• The hill was not actually green.

• The hill was in a different country.

What did the history teacher mean by 'Great Scott, you're for the high jump'?

• She was expressing frustration.

• She was referring to a physical activity.

• She was planning a school event.

• She was praising a student named Scott.

How does the narrator's daughter respond to the expression 'Where's my hat, I'm going'?

• She ignores the question.

• She asks where they are going.

• She says they don't have a hat.

• She looks for a hat.