Maybe We Should Use the Word Amphibian?

I have a friend who tells a story about his son learning a certain word they don't say on network television. As his mother took him through the grocery store, he started yelling the word repeatedly at full volume. His mother smiled and said, "that's right, truck--we saw a truck."

Fiona's a big fan of animals and likes naming as many as she can. Lately, she's figured out what to call those little green animals that ribbit. She shouts out "frog! frog!"

Unfortunately, while she can make the "f" sound, the "r" gets a little lost. And the vowel sound is a little easier to say if you flatten it out, more of an "uh" sound than an "aw". As for the "g"... well, the "g" is solid, but by the time she gets to the "g" you've probably already made up your mind what you think you're hearing.

It's extra fun for everybody, because every green animal, be it frog, lizard or crocodile, is a frog as far as Fiona is concerned. I have a gekko on the shirt I've been wearing to bed lately. There's nothing like picking your daughter up first thing in the morning and having her point at your shirt and, with a big smile, yell out--

Well, you get the idea.