What did you say? 13 May 2014

Yesterday I had an advising appointment with our Associate Dean and a master's by research student. The Associate Dean is a distinguished guy, in his 50s, I'd guess, gray hair and the tortoiseshell glasses and always wearing a button up shirt with a sweater or sport coat. Very dapper and a lovely guy - he's was on the hiring committee for my position and has been supportive of me in all kinds of ways since I arrived.

So we're sitting in my office waiting for the student to arrive and he asks me (as everyone in the college does when they see me) how the move to a fully online degree is going. We chatted a bit about that and he said, "Don't we have a presentation with [our external partner] and the Dean sometime in the next week or so?"

"Yep," I responded.

"So what will that be about, do you think?"

"I think it's just a dog and pony show," I said.

Long pause.

"A what? What did you say?"

"A dog and pony show - you know, where they parade all their good stuff for us. Do you not know that expression?"

Then he started to laugh. "I thought you said 'Porno show.'"

"Ohmigod. Well, that might be more interesting than the actual meeting they have planned..."

And then we were both laughing.

He continued, "I thought you said, 'It's going to be a doggone porno show.' I love that North American accent, but it might get you in trouble."