Why did Ylvis use “go” instead of “say” in phrases like “Dog goes 'woof'”?












3















Why did Ylvis use the verb "go" instead of "say" in their song "What Does the Fox Say?"




Dog goes "woof."

Cat goes "meow."

Bird goes "tweet."




Is there some specific meaning for "go"?






lyrics







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Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • 2





    Note that Ylvis is Norwegian; to me, Dog goes "woof" sounds like a non-native-speaker's approximation of a child's book, not something a native speaker would say – the dog goes "woof" or dogs go "woof" would be OK, but this form sounds awkward.

    – 1006a
    2 hours ago











  • @1006a Apparently it doesn't sound awkward to folks in Kentucky: books.google.com/books?id=YSEIPwp0RUsC&pg=PA61

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago











  • @michael.hor257k I'm open to the possibility of dialect differences here, but I'm not sure I'd take the lyrics of an old folk song as evidence for what modern Kentuckians would find acceptable in speech.

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @1006a I was being sarcastic. And we are discussing a song, not speech.

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago
















3















Why did Ylvis use the verb "go" instead of "say" in their song "What Does the Fox Say?"




Dog goes "woof."

Cat goes "meow."

Bird goes "tweet."




Is there some specific meaning for "go"?






lyrics







share|improve this question









New contributor




Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 2





    Note that Ylvis is Norwegian; to me, Dog goes "woof" sounds like a non-native-speaker's approximation of a child's book, not something a native speaker would say – the dog goes "woof" or dogs go "woof" would be OK, but this form sounds awkward.

    – 1006a
    2 hours ago











  • @1006a Apparently it doesn't sound awkward to folks in Kentucky: books.google.com/books?id=YSEIPwp0RUsC&pg=PA61

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago











  • @michael.hor257k I'm open to the possibility of dialect differences here, but I'm not sure I'd take the lyrics of an old folk song as evidence for what modern Kentuckians would find acceptable in speech.

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @1006a I was being sarcastic. And we are discussing a song, not speech.

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago














3












3








3








Why did Ylvis use the verb "go" instead of "say" in their song "What Does the Fox Say?"




Dog goes "woof."

Cat goes "meow."

Bird goes "tweet."




Is there some specific meaning for "go"?






lyrics







share|improve this question









New contributor




Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












Why did Ylvis use the verb "go" instead of "say" in their song "What Does the Fox Say?"




Dog goes "woof."

Cat goes "meow."

Bird goes "tweet."




Is there some specific meaning for "go"?






lyrics




lyrics






share|improve this question









New contributor




Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 19 mins ago









jwodder

638711




638711






New contributor




Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 2 hours ago









Alexey RyazhskikhAlexey Ryazhskikh

1161




1161




New contributor




Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 2





    Note that Ylvis is Norwegian; to me, Dog goes "woof" sounds like a non-native-speaker's approximation of a child's book, not something a native speaker would say – the dog goes "woof" or dogs go "woof" would be OK, but this form sounds awkward.

    – 1006a
    2 hours ago











  • @1006a Apparently it doesn't sound awkward to folks in Kentucky: books.google.com/books?id=YSEIPwp0RUsC&pg=PA61

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago











  • @michael.hor257k I'm open to the possibility of dialect differences here, but I'm not sure I'd take the lyrics of an old folk song as evidence for what modern Kentuckians would find acceptable in speech.

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @1006a I was being sarcastic. And we are discussing a song, not speech.

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago














  • 2





    Note that Ylvis is Norwegian; to me, Dog goes "woof" sounds like a non-native-speaker's approximation of a child's book, not something a native speaker would say – the dog goes "woof" or dogs go "woof" would be OK, but this form sounds awkward.

    – 1006a
    2 hours ago











  • @1006a Apparently it doesn't sound awkward to folks in Kentucky: books.google.com/books?id=YSEIPwp0RUsC&pg=PA61

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago











  • @michael.hor257k I'm open to the possibility of dialect differences here, but I'm not sure I'd take the lyrics of an old folk song as evidence for what modern Kentuckians would find acceptable in speech.

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago






  • 1





    @1006a I was being sarcastic. And we are discussing a song, not speech.

    – michael.hor257k
    1 hour ago








2




2





Note that Ylvis is Norwegian; to me, Dog goes "woof" sounds like a non-native-speaker's approximation of a child's book, not something a native speaker would say – the dog goes "woof" or dogs go "woof" would be OK, but this form sounds awkward.

– 1006a
2 hours ago





Note that Ylvis is Norwegian; to me, Dog goes "woof" sounds like a non-native-speaker's approximation of a child's book, not something a native speaker would say – the dog goes "woof" or dogs go "woof" would be OK, but this form sounds awkward.

– 1006a
2 hours ago













@1006a Apparently it doesn't sound awkward to folks in Kentucky: books.google.com/books?id=YSEIPwp0RUsC&pg=PA61

– michael.hor257k
1 hour ago





@1006a Apparently it doesn't sound awkward to folks in Kentucky: books.google.com/books?id=YSEIPwp0RUsC&pg=PA61

– michael.hor257k
1 hour ago













@michael.hor257k I'm open to the possibility of dialect differences here, but I'm not sure I'd take the lyrics of an old folk song as evidence for what modern Kentuckians would find acceptable in speech.

– 1006a
1 hour ago





@michael.hor257k I'm open to the possibility of dialect differences here, but I'm not sure I'd take the lyrics of an old folk song as evidence for what modern Kentuckians would find acceptable in speech.

– 1006a
1 hour ago




1




1





@1006a I was being sarcastic. And we are discussing a song, not speech.

– michael.hor257k
1 hour ago





@1006a I was being sarcastic. And we are discussing a song, not speech.

– michael.hor257k
1 hour ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















4















go

9. Informal To say or utter. Used chiefly in verbal narration: First I go, "Thank you," then he goes, "What for?"



American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language




Examples that show the usage extends to describing sounds that people, animals or things make:




I fly into JFK

My heart goes boom boom boom

I know that customs man

He’s going to take me

To that little room



from Paranoia Blues by Paul Simon







And the colored girls go

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo



from Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed







share|improve this answer





















  • 5





    A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

    – Robusto
    1 hour ago











  • For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

    – 1006a
    just now



















3














Verbs with very broad meanings like do or go get the sense of "say" in many languages. English uses "go" to mean "say" in very informal speech. There are children's songs about animal sounds that use it in this way.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1





    Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago











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2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









4















go

9. Informal To say or utter. Used chiefly in verbal narration: First I go, "Thank you," then he goes, "What for?"



American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language




Examples that show the usage extends to describing sounds that people, animals or things make:




I fly into JFK

My heart goes boom boom boom

I know that customs man

He’s going to take me

To that little room



from Paranoia Blues by Paul Simon







And the colored girls go

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo



from Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed







share|improve this answer





















  • 5





    A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

    – Robusto
    1 hour ago











  • For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

    – 1006a
    just now
















4















go

9. Informal To say or utter. Used chiefly in verbal narration: First I go, "Thank you," then he goes, "What for?"



American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language




Examples that show the usage extends to describing sounds that people, animals or things make:




I fly into JFK

My heart goes boom boom boom

I know that customs man

He’s going to take me

To that little room



from Paranoia Blues by Paul Simon







And the colored girls go

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo



from Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed







share|improve this answer





















  • 5





    A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

    – Robusto
    1 hour ago











  • For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

    – 1006a
    just now














4












4








4








go

9. Informal To say or utter. Used chiefly in verbal narration: First I go, "Thank you," then he goes, "What for?"



American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language




Examples that show the usage extends to describing sounds that people, animals or things make:




I fly into JFK

My heart goes boom boom boom

I know that customs man

He’s going to take me

To that little room



from Paranoia Blues by Paul Simon







And the colored girls go

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo



from Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed







share|improve this answer
















go

9. Informal To say or utter. Used chiefly in verbal narration: First I go, "Thank you," then he goes, "What for?"



American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language




Examples that show the usage extends to describing sounds that people, animals or things make:




I fly into JFK

My heart goes boom boom boom

I know that customs man

He’s going to take me

To that little room



from Paranoia Blues by Paul Simon







And the colored girls go

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo



from Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed








share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 48 mins ago

























answered 1 hour ago









michael.hor257kmichael.hor257k

12.3k41941




12.3k41941








  • 5





    A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

    – Robusto
    1 hour ago











  • For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

    – 1006a
    just now














  • 5





    A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

    – Robusto
    1 hour ago











  • For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

    – 1006a
    just now








5




5





A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

– Robusto
1 hour ago





A nitpick: "My heart goes boom boom boom" (also seen in Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") is really not something someone said or uttered. If a heart or a drum goes "boom" it's just a sound made by an action. I'd suggest your answer would be improved by a different example.

– Robusto
1 hour ago













For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

– 1006a
just now





For your second set of lyrics, I think "Wheels on the Bus" (the horn on the bus goes beep-beep-beep/the driver on the bus goes 'move on back'/the baby on the bus goes 'wah wah wah') would be an improvement on that example.

– 1006a
just now













3














Verbs with very broad meanings like do or go get the sense of "say" in many languages. English uses "go" to mean "say" in very informal speech. There are children's songs about animal sounds that use it in this way.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1





    Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago
















3














Verbs with very broad meanings like do or go get the sense of "say" in many languages. English uses "go" to mean "say" in very informal speech. There are children's songs about animal sounds that use it in this way.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1





    Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago














3












3








3







Verbs with very broad meanings like do or go get the sense of "say" in many languages. English uses "go" to mean "say" in very informal speech. There are children's songs about animal sounds that use it in this way.






share|improve this answer













Verbs with very broad meanings like do or go get the sense of "say" in many languages. English uses "go" to mean "say" in very informal speech. There are children's songs about animal sounds that use it in this way.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 2 hours ago









jlovegrenjlovegren

12k12143




12k12143








  • 1





    Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago














  • 1





    Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

    – 1006a
    1 hour ago








1




1





Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

– 1006a
1 hour ago





Yes, for example the "speak and say" toy uses "The [animal] goes:" almost as often as "The [animal] says:" (along with variations like "Do you hear the [animal]?" and "Here is a/an [animal]:"). And of course a stereotypical teenage conversation includes sentences like So then he goes "wait, what did the fox say?"

– 1006a
1 hour ago










Alexey Ryazhskikh is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










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