Words to Live By

Until quite recently Bar has confined his use of language to six words.   What I admire, though, is his ability to communicate fully with just those words.  He's great with inflection.   Each word can be both a statement and a question and, with that versatility, he pretty much covers all his bases.
Bar:  Mum?
Me: Yes, Bar?
Bar:  Cheese?
Me: You'd like some cheese?
Bar:  That.
Me:  Ok, I'll get you some cheese.  Here you go.
Bar: Mum!  Cheese.  This.
Me:  Yes, Bar.  Cheese.  It's good.
Bar:  Cheese.  Mum?
Me:  Yes, Bar?
Bar:  Cat! Cat, cat, cat.  Cat cheese?
Me:  No, Bar.  The cat does not want cheese. (This has been recently proven untrue.  The cat does, indeed, want cheese.  A lot.)
Bar:  That.
If you ask me, that's a pretty durned elegant use of the English language.


However, Bar has finally decided that he does need more than his six essential words for living (mum, dada, cat, this, that, cheese) and has been working on words that express his deep and undying love of things that go and food.  So, he has chosen 'backhoe' and 'potato.' Pronunciation is still an issue though.  A fly on the wall in my house would hear the following conversation at least 741 times a day.
Bar: Cock!
Me: Truck, Bar.  Backhoe.
Bar: Cockho!
Bar: Mum?
Me: Yes, Bar?
Bar: (growling as if possessed by Lucifer) Ta-to.  TATO!
Me: Potato.
Bar: Cock!  TatotatotaoTA-TO!

A somewhat less elegant use of English, but a no less effective one.