There is an old joke doing new rounds which I came across yesterday, for the umpteenth time.

‘Why is it called mother tongue?? Because the father seldom gets to speak it.’

You found that funny, right??

I did too.

Especially when I remembered the n number of times that father, husband, sons, other male relatives and male friends have monopolized conversations not letting me get a word in edgeways, cut me off mid-sentence and bulldozed me, telling me what I was going to say when I had not even opened my mouth.

WHY do you think I blog?? No such calamity happens here. This is an Interruption-Free Zone.

Hmmm…  That sort of gives me a clue as to why there are more women bloggers in blogosphere.

Well anyways, I think the above is a question with such promise. And yet on my search all I could find was the measly single answer given above. So I came up with my own. Here goes:

It is called mother tongue because….

• father is working someplace else so mother has to speak the language.
• father is busy watching TV all the time so mother has to speak the language.
• father has to do overtime and does not get to see the children as often as he wants to so mother has to speak the language
• father hides behind newspaper to escape responsibility so mother has to speak the language
• father has to have time with guy friends so mother has to speak the language
• father has to improve his golf handicap so mother has to speak the language
• father has to go meet his family and Momma dearest so mother has to speak the language
• father feels he has worked hard and needs rest so mother has to speak the language
• father is (insert any appropriate phrase of your choice)

So in conclusion, it is called mother tongue NOT because father seldom gets to speak it, but because FATHER IS SELDOM AROUND TO SPEAK IT.

Updated to add

Please feel free to add your own reasons  😉