Not What?

I had to post this conversation because I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt and I was crying real tears. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time.


Most of you know that we live in a state that houses lots of alligators. On our drive home from church today, as we passed over bridge that is surrounded by marshland, Courtney said she wanted to see an alligator.

Me: Alligators are nocturnal.
M: They are too.
Me: They are what?
M: Turnal
C: They're not what?
Me: Turnal
C: What's turnal mean?
V: They knock on tunnels...
C: Oh, so you mean they knock on tunnels with their paws?
V: No, with their tails
C: Oh....

At this point, we all started laughing at the play on words (noc (not)- turnal).
anyway....

C: I don't get it. So, what does turnal mean?

At this point, M tried to explain the entire conversation to her, defining what nocturnal means, but she still didn't get it, so I said a knock knock joke.

Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Alligator
Alligator who?
Noc-turnal you

Trust me when I say, it was so much funnier on the drive home. Poor Courtney, she still doesn't know what we were laughing or talking about. K on the other hand mentioned that owls only come out at night too.