some adults have this theatrical way of laughing 'oh-ho-HOH!' when they are talking to a child who scorns or corrects them. it signals to the other adults: 'we are the insiders, we judge this child, whose attempt to be taken seriously is comical.'

i remember that my aunt alta made a habit of this.

one time, some man from my father's work was at our house. i was short and skinny and looked younger than i was -- while being smarter and more widely read than most kids a few years older than me,

'what's your favorite tv show?' he said in a theatrically friendly voice, bending down to show that he was engaging me at my own level.

'uh ... i guess ... star trek,' i said, hoping to end his script.

'and who's your favorite character, dr. spock?'

'mister spock,' i said acidly to his royal fakeness.

'oh-ho-HOH!' he said to my parents, 'it's MISTER spock! i got it wrong!' laughinng to show that i was taking myself too seriously.