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193:: "If George was late in giving Hoover his breakfast found his way up to the back steps … George would yell, 'Hello, there'. George and Hoover were great friends. Sometimes Hoover would hide … and would not appear until George yelled, 'Get out of there and come over here!' Then Hoover would come out of hiding and rush over to George and greet him with a wet, fishy kiss." It was during this time that Hoover began to mimic George's thick, gruff accent and catchphrases.
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None of Hoover's six pups (daughters Joey, Amelia, and
Trumpet and sons Lucifer, Cinder, and Spark) spoke, but his grandson Chacoda (or "Chucky") has shown an ability to be guided in his vocalizations. As of 2007, Chucky remains vocal but has not shown an ability to mimic human speech. Aquarium staff
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Upon their arrival, George informed the
Aquarium staff that Hoover could talk, but none of the attendants believed him so he did not press the point. It wasn't until 5 years later, as an adult seal, that Hoover became comfortable with his surroundings at the Aquarium and began to utter phrases such
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The
Swallows kept him in their bathtub, but this proved too inconvenient within a few days; as such, George moved him out back to a spring-fed pond where he set up a "pup tent" enclosed by a wire fence. Hoover lived very much like a family dog and even accompanied George riding into town with his
661:"Stephen Fry: What is meant by the expression "hoover the talking seal"?Roger McGough: Well, it's either one of those wonderful Oz expressions for throwing up … "Excuse me, I've got to go hoover the talking seal …"Stephen Fry: Or "My wife came in just as I was hoovering the talking seal …""
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After careful consideration, Swallow finally decided to take the seal pup home with him. At first, it refused to drink milk from a bottle, but once advice was given by a neighbor to grind up fish and offer it to the pup, he sucked it up like a
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Soon, however, the
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Currier, Patricia A. (July 26, 1985). "Hoover Will Talk No More; A Delight To
Thousands, Aquarium Seal Dies At Age 14".
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On account of this unique feature, Hoover became famous and appeared along with the
Swallows in publications such as
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In 2013, Derek
Kaloust and Anna Tillett wrote a children’s book about Hoover and the Swallows entitled
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On May 5, 1971, Scottie
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As Hoover grew, so did his appetite, and the
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Hoover died on July 25, 1985, due to complications during his annual
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In Series 4 Episode 11 of the
British comedy panel game show
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asked a question regarding "Hoover the talking seal.”
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as: “Hello, there!” and “Come over here!” in a thick
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182:head poking out of the window.
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630:. Talking Seal Productions.
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231:and the television program
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628:"Hoover the Talking Seal"
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526:"Talk of the Town HOOVER"
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641:Guide, British Comedy.
278:Hoover the Talking Seal
146:– July 25, 1985) was a
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464:"Fame at the Aquarium"
216:similar to Swallow’s.
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66:Boston, Massachusetts
647:British Comedy Guide
204:New England Aquarium
198:New England Aquarium
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600:. The Boston Globe.
178:), hence his name.
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125:media help
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