If You're Happy and You Know It

I've always wondered how kids know that the sound of a crowd clapping and cheering is a crowd clapping and cheering. I mean, I understand how they know the sound of one person clapping--or even two or three. But why is it that kids that aren't exposed to what I would define as "applause" alway seem to know what it is? And now you're doing it. You can be anywhere in the house and if the sound of applause should happen to come from the TV, maybe from, say, the Ellen show (if the TV happens to be left on after we've finished far more intellectual programming like the morning news, perhaps) or the MTV Video Music Awards (if the TV happens to be left on so we can listen to the musical performances as we do a far more intellectual activities like puzzles, perhaps), you stop what you're doing and clap your hands wildly. It's not like you've ever been to a concert or a Red Sox game or the Ellen show, but somehow you know. To think that you might somehow inately know the sound of fun and happiness makes me smile.