An Alien Ate You?

Al·ien·ate (ly-nt, l--):   1. To cause to become unfriendly or hostile; estrange: alienate a friend; alienate potential supporters by taking extreme positions. See Synonyms at estrange. 2. To cause to become withdrawn or unresponsive; isolate or dissociate emotionally.  3. To cause to be transferred; turn away: "He succeeded . . . in alienating the affections of my only ward" (Oscar Wilde). 4. Law To transfer (property or a right) to the ownership of another, especially by an act of the owner rather than by inheritance.

This is what alienate means to an adult, but to my almost four year old it means something else.  My darling boy was listening, intently apparently, to a conversation with his father about my feeling alienated.  He promptly asked me why "did an alien ate you?"