What is he saying?

Some toddlers/preschoolers like to ask "why" repeatedly. Not Dashiell!  What does he like to ask instead? "What is he saying?" Not as in, "repeat what was just said"--no, Dashiell likes to help us keep our minds sharp, so he wants us to make up things for the people, animals and toys he sees to say. Take this picture, for example:

We happen to have a package of these baby wipes at our house.  Dashiell started obsessing over it a couple of weeks ago (until the package mysteriously disappeared).  Our conversations about it went something like this:

Dash:  "What is he saying?"
Me:  "I'm a cute naked baby!"
D:  "What is he saying?"
M:  "Put some clothes on me!"
D: "What is he saying?"
M:  "Brrr!  It's cold out here!"
D: "What is he saying?"
M:  "Where's mommy with that diaper?"
D:  "What is he saying?"

And so on.  Seriously, he'll ask about 5-10 times per picture.  He's never satisfied with my first answer.
There are certain books that take 4 times as long to read because he won't let us turn the page until he's asked what each person on the page is saying 5 times.  If I try to read a magazine around him, he'll fixate on a picture and not let me turn the page until I've satisfied his knowledge about "what he's saying".  Which is sometimes never.   I don't read as many magazines around him as I used to.

And in case you're thinking, "well, why don't you ask Dashiell what he thinks he's saying?", believe me, we've tried.  Case in point:

D:  "What is he saying" (pointing to Wallace)
M:  "It's the wrong trousers, Gromit!"
D:  "What is he saying"
M:  "Get me out of these crazy pants" (yes, I know he doesn't actually say that...)
D:  "What is he saying"
M:  "I don't know, what do you think he's saying?"
D:  "You tell me!"
M:  "I'm not sure, why don't you tell me."
D:  "You tell me!  You tell me!  You tell me!" (laugh)
M:  (laugh)
D:  "What is he saying?"

He's relentless, I tell ya!

I am happy that he has an inquisitive mind, and that he's interested in how others think.   Really I am.  But some days it takes all my strength to keep from telling him that he needs to stop asking questions.  Of course I don't tell him that since it's important for him to know that he should ask questions, but sheesh--enough already!  I have no idea what he's saying!

All this and we still haven't reached the "Why" phase...yikes...