Boodat

I'm not sure if I may have posted about this already, but Daisy has invented two words: "slat" and "boodat." Actually, she has invented more words than that, but those two are the ones that have found their way into common usage in our family. I remember reading somewhere that it's actually very difficult to create words that become keepers--that stick. I mean, anyone can make up any word, but the chances are slim that it's going to stick in the right place and become a used word. Well, I've got to tell you folks: "boodat" is a keeper. I give Daisy a ton of credit for it. Mark and I use it ALL THE TIME. It's just so right. It means "bad," loosely speaking. So you can curse with it: "Boodat!" Or say, "Damn, that's boodat!" And it really feels GOOD to say it. "Slat" is the opposite of "boodat," so it means "good." It's not quite as satisfying to say, but it has stuck as well.

The story of how "boodat" came to be is a little embarrassing, but I'll tell it anyway. One day Daisy asked me, very gravely, "Is it okay to tell people that they smell bad?" I said no, it would probably not be a good idea. She then ventured, "Can I just tell you and Daddy that you smell bad?" She went on to explain that she thinks I smell like cheese and that Daddy smells like wood. I was not terribly hurt by this, especially since she has gone on to tell me that pretty much everyone she knows smells bad to her, and most of them smell like cheese. I made an agreement with her that she could tell me and Daddy this sort of thing, but she really should not tell anyone else that they smell bad.

She then ventured, "Gommy smells like boodat." I asked her what "boodat" meant. The answer, as you know, was baaaaaaad.