Here’s a handy guide to help you sound extra Moody, just like Judy!
How to Speak Judy Moody
aardwolf
aardwolf
Do you know anyone who reminds you of an aardwolf, a termite-eating creature with “a pointy little head and beady little eyes and a pinched-up face”? (Think Jessica A. Finch!)
ABC gum
ABC gum
Chewing gum that has already been chewed. Amy Namey has seen the world’s best-ever collection of ABC gum in Bubblegum Alley, San Luis Obispo, California. No lie!
Antartica
Antartica
To you, Antarctica probably means the South Pole. If you were in Class 3T, it would mean a desk in the back of the room where you’d have to go if you were in BIG TROUBLE or needed to CHILL OUT.
bad-i-tude
bad-i-tude
Need we say more?
bother
bother
Have any siblings who are boys? Stink is Judy’s little brother, but most of the time, he’s a big bother!
cafeterrible
cafeterrible
A school cafeteria that doesn’t have a salad bar or hot chocolate with whipped cream or capuccino, and doesn’t serve breakfast all day.
flubber-upper
flubber-upper
Someone who makes a mistake. A Sleeping Speller who flunks her spelling test would be a flubber-upper!
for sure and absolute positive
for sure and absolute positive
No question. Without a doubt.
genuine-and-for-real
genuine-and-for-real
True. The actual thing.
Huzzah!
Huzzah!
How to say, “Yippee!” or “Rare!” Revolutionary style!
LBS
LBS
A Long Boring Story, the kind adults might tell when they are trying to make something educational, like while you’re on a vacation or a trip to a museum.
math-ternity
math-ternity
A very, very long time, like when you’re sitting in math class and you’re bored or confused, it can feel like a math-ternity.
non-boring
non-boring
Not boring, interesting.
or something
or something
Whatever!
pond scum
pond scum
Isn’t that the name of some sort of furry animal with sharp teeth?
Rare!
Rare!
What to say when you are wowed or impressed. When Judy first meets a Venus flytrap and learns that it eats bugs and raw hamburger, Judy reacts with an awestruck, “Rare!.” Double Rare! When “Rare!” alone doesn’t say it. Rare Squared! When “Rare!” or “Double Rare!” just aren’t enough.
Roar!
Roar!
What to say when you’re in a mood – a very bad mood. You might also say it to show that you’re feeling extra proud or victorious. ROAR-a-lini! How to express your anger when you’re also in an Italian mood.
so kindergarten
so kindergarten
UN-college. PB and J sandwiches are so kindergarten, unlike veggie burgers.
Stinkbug
Stinkbug
This is what you get when you add three letters to “Stink.” How handy! (Stinkerbell works well, too!)
third-grade listening ears
third-grade listening ears
Put these on when you need to pay extra special attention to something, like your teacher, or your principal when she’s making the Giraffe Award announcements!
Tutor Tot
Tutor Tot
A student who needs extra help in school.
V.I.Q.
V.I.Q.
A Very Important Question. For example, if you want answers to any of your V.I.Q.s, you might try asking a Magic 8 Ball.
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy
If something is really good, you might say it was Yankee Doodle Dandy, like getting to stay up late.
zero-teeny
zero-teeny
Nothing. Zip. None.