MAGIC WORDS Fadatta Fadatta Fadatta, Beepum Boopum Bah! Ratta Datta Boom Sh-h Ahfah Deedee Bobo In Literature: • Beverly Cleary, Henry and the Clubhouse (1990) Fa La La and Do Re Mi Facts: This magic phrase is composed of musical syllables. Fa is the fourth note of a muscial scale, la the sixth, and do, re, mi the first three. In Literature: • Lisa Fiedler, Know-It-All (2002) Father (see abba) She expected action because she had invoked the magic word: father. -- Carolyn Russell, Beyond the Lies (2004) Mystique: Father and its informal form Dad "are magical words, a symbol of honor, connectedness, ownership. These words have a very special meaning." 1 In Literature: • "A man hardly feels sure of his manhood till the magic word father is put in the vocative case and applied to him direct, and the apotheosis of woman comes with maternity." -- William Hawley Smith, The Evolution of "Dodd,": A Pedagogical Story (1884) Fazammm In Literature: • "Magic word. . . . Fazammm. Just like that. Ahahahahaha." -- Terry Pratchett, The Truth (2000) 1 Isolina Ricci, Mom's House, Dad's House (1980)