Ode to the sassy

Yesterday while driving in my car, I was feeling pretty good and was trying to identify the sensation. Was I feeling sexy? Close, but not quite. Finally I hit on the word--sassy. I was sassy. The sassiness had something to do with the combination of no traffic on the road, "Superfly" on the radio, and a recent trip to the hair salon.

I began to contemplate, exactly what is sassy and how can one achieve it? Such knowledge could bring civilization to its knees! I don't think it's age specific--I've seen my 4-year-old niece and 95-year-old grandmother both sport admirable sassiness. Is it gender specific? I don't think so, but perhaps our male contingency on squeetus would care to chime in. I wrote up a list of things I think one can do to help realize satisfying sassitude:

How to be sassy

• Always tell the truth
• Create your own style
• Laugh at most everything, especially yourself
• Refuse to hate what everyone else is hating
• Decide that you're cute, even if you'd never admit it
• Dance by yourself
• Never underestimate the power of a great hairdo
• Acknowledge your eccentricities but never give them up
• Lean back and sigh...and when you find yourself worrying too much about things that don't matter, sing to yourself, "Life is just a bowl of cherries..."

Comments

[Katee]

Yay! Sassy Shannon!

I like to think I'm sassy, but I'm really not. :)

[Enna Isilee]

Sassy was my first word! Serious! Thanks for all the comments about the -ed endings.
All those definitions of sassy totally fit me! Yay! I win!

P.S.

Sweeter with age? crankey towards young people? How old do you people think I am?

My birthday was the 22nd not the 15th

[Enna Isilee]

Guess what. If I type www.squeetus.com into this computer it blocks it. But if I type in www.shannonhale.com it lets me go!

Cool, a loophole!

[Alauna]

"I am feeling fat and sassy."
"Laugh and grow fat I say."
Sassy. Sassy is good. Perhaps that's what I've been up to as well. I haven't been able to quite put my finger on it. The dancing and sighing have been coming up at least, as well as some of the others. Thank you for giving me my answer.

[Laura]

Enna Isilee,
Oh, dear! In saying "you, like grapes, get sweeter with age," I didn't mean to conjure images of shriveled up raisins. I just meant to say that, regardless of your age, I bet you are sweeter today than you were a year ago.

[anon]

Huh- I am not sure. Sassy generally has a rather disrespectful connotation, so it may not be the most desirable characteristic. It also seems to mostly apply to girls within books(written by MEN, but occaisonally women). Besides, you should not be feeling sassy, unless you are perhaps satisfied by a new character. I would expect it not to improve your literary output. None of the girls in the Bayern books are particuarly sassy, unless they are twitting Conrad, Finn, or Geric. All the girls in both Bayern or Danland(princess academy) are particuarly sassy. Defiant against oppression, perhaps, but not sassy.

[anon]

Also, in regards to male perspective, "sassitude" may not be the thing they are looking for. To put it in the words of the mom from Cheaper by the Dozen:"Those girls with their skirts and painting aren't the kind of girls men marry-they're the girls they run around with before they get married."

[anon]

Thirdly,to Enna Isilee: Crankiness is not necessarily a bad thing, it is one of the quirks of seniority. Nobody tells their mother or grandma to go sit in the corner after complaining about joint pain.

[Mads]

I am totally going to print a copy of your list and hang it over my bed! Ha-ha, it will go pefectly with the other lists you have made in the past... I love being sassy, it's one of those great feelings when you get up in the morning and feel perfectly relaxed, and you go through your day smiling and being all nice... then- wham!- the next day you are miserable and sulk at everyone around you and your boyfriend breaks up with you and you go home to bed to a nice bowl of ice cream. Ah, the joys of teenager-ism and everyday life! :o)

[Mads]

Wait? Are you not supposed to send your mom to a corner when she complains? Well, maybe I should go let her out now...

[Jules]

I have noticed that there are multiple Julies on the board, so I'm using my nickname to make things more clear.

To me, "sassy" connotes something positive. I think it is a display of confidence and self-esteem. Strength, independence, and all of those good things. It doesn't mean that you can't be a lady.

[Shawn]

I agree with you, Jules, that "sassy" has a positive connotation, but I suppose it depends on who's saying it. If a person uses it to describe themselves or a friend, then it's positive. If it's a relative saying it, then the term is probably less positive - at least in my family.

[shannon hale]

Katee--you are so totally sassy.

[anon]

I was only giving that as an example , Mads,(Madeline?). Still, I am right. It increases dignity and social stature.(or so it should). That is what I meant.
Shawn-you are correct-I speak from a similar situation. As said before, it connotates disrespect. However, with all this modern coolness of being "naughty" or "bad" boys or girls, it may be okay, but only between the closest friends. I don't like using it anyway. Perhaps there is another word of more elegance and social poise. Less cool, maybe, but you should not follow the crowd, especially if they turn out to be lemmings.

[Kevin Feeley]

Sassiness should be the main objective of any girl, young or old!

And Anon, i think you confuse sassy with slutty. BIG HUGE MONSTROUS! difference between the two. My fiance is sassy and it's one of the main reasons i love her so. But she is nowhere near slutty.

And for men? They can be sassy too. But we call it audacious! Well, i do anyway.

Kevin.

[anon]

Mads, I inquire whether your full name is Madeline because I prefer to speak with others using their true name. Besides, there are no other people of that name or any of its variants, so you can use your name.
However, if you wish privacy, you are free to berate me. It is only one of many personal quirk of mine to use full first names. Much more distinctive and often interesting. Kind of like if someone referred to Geric as Gerry-It is a shortening that makes the name much less unique. There are other names from which "Gerry" could descend, such as Gerald or Germaine. Except for Anidori Isilee, there are no other characters with names like that. And that was only to make sure that nobody knew she was the princess. Of course, you are all princesses or princes, but true royal parents can't come for everybody. Most like their present parents anyway. Or will once they are over their adolescent crankiness. (See, even little people get cranky, not just the elderly!)

[Laura]

So, Anon is your true name then?

I'm pretty sure that Shannon is not promoting the rude, disrespectful sort of sassy, but rather the lively, spirited kind.

For a man, I would call it jaunty, I think.

[marki]

I am now very fond of the phrase sassitude!!! I think girls can have such fun being sassy!! This is such a great topic!!! haha love topics like these. It's sooo interesting to see all the comments!!
and yes anon Marki is my full name!! haha

[Sarah]

Sassy is so great, the more sassy you feel, the happier and sassier you will be(kind of). Being confident is the key! Go Shannon!

[MAYday]

Hmmmmm... sassy. I think it can be a good or a bad thing. My grandpa calls my little cousins sassy when they talk back, so that's a bad thing. But, sassy can also mean spunky and confident(a good thing).I guess it depends who uses it where. As for me, I think I'd like to be called spunky instead of sassy, but I think both are cool. :)

[Sookie]

Sassy! The name invokes all those things I'd like to be.
Sassy Sookie,
now there's a good name...
Love the list, Shannon!

[Jenna]

I recognize that fat and sassy thing...where is it from, Alauna?
SASSY! I never thought of that word before! Hurrah, a name to put to it! And now, in my excited state over my new word, it applies to me! Although in this example, sassy and nuts might be interchangeable. I've never been called sassy, but...

[anon]

Humph- There is no need to tease me. I prefer verity to mendacity. Also, I would say that "sassitude" is not a real word. Sassy has no noun form. The suggestions at dictionary.com included lassitude, which is what you are showing in vocabulary.
Jaunty is not too bad, but means more relaxed than someone who talks back to elders. Also, about the matter of names- I was referring to nicknames. It is okay to have a username, but nicknames just make the names your parents give seem cheap and superflous. Also, Laura-You should search "anon" and see what you get in the results. What name would "anon" be a nickname for, anyway? That may spark an interesting discussion of truth and hypocrisy.
Thirdly, there is a book by Carol Gorman about a kid named Jerry whose dog's name is Sasparilla (named after the drink), and is nicknamed Sassy. The novel is called "Dork in Disguise" and is very funny.

[Lauren A.]

Yes!!! Go sassy youth. Also, I think, (in a positive way) that sassiness is not being afraid to speak your mind!
:)
.Lauren.

[anon]

yeah, but to be sassy you generally do not speak your mind that respects others. Also, sassy does not seem to mean defiant about things which matter, like change in law. It more means defiant to parents and elders solely because they are the people who apparently have never been a long-suffering*cough* adolescent and are smart-mouthing the rest of the world who is not a like-minded adolescent. So much for sassy youth. It is also a rather reckless form of character, which also includes not being responsible about danger and not paying attention to what others warn you about.

[Erin]

I, like MAYday, would prefer to be called spunky, but that is merely because I have heard the word sassy used in mostly bad ways.....but if I knew the person meant it in a good way I would love being called sassy.....

I'm not making any sense am I?!

[Erin]

Ack, I guess what I'm trying to say is Shannon's meaning of sassy rocks! I love the list!

[Jenna]

Definitions of Sassy I like:
Lively and Spirited, Jaunty
Stylish, Chic.

[Megan-Elbow]

Ooh . . . I like the word sassy. And chic, too, Jenna. That's a cool word.

I don't know . . . is sassy sometimes the same thing as spontaneous? 'Cause I'm feeling pretty spontaneous right now . . . :)

[Rujie]

I love your definition of sassy, Shannon! It PERFECTLY describes one of my best friends, and that is what i love so much about her! I, personally, don't think that sassy is an especially bad description word. In fact, I LOVE it! Sure, sometimes it could mean kind of talking-off, but usually I've only heard it in a jokingly way. I'm sort of sassy. Acually I can be pretty sassy all the time at school. Anyway- I feel as if I'm going on and on. I quess what I'm trying to say is that I think sassy is more positive than negitive.

[Erin]

Jenna - love your words!

[LittleRed]

Hello, all you sassy, spunky, jaunty, chic people! I would like to invite you to an online forum for fans of Shannon Hale's books (and for YA literature enthusiasts in general):

http://www.LittleRedReadingHood.com

You can read all of the forum discussions as a guest. To post comments, you must register (create a username and password). It is free to register, and your personal info (i.e. email address) won't be displayed unless you choose to share it. Hope to see you there!

[Mollie]

This is a great discussion!
Whoops- I always thought sassy was feminine, girlish and chic . Words that spring to mind: accessories, confidence, girly, fashionable. I'm having trouble putting it into words but what I mean to say is a confident girl/lady/woman that has good taste and dresses well strikes me as sassy. I think I'm mixed up . . .

[Mollie]

P.S. Oh and I'm from Australia so thats why its posted so late (different time zones)

[Jaya Lakshmi]

Hmm, I'm not sure what I think about being "sassy". I fit some of the qualifications on Shannon's list, but not all of them. Also, the name sassy brings up images of "The Rescuers" in my mind.
And Enna Isilee, I apologize once again for that tactless comment in the last classics discussion. I see your side of the issue and I should've thought about my words more before typing and posting them. I'm really sorry.

[Holly]

I don't see myself as sassy, but rather a little crazy.

Has anyone seen the musical/movie RENT? Completely random question, I know, but I just watched it for the forth time this week and about the twentieth time this month, and I was wondering how many La Vie Bohemians there are on Squeetus.

[Enna Isilee]

Anyone interested in a quiz on which character you are most like?

[Diana]

The phrase "I am feeling fat and sassy" comes from a semi-creepified you-tube video called 'Rejected." There's some funny stuff, but it is quickly overtaken by more weirdness than I am equipped to handle. So I don't recommend searching out said video. For those who have already been corrupted, though, "Tuesday's coming. Did you bring your coat?"

[Holly]

I saw that...my friend strapped me to a chair and made me watch...

[anon]

Enna Isilee-I would be very interested, especially if shannon decided the characteristics.

I have never seen RENT, but one of my best buddies has seen both the movie and play(on Broadway, no less) and adores it.

[Holly]

Enna Isilee: Sure!

Anon: It's amazing. I cry so hard at the end! And the music is great.

[Erin]

Enna Isilee - most definitely!!!

[Mads]

Enna Isilee-
Yes!

Anon-
Why do you want to know? I personally think it's a little weird your user name is Anon, (annoymous) and you want to know my real name.

[Mads]

Sass (sas)
n. Slang. Rudeness; a disrespectful manner of speech. v. To talk with disrespect.

[MAYday]

According to nicknames- I don't think that they are a bad thing at all. It feels more personal if people call you by your nickname rather than your real name. But, I might have a warped opinion on the subject because no one EVER(beside the people who know me real well)pronounces my name right, so I like people to call me by my nickname instead.

[shannon hale]

The English language is so amazing. I love making verbs from nouns and adjectives from verbs--the language is so wonderfully fluid. I love words that mean multiple things, I love words that change meaning over time. I love seizing a word that has a negative connotation and reinventing it into a positive. Look at the journey sassy took here:

American Heritage Dictionary -

adj. sas··si·er, sas··si·est

1. Rude and disrespectful; impudent.
2. Lively and spirited; jaunty.
3. Stylish; chic: a sassy little hat.

[anon]

Mads- I told y'all this would be interesting.
1. I prefer another name, since many find my own a conotation for someone they don't like(Mostly my contemporaries-They dislike my choice of music, BOOKS, etc.)
2. I dislike to display personal information over the internet. Not that you are unpleasant, but you are not the only people to traverse this page and it is my general policy, even when I use chats or any other form of writing that other internet writing that others see. If you go to www.geocities.yahoo.com/htmlhiker42.htm,
my blog, you will find things not about my identity, but of things that are more important differences than mere identity. Like in the song- "John Brown's body lies a-mouldrin' in his grave, but his soul goes marching on". I may be alive, but the soul that is left is your ideas and thoughts, not your phone number.
In conclusion, identity is something not everyone needs to know. Rest assured, for one of my names is Diogenes, for I tell you the truth. Look him up too.

[anon]

However, I agree with your definition of sass. Despite you being the author to which most of our sanity is connected, Sassier or Sassiest mean the first definition, not the second or third listed. It is cooler to be polite and respectful than to be rude and impudent.

[anon]

If you look at my previous post, you will see that the first sentence was to Mads, but the rest was to Shannon. See- that is another thing that most people find difficult about communication with me- I have a very abnormal thought process. Probably part of where I am on the Autistic Spectrum. That is a spectrum of mental capability that goes from Christopher Brown in "The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time", a book, to the TV detective Monk, who has OCD. I am on the lower end of the spectrum.

[Rika]

haha! shannon is sassy! lol
um... i am still not sure if i am sassy... but a majority of the things on the list work for me so... i don't know! hee hee hee!

doesn't sassy also mean rude? or 'talk-back-ish'? i really am not sure...
ANYWAYS!

thanx for the sassystuff shannon!