Doody

The explanation is difficult.

The word "doody" is not in the dictionary but it is certainly a part of my vocabulary. Is is slang for the word "doo doo", which is in the dictionary. By definition Doo Doo: a noun, is a child's word for excrement used euphemistically in other contexts like, "When the accelerator on your Toyota sticks while driving, you are in deep doo doo."

Euphemistically the word doody bestows the same context of disgust to anything associated with it, in the same deference doo doo does. Anything with doody on it should be avoided, and you would never want doody on anything you come in contact with for many reasons.

There is sometimes confusion over the word "doody" because it is an almost perfect homonym for the word "duty" which is: a moral or legal obligation or responsibility. A duty like a doody is not associated with a pleasant experience. A duty is a task. To make things even more complicated a duty is also a tax. The tax on purchased goods is called a duty. The phrase duty free goods is almost liberating. Duty free, free of tax; and Doody free, free of crap. Once again you never want duty on anything you come in contact with.

Unfortunately, Doody is also the last name of a famous string puppet who was extremely popular on Saturday morning television in the nineteen fifties, Howdy Doody. I watched the show as a kid and I am still a big Howdy Doody fan. Because of this, I have used the word Doody for most of my life. I am certain that no excrement reference was intended when they named the puppet. The word simply rhymed with Howdy. I will admit to using the word doody more often to indicate doo doo than the famous puppet. When use of the word shit is not appropriate doody will work as a polite alternative.

Now there is one occurrence where the words duty and doody are interchangeable in sound meaning and thought. It is found in the phrase Jury Duty - an obligation or responsibility to a jury and Jury Doody, - the shit you have to go through to serve on a jury.

I was on call for jury duty this week and did not want to participate. I had appealed and postponed jury duty as long as I could. As the system is now, nightly one phones in his juror number to see if he must report the next day. Last night I called and the recorded voice of a lady told me that I did not need to come in on Friday and my obligation as a juror was finished.

I was glad because it would have been doo doo to do the dirty doody duty of jury duty.

As you were,
Jay