Just like Shakespeare

Several weeks ago, I began to notice how often I heard my children yell out, or mutter "Dang IT!" when they encountered a situation not to their liking or when they were upset about something.

Knowing full well where they must have picked up that particular phrase (don't judge me. It SO could have been something worse!), I decided that it really wasn't appropriate for a 6 and 3 year old to be saying those words. No matter which way you slice it, hearing "dang it" from the mouth of your baby is a bit awkward.

So, I encouraged the kids to come up with some other innocuous phrase they could use when they felt so inclined due to the frustrations of their little lives.

And the phrase they settled on?


"Oh, Tartar sauce!"

I'm totally serious. I can only assume this is somehow inspired by Spongebob, but it was Ben's idea, and boy, have the two of them ever taken to it.

Have to take a nap when you don't want to?

"Oh, Tartar sauce!"

Get in trouble for hitting your sister?

"Oh, Tartar sauce!"

Get put in time-out?

"Oh, Tartar sauce!"

To get the full effect, you really need to say it putting a heavy accent on the first syllable: "oh, TARtar sauce." It's even better when said with a southern accent when "sauce" is pronounced more like "sawce."

One night, as I was putting Ben to bed, I smelled something foul. I asked Ben if he tooted, and after a moment of silence, I hear, very quietly, "Oh, tartar sauce." BUSTED!

And while it's really pretty hilarious to hear that phrase muttered at anytime, I'm totally on board with "tartar sauce" being used as a sentiment of disgust. Because, really, is there a more disgusting condiment? I don't think so.

So, anyway, my mom and Dave came to visit for a couple of days, and we were happy to see them and spend some time with them.

And while they were here, I shared the "tartar sauce" story with them. They, of course, thought it was quite hilarious.

In turn, we were discussing their long drive home, and my mom was sharing how Dave got a speeding ticket in West Virginia the last time they drove home from our house.

And what does that have to do with anything you ask?

About 3 hours after they left our house on Monday morning, I get a text from my mom.

"West Virginia got Dave again. Oh, tartar sauce!"

So, while Shakespeare is responsible for coining several common phrases in the English language, the Black family?

We claim, "Oh, tartar sauce!"

It's a proud day, indeed.