Note: Clique-isms mostly from the first 9 books, and the Kristen summer book. Read the end of the article on submitting your own Clique-ism that I missed, or make up your own!

(something) x10 - i.e. cool x 10

ADD - Adner Double Day

a door and a ball - adorable

ahb-viously - obviously

ah-dore(ing)(able) - adore(ing)(able)

ah-greed - agreed

ah-lone - alone

ah-lot (lawt) - alot

ah-maze(ing) - amaze(ing)

ah-noying(ly) - annoying(ly)

ah-pproved - approved

Alpha - Leader

Alpha status - being the leader

Apple-C - vopy/copying/copycat

aw-nest(ly) - honest(ly)

awn - on

awff - off

ay-sap - as soon as possible

ayy-men - amen, what you say after you pray to Gawd

BFF - best friends first

BFF - best friend forever

BFF - boyfast forever

B-listers - not an Alpha, someone who isn't worthy

BMB - behind Massie's back

BOB - brains over beauty

BOCD - Briarwood-Octavian Country Day

blah-g - blog

Block - Massie

brill - brilliant

BTD - be the driver, take charge

buh-lind - blind, can't see!

buh-log - blog

Busted! - caught/oops!

caw-tton - cotton

CLAM - cute, loyal, athletic, middle class

cuh-yute(est) - cute(st)

Current State of the Union - Massie's daily listing of whats in/out

D2M - dead to me

DEC - direct eye contact

deelish - delicious

Derrington - Derrick Harrington

Dial P for Phony - or L for Loser, etc.

Done - okay

Done, done and done - decided, conversation completely over

Doose - Derrington + Moose

DSL Daters - Girls who hook up quickly

duh-licious(ly) - delicious

Duh-livia - Olivia

Dyl - Dylan

ehmagawd - oh my god

evv-rryone - everyone

e-nuff - enough

ESP - emotional sensitivity powwows

EW - eternal wannabe

Fannish - fake Spanish

Faux-livia - Olivia

FBFF - Florida best friends forever

FEW - friend of eternal wannabe

file - fake smile

firsty-lasty status - using someone's first and last name; status only given to the cutest boys

FUggs - fake Uggs

gah-ross - gross

gawd - god

gawt - got

given - yes, I agree

Glambition Lip Gloss - line created by TPC in first book

GLU - Girl Like Us

Go awn - what are you waiting for?

gor-juss - gorgous

Gossip Points - points awarded for good gossip

H2G - hard to get

hang-ten - a total ten

heart it/I heart - I love

HART - hot, alpha, rich, toned

hawt(ness) - hotness/opposite of ugly

huh-yuge - huge

Humpty Dempsy - Dempsy Solomon

IASS - international alpha's sign of surrender, wearing all white, head down

I double-dog heart that - love it x 10

im-poss - impossible

J'adore  I love

jobby - job/hobby; something you do for fun, nawt money

K or B K'ed - kiss or be kissed; a game; if you don't kiss someone, the person next to you chooses someone to for you to kiss

kewel - cool

Kris - Kristen

lawt - lot

laytah - later

LBD - Little Black Dress

LBR - loser beyond repair

Leesh - Alicia

LISP - little seventh grade peon

luh-v(ing) - love(ing)

luxe - luxourioius

luv - love

luvved - loved

Mah-ssie - Massie

MAP - maxiumum alpha potential

Mass - Massie

MB - Main Building

MLV - mobile learning vehical aka trailors!

MSP - major star potential

MUCK - Massie's Underground Clinic for Kissing

nawt - not

nuh-thing - nothing/nada

n-joy - enjoy

OCD - Octavian Country Day School

OCDiva - A girl at OCD that acts like a diva

OL - off/on limits

opposite of true - false

opposite of yes/no - no/yes

Orland-ew - Orlando

O-town - Orlando

ow-ch - overly owch

pah-thetic - pathetic

panic-bolt - a bolt of fear driven by panic

PC - private conversation

perf - perfect

point - you're right

por fah-vor - please

POTI - pretty on the inside

POTO - pretty on the outside

puh-lease - please/as if!/pretty please

puh-lenty - plenty

puh-thetic - pathetic

punch-backs - a game - be the first to spot a particular item and punch your friend

puurrrrfect - perfect

revolusive - repulsive/revolting

se-vuhn - seven

shoporexic - not being able to shopp

shopportunity - an opportunity to shop!

sole mates - having the same shoes

SOS - summer of stress

spalpha - spanish alpha

sub-C5 - the bomb shelter

suh-noozer - snoozer, bo-ring!

swear on Bean - swear to Gawd

tawking - talking

TFFW - too funny for words

(T)(N)PC - (The)(New) Pretty Committee

turn-awff - turn off

VIG - very important guest

wear or dare - a game - if you don't do the game, you have to wear

wannabes - followers; not clique-worthy girls

WC - Witty Committee

whatevs - whatever

word jumbles - a word game - "rorsy" for "sorry", etc.

If you can think of any others from the, please comment! I'll add them ay-sap!

If you want, you can make up your own Clique-ism. Please give the word and the meaning, and I'll set up a list.

In the poem, the narrator is the father of a girl typing a story. As the father stands outside the shut door of his daughter's room, listening to her type, he wishes her luck on her journey. Then the daughter suddenly pauses and stops typing; there seems to be a stillness in the house. The father feels the stillness is a rejection of his wish for his daughter's luck. The daughter starts typing again, only to stop again seconds later. At this point, the narrator remembers how a bird was trapped in the same room in which his daughter is typing in. The father opened a window for the bird to fly to freedom, but had to take himself and his daughter out of the room to keep from frightening the bird. After attempting to get through the right window but striking closed windows, the bird finally finds his way through the right window and flies away.

Richard Wilbur relies heavily on figurative language in three extended metaphors to reveal the theme of the poem. The first extended metaphor is the daughter's life being compared to a ship's voyage. Examples of this metaphor are the daughter's life struggles being compared to “great cargo, and some of it heavy,” (line 8). Also, the father wishes his daughter a “lucky passage” (9), like wishes sent to passengers on a ship about to set sail. These expressions show how a journey at sea is like the journey through life. Another extended metaphor is when the daughter is writing a story. “Like a chain hauled over a gunwale” (6) refers to the sound of the daughter typing, but also relates to a ship about to set sail. The daughter's sounds of typing represents her about to leave, because the ship would be lifting it's anchor to set off. By the end of the poem, it's apparent that she's writing her own life story, which is an extended metaphor since the poem is titled “The Writer.” Also, the continuous pausing of the daughter's typing shows that she has struggles and stopping points in her life, just like she's having struggles writing some parts of the story. The last extended metaphor is the father remembering the starling and comparing it to his daughter. The father could only open the window for the bird and step away as he could only lead his child to the right path and hope she finds her way.

Another important element Wilbur uses is imagery. The first image that is apparent is the “window tossed with linden,” (line 2) which shows trees against the window, looking like the tossing waves of the sea. The waves are similar to the ups and downs of the daughter's life journey. The next image is the shut door between the father and the daughter typing. The father can't barge in the room and write the story for his daughter; she has to do it herself. The father also feels shut out of his daughter's life. The strongest images in the whole poem are those of the starling. The bird tries over and over again to get through the open window, like the daughter trying to get through life. The open window is like one of the many opportunities in the world.

Wilbur tells the theme connecting figurative language and imagery in a way that makes everything fit together perfectly. The father who shows his daughter the right path can only hope for the best as the daughter makes her own decisions. The poem comes to an end as the father realizes there's nothing more he can do to help his daughter, and he wishes her a lucky passage, “but harder” (33).

Two enemy families, the Montagues and the Capulets, have been in a bitter family feud for generations. No one can remember who or what started it, but pride and arrogance have kept the feud fired. The fate of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris started in the streets of Verona, where members of each family were fighting. The Prince of Verona declared that if he saw any more fighting between the families, the punishment would be death. Later, Count Paris, a young nobleman, spoke to LordCapulet about marrying Juliet. Lord Capulet invited Paris to try to attract Juliet's attention at an upcoming Capulet ball, despite her young age. At the Capulet ball, Romeo Montague and his friends sneaked in with masks. Romeo saw Juliet Capulet and they fell in love with each other. Later, after sneaking into Capulet grounds, Romeo heard a private confession by Juliet that she loved him despite her family. Friar Lawrence married the two the next day. Tybalt, Juliet's cousin purused Romeo the next day for appearing at the ball in disguise, but Romeo refused to fight him since he was now part of the Capulet family. Romeo's friend Mercutio decided to fight Tybalt, but was fatally wounded when Romeo stepped in to stop the fighting. Romeo then slayed Tybalt in anger over his friend's death, and runs away. Despite the murder, the Prince decided that Romeo should be banished, not killed, since Tybalt's killing Mercutio provoked Romeo. Juliet grieved her husband's absence.

Thinking that she was upset by Tybalt's death Lord Capulet arranged to her engagement to Paris, and threatened to disown her if she didn't agree to marry Paris. Even Juliet's nurse, once her confidant, said that Juliet should forget Romeo and marry Paris. Desperatyeahely, Juliet visited Friar Lawrence for help. Friar Lawrence offered Juliet a potion that would leave her in a death-like trance for 24 hours. He said he would send a message to Romeo to come in the crypt, save Juliet, and run away together. Unfortunately, the message didn't reach Romeo, and he learned of Juliet's “death” from a servant. He illegally bought poison from an apothecary, and visited the Capulet crypt. It appears that while Romeo was mourning, Paris came in and confronted him, and a battle resulted. Romeo killed Paris, and went back to Juliet. He drank the poison, committing suicide, when Juliet began to wake up. Friar Lawrence then arrived, saw Romeo dead, and tried to convince Juliet to leave. But Juliet refused to leave Romeo. Instead, she grabbed Romeo's dagger and stabbed herselv. In grief, the two families agreed to end their feud in honor of their children.

Where does the blame lie? Verona Tattler has looked into the story and believes that Tybalt, Juliet's cousin and Lord Capulet's nephew, is responsible. Tybalt was notoriously hot-blooded and proud of his family status. Recently, Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, had been seen trying to stop a fight between Capulet and Montague servants, when Tybalt drew his sword and claimed his loathing for the Montagues. At the ball, Tybalt saw the masked Romeo and wanted to kill him for reasons beyond wanting to protect the Capulets. Tybalt would have dueled Romeo but Lord Capulet forbade him to. Tybalt wouldn't forget Romeo's intrusion, and it now appears, planned on revenge. The rest you know. As reported yesterday, Tybalt came across Mercutio and slayed him when Romeo tried to separate them. Then Romeokilled Tybalt. If Tybalt hadn't pursued Romeo and initiated the arguments, neither Mercutio nor Tybalt would have died, and Romeo wouldn't have been banished. If Romeo hadn't been banished, Juliet wouldn't have gone to such drastic measures to evade her marriage with Paris. And if Juliet hadn't taken Friar Lawrence's potion, Romeo wouldn't have killed Paris in the crypt, or consumed the poison, and Juliet wouldn't have committed suicide. Tybalt ignored the Prince and his Lord Capulet's orders, and went overboard with his family pride. If Tybalt had thought out his actions, he could have saved his own life and three others.

To confirm our suspicion, the Verona Tattler interviewed Juliet's nurse and Lord Capulet, two members of Tybalt's house.

Verona Tattler: Why was Tybalt so determined to get revenge on Romeo?

Lord Capulet: Tybalt always was proud of his background. He probably was trying to right Romeo's wrong of sneaking into our ball. I knew Tybalt wouldn't disobey my orders on Capulet grounds, but I was hoping he would understand the importance of keeping peace in Verona.

VT:Was he always like this?

Capulet: Yes. When he was younger, he would always stop the other Capulet children from interacting with Montague children. He made enemies fast and disliked all Montagues, no matter their personality.

VT:Was it just family pride that made him want to go after Romeo?

Capulet: If I remember correctly, he always seemed jealous of Romeo. Romeo was an exceptional swordsman and always had a lot of friends. I suppose Tybalt was always looking for a fault in Romeo.

VT:Did you understand the family feud?

Capulet: I don't think anyone did. Tybalt was raised with his family always against the Montagues. From when he was little, he was taught that the Montagues were sworn enemies.

VT: Do you think he's ultimately to blame for your daughter's death, along with Romeo and Paris?

Capulet: To be honest, yes, I do. He never thought before he acted, and in the end it cost him his life, along with my daughter's. He was a great person though, and I will still grieve for him.

Verona Tattler:What do you know about Tybalt?

Juliet's Nurse: He was very vengeful, but a great friend of the Capulets and Juliet especially. He seemed to always want to protect her from harms' way. He'd always try to get back at those that harmed him or his companions.

VT: So do you think that Tybalt thought of Romeo as someone harmful to Juliet?

Nurse: Probably not anyone especially harmful, but he seemed to think that all Montagues were dangerous.

VT: Did you ever know of his plan to get revenge on Romeo?

Nurse: He often spoke in mutters of Romeo. I overheard him talking to one of his companions that he was going to try to get Romeo alone and battle him one-on-one. Oftentimes, I tried to convince him to obey the Prince, but he'd always ignore me and walk away.

VT:What did he think of Mercutio?

Nurse: He always said that Mercutio was a jokester who was all talk but no action.

VT:Would you have ever guessed the outcome of Tybalt's need for revenge?

Nurse: No. I knew Tybalt was going to get himself in trouble eventually, since he would disobey the Prince's order of peace, but I never envisioned him bringing three others with him.

VT:Was Tybalt friendly with Paris?

Nurse: Tybalt was cautious around Paris, since Tybalt was so protective of Juliet. I think they would've become friends because they had some similarities. I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to harm Paris.

As you can tell, because of the long-lasting family feud, Tybalt seemed born to battle the Montagues. It was only nature that put him against Romeo and urged him to seek revenge on the enemy house. Even though he was trying to do the best, he led himself, Juliet, Romeo, and Paris to their untimely deaths. The Verona Tattler believes that Tybalt was unintentionally responsible for the tragic ending to this love story.