"No, YOU'RE a booby!"

It's oftentimes amusing to call students animal names that you know they're not familiar with to get them to look them up.

It's interesting to see their reactions. Some get really offended (like OD), despite not knowing what a booby, a dugong, a sasquatch, or a Drosophila are.

Memorable student responses:

1. "You calling me fat, mista?"
2. "It takes one to know one."
3. "F*ck you, too... What'd you call me again?"
4. "I'm not a booby, YOU'RE a booby."
5. "What the f*ck did you call me?"
6. "Stop talking that Chinese s*it, mista."
7. *incoherent Spanish*
   

Naturally, these are not meant to demean them in any way, it's really just an infectious way to spread a word around that most kids haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about (it sure beats the N-word, right?). I have yet to have a parent call me but I have had the issue raised in parent-teacher conferences before. Apparently, some students were calling their parents dugongs...