To give you a message
That’s totally clear
We’re talking about the time to twinkle
and bring on the Christmas cheer!
From all of us—we number five
The Cheetah Girls got something that’s totally live
Our way of saying
You’re the reason why we climb
And drop the lyrics
We wish you a CHEETAH CHRISTMAS
We wish you a Cheetah Christmas
We wish you a Cheetah Christmas
And a Happy New Year!
(Chuchie, why you asking what I got you for
Christmas? It’s not about you, mamacita. Peace
and hair grease. The Cheetah Girls are out!!)
The Cheetah Girls Glossary
Big Willies: VIPs. Very Important Persons. Celebrities. Famous peeps who usually travel with an entourage or posse because they are so important in the real world (or in their own minds).
Bomb-Ditty Doodle: Fantastic. Out of this world. As in, “Where’d you get that bubble fake-fur jacket? It’s the bomb-ditty doodle!”
Break out: Move on. Leave. Bounce. Let’s roll. As in, “Okay, girlies, if we want to get to the movies in time, we’d better break out.”
Brilliant: An English expression. Used when something is fabbie poo. As in, “I heard the Mango Room is jumping off tonight. Brilliant. Let’s go there!”
Busy-Body Attitude: Someone who thinks they know everything, and thinks it’s their business to tell you so you will know, too, and can keep up with them.
Cheesin’: Trying to manipulate or suck up to someone for a purpose. As in, “Don’t trust Miss Shanequa, because she is always cheesin’ for something on the down low.”
Cheetahfied: Someone who is wearing “hot spots.” As in, “Oooh, Miss Chanel, you are looking extra cheetahfied today!”
Cheetah Meter: The only true gauge for how fabulous something or someone is. As in, “The new Karma’s Children album is off the cheetah meter!”
Clankety: Someone who clanks about, making a lot of noise, just to get the point across. A distant cousin of “yakkity yak,” except the person who is talking in a “clankety” manner is usually a grown-up or person of authority. As in, “I don’t know why my grandmother didn’t tell my Mom in advance that she wanted blackberry cobbler for dessert instead of being so clankety about everything at the dinner table.”
Collaborate: To get support from someone about going along with your “story,” point of view, opinion, factual evidence, or even your lame excuse. As in, “Mom, if you don’t believe I was at the library after school, you can ask my math teacher, Mr. Dizz Wizz, because he’ll collaborate my story.”’
Crispy Mad: When someone is super hot under the collar. Madder than angry.
Drone Clone: Someone who is boring and talks like everybody else. As in, “I wish Talitha would shut up already about her plans for Christmas. She sounds like such a drone clone.”
Exiled to Siberia: Banished to the far reaches of Russia and stuck in a frozen ice pond for good measure.
Fabbie Poo: Fabulous. Wonderful. Great. As in, “Miss Dorinda, I think you are so-o-o fabbie poo!”
Feeling or Acting Daffy: Feeling light in the head, or acting a little cuckoo. As in, “Derek must be feeling daffy today, because he asked me to be his date for the Kats and Kittys’ Christmas bash, when he knows I’m going with my crew.”
The “411”: Information of the real-deal kind. Not the kind of listings information you get when you call the telephone operator. As in, “I heard Brittany got grounded, but ask Denasia for ‘the 411,’ because she was at Brittany’s house when it happened.”
Gosspitating: Looking at someone like he or she is a juicy lamb chop with mint jelly on top. As in, “I know you’re goospitating over Derek. Why don’t you just admit it?”
Jumbalaya: Slang for a scenario that is part fiction, part desire, and part cheesin’.” As in, “I want to go to the skating rink instead of the Hokie Podown, but I have to figure out some ‘jumbalaya’ to tell my mom so shell let me go.”
Lite FM: Keeping a conversation superficial and not getting too deep. As in, “Derek, I’m trying to keep things Lite FM with you, because I’m saving my precious energy for the talent-show audition.”
Marinate: Chill. Hang loose. Hang tight. As in, “I’m gonna head to the little girls’ room for a winky tink. Why don’t y’all marinate here for a second, okay?”
Mija: Spanish term of endearment. Means “honey,” “sweetie,” “precious one.” As in, “Mija, lets go get some Mango Smoothies after school today.”
On the Low, Low: When something is a secret, but still not as confidential as “on the down low.” As in, “On the low, low, I heard that Performing Arts High may be cutting back on the amount of applicants they accept for the vocal and dance departments.”
Putting on the Peach Glow: Acting like everything is mellow yellow on the Lite FM tip. Acting like there isn’t any static going on. As in, “I heard Chantelle got cut from the volleyball team, but she was at the Christmas party just putting on the peach glow.”
Sharp as a Tack: Smart. A brainiac. Someone who doesn’t miss a trick. As in, “Don’t be fooled by the banners and the balloons, that girl is as sharp as a tack.”
Smugly: A combination of smug and ugly. As in, “Did you see how smugly Sade was acting at cheerleading practice yesterday?”
Spill the Barbecued Beans: Reveal a well-kept secret, sham, or scandal. As in, “Why did you tell Jessica you’ll see her at the party on Saturday? It was supposed to be a surprise. Now you just went and spilled the barbecued beans!”
Straight Away: An English expression. Means “right away.” As in, “Once we land in London, we must head to Harrod’s straight away and buy some knickers for the masquerade ball!”
Stringent: Strict, sharp, tight, rigid. Someone like a teacher or parent who has a tendency to rain on your parade a tad too much. As in, “Aquanette’s father is nice and all, but he can be a little too stringent for my taste!”
The Toasty: Hot item. Fabbie poo. As in, “Did you see that dress Karlana was wearing. It’s quite the toasty.”
Tippin’ Out: Going out to have fun—usually when you’re “looking sharp as a tack and all that.” An expression used “back in the day.” As in, “Why are you lying around here in your raggedy bathrobe and hair rollers? I know as soon as I leave for bingo, you’re gonna be getting sharp as a tack and tippin’ out on me. Yes, indeedy, Miss Eartha, you don’t fool me a bit!”
Twizzled: Tired. Burned out. Deflated. As in, “I can’t go to Mo’ Burger with you after school today, because I’m feeling too twizzled.”
Up and Down Like a Seesaw: Down pat. When you know something by heart. As in, “I’m not worried about the trig test. I know the equations up and down like a seesaw.”
Whirly: Strong, harsh gust of hot air. As in, “Why was Dezaedra getting all whirly with you after tap class today? She was staring so hard, I thought your head was going to open up like a chimney and let out a big gust of soot!”
You’re So-o-o-o Mala: You’re so wicked, bad, terrible. As in, “I saw the way you were goospitating over Quincy at lunch. You’re so-o-o-o mala, mamacita!”
Acknowledgments
A Hyperion shout-out to talented editor Jaïra Placide and my favorite marketing Big Daddy, Angus Killick, who “loves to shop.” Primo thanks to Beth Miller and Gary Marsh at Disney Channel, as well as Whitney Houston, Debra Martin Chase, and Alison Taylor for their dedication in bringing the Cheetah Girls to the big screen, where they belong. Also, Andy McNicol and Eric Zohn at the William Morris Agency for their integrity. There is not enough thanks in the world I can give to my spiritual mentor, Anath Garber, the one person who was committed to healing my childhood wounds when there was no one else I could turn to. And, most important, this is for all the cheetah girls around the globe: thank you for all the letters, e-mails, cheetah drawings, and photos you’ve sent in your che
etah-licious outfits. Keep running wild and showing your spots. Growl power forever!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Gregory earned her growl power as a diva-about-town contributing writer for Essence, Vibe, and More magazines. She has showed her spots on several talk shows, including Oprah, Ricki Lake, and Maury Povich. She lives in New York City with her pooch, Cappuccino, who is featured as the Cheetah Girls’ mascot, Toto.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2005 by Deborah Gregory
ISBN 978-1-4976-7729-6
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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Twinkle, Twinkle, Cheetah Stars Page 11