Word du Jour

Main Entry:    Scoo-tchie    

Pronunciation:   /skooo-tchee/

Function: noun

Etymology:  Post Modern Eastern American, most likely derived from a combination of the two words, Scratchy and Coochy-Coo.

Date:  20th Century

1. An action of endearment, primarily rendered to a canine companion, involving an      enthusiastic massage of key furry points, such as the ruff of the neck, behind the ears, above  the tail, etc.  Scootchie most often  includes involuntary facial contortions such as eye  squinting and  a peculair gritting of the front teeth, by the human particpant .  The  propensity for this behavior is thought to be an  inherited trait, although the gene coding  for Scootchie has yet to be identified. Scootchie is  generally well tolerated, if not  extremely appreciated by the recipient canine.   Because of the vigorous nature of the scootchie "massage", it is not suitable for very small  breeds and/or other species such as CATS, reptiles or fish, although this has  been attempted  unsucessfully. 

The following photograph is an example of a situation likely to involve some serious Scootchie:

Another photo with seated scootchie: