"The Word" is the first segment of the fifty-eighth episode of Pepper Ann. It aired in September 2001.
Synopsis
Pepper Ann sees a bizarre word ("frasny") written on the bathroom wall and tries to make it the new trend.
Plot
While in the restroom, Pepper Ann sees the word "frasny" written on the wall and wonders what it means. She consults a dictionary, but cannot find it and rules out asking Nicky and Milo, so she decides to use it in conversation to see if anyone will understand the word. She uses it on Constance who seems to understand it, but it quickly becomes apparent that she does not know and uses it on Trinket. She does not know what it means either and starts using it. Soon, everyone in the school and all over Hazelnut begin casually using the word.
Pepper Ann tells Milo and Nicky that she does not understand the word and wants to discover its meaning so that she seems cool. She has Milo ask, thinking his artistic self will be forgiven, but everyone laughs at him for not knowing it. Nicky considers the word just a trend and that it will soon pass from the lexicon. Pepper Ann, in order to save her coolness, goes around town and trying to pick up what it means, but ultimately cannot even figure if it is good or bad, or a noun or a verb and tries giving up on it.
With everyone using the word "frasny", Pepper Ann breaks down and goes into the restroom where she found it. A service worker comes in and it is revealed that it was a placeholder for a plaque for the company "Frazny". Pepper Ann reveals this to the other students who think that the company got the name from the word, but she corrects them and accurately claims that none of them knew and simply wanted to look cool. Constance agrees, but said that the word is not cool anymore with Trinket saying they should leave before Dieter "has a turflee", confusing Pepper Ann.
Cast
- Kathleen Wilhoite as Pepper Ann Pearson
- Jeff Bennett as Dieter Liederhosen, Pink-Eye Pete, Shelf McClain, Additional voices
- Danny Cooksey as Milo Kamalani
- Clea Lewis as Nicky Little
- Pamela Adlon Segall as Shouty Kid, Surfer Boy
- Don Lake as Sherman Finky
- Candi Milo as Constance Goldman, Judge Trudy
- Mark Myers as Beatnik, Patient, Carnival Barker
- Kath Soucie as Cissy Rooney
- Cree Summer-Francks as Tessa and Vanessa James, Maintenance Woman
- Jenna von Oÿ as Trinket St. Blair
Desk Gag
"The letter Q!"
Trivia
- This episode marks the final appearance of Grandma Lillian, Grandpa Leo, Chuck, Uncle Remo, Uncle Harry and Aunt Fanny when they are seen in a flashback Pepper Ann has.
- Judge Trudy is an obvious parody of Judge Judy.
