pajancky and other Goodyear-isms

My family is big on making up our own words. At least, I think we make them up. We have been using these words for so long, they have actually become a part of our vocabulary, and the line blurs between what is a real word and what is a "Goodyear-ism." For example, the gook that gets stuck in the folds of a baby's neck? That's pajancky*. When a baby spits ups during feedings, that's a blickey. And when a baby is agitated, kicking his or her legs and fussing, we say that baby is rutchy.

I hesitate to use these words in front of strangers because I'm not clear anymore if they are actual words or not. My hesitation stems from an incident that occured when I was in sixth grade. A friend and I went to Woolworth's, where I was looking for pom-pom socks, and smugly asked the cashier where the "mum-mums" were. The cashier, of course, looked at me like I had three heads, and I couldn't understand why this person had no idea what mum-mums were. It was only then I realized that a significant portion of my vocabulary was purely made-up.

Have you ever read the children's book, Frindle? It's about a boy who is interested in the way that words are created, and he decides to conduct a little experiment. He begins calling his pen a "frindle," much to the dismay of his English teacher. The word catches on, and before long the entire country is using "frindle." Several years later, the word becomes official, and is included in the dictionary.

The other day, my husband mentioned that Charlotte had pajancky in her neck and needed a bath. I think that word has some potential. Who knows?

* Spelling is best-guess. I've never seen it written.