In Echoes of the Jazz Age, which phrase did Fitzgerald claim was inappropriate to say to Sicilians?

• A. boo-boo
• B. boop-a-doop
• C. boop-beep
• D. boop - boopadoop

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is Fitzgerald’s critique of using cartoonish, mocking language about a real ethnic group. In Echoes of the Jazz Age, he points out that some onomatopoeic phrases can cross a line into disrespect when they imitate the way a group speaks. The phrase that stands out as inappropriate to say to Sicilians is the hyphenated, longer sound “boop - boopadoop.” It’s more loaded than the simpler sounds because it feels like a deliberate caricature of speech, which is why Fitzgerald flags it as unacceptable. The other options are just light, silly noises without that bearing on how speech or identity is being mocked, so they don’t carry the same implicit disrespect.