The origins of the word 'jackass' and its roots in Bartlet family history
It was a quiet day in the Bartlet household—the warm Saturday afternoon marked a moment of peace in the lives of the typically high-strung family. Abbey was outside working in the garden, while Jed lounged in a lawn chair next to her reading the latest issue of The Economist. The two eldest girls were barricaded in the house, not wanting to spend extra time with their parents, while Zoey played quietly outside with a hula hoop.
Zoey soon became bored with her toy and approached her parents. Remembering a question a friend had asked, she poked her mother in an attempt to get her attention.
"Mommy? Where do babies come from?" she asked, tugging on Abbey's sleeve.
Abbey dropped her spade and instantly met her husband's eyes. However, before she could say anything, Jed interjected, "Well, your mother and I got you and your sisters in a three-for-one sale down at the store."
"Jed!" Abbey huffed in exasperation.
"What?" Jed shrugged. "You really want to explain sex to our four-year-old daughter?"
Zoey didn't miss a beat. "Mommy, what's sex?"
"Jethro," Abbey growled, her eyes narrowing.
Jed got up out of his chair and smirked, "Right about now is when I leave, sweet knees." Ruffling Zoey's hair, he folded his magazine under his arm and walked back to the house whistling.
As he walked away, Abbey murmured a word angrily under her breath.
Zoey looked at her mother with wide eyes, "What's a jackass?"
"Your father," Abbey said simply.
