Toot Sweets facts for kids
Toot Sweets is a fun song from the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It's a musical film, which means it tells a story with songs and music. In the movie, the song is sung by Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes.
The song is also a big part of the stage musical. This musical first opened in London in 2002. Later, it came to Broadway in New York City in 2005. The famous Sherman Brothers wrote "Toot Sweets." These brothers are Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. They wrote many other well-known songs too!
What Does "Toot Sweets" Mean?
The name "Toot Sweets" is a clever play on words. It sounds like the French phrase "tout de suite". This French phrase means "right away" or "at once."
During World War I, British soldiers were in France. Many of them did not speak French. They started saying "toot sweet" to mean "hurry up" or "move quickly." So, the song's title is a funny English version of that French phrase.
The Story of Toot Sweets in the Movie
In the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie and musical, "Toot Sweets" is also the name of a special candy. The main character, Caractacus Potts, invents this candy. In Britain, candy is often called a "sweet."
What makes these sweets special? They have holes in them! This means you can blow into them like a whistle. When you blow, they make a "toot" sound. That's how they got their name.
But there's a funny problem with Caractacus Potts' invention. The "toot sweets" act like dog whistles. When someone blows them, all the dogs nearby hear the sound. They come running into the sweet factory! This causes a big mess. It also makes Truly's father upset with Caractacus Potts.
External Sources
- Sherman, Robert B. (1998). Walt's Time: From Before to Beyond. Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers.
