Doh!: “Expression of frustration used when a person has done something stupid; popularized by Homer Simpson. Antedate: 1993.”
It’s official: Homer Simpson has made it into the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Simpsons‘ beer-guzzling patriarch’s popular catch phrase, Doh!, was included in an updated version of the dictionary published on Thursday. The term joins “full monty” (to be naked) and “serial monogamy” (a 1990s relationship trend) as new entries in the respected publication.
But is Doh! going to fully make its way into modern Americans’ lexicon? Will we be hearing the term on the nightly news anytime soon? Some respected television journalists gave Hollywood.com their thoughts on the matter.
“I don’t think you’ll ever hear Brokaw, Rather or Jennings (OK, maybe Rather) uttering the word Doh!,” said Michael Starr of the New York Post. “But TV definitely influences how we think and talk–just look at how pervasive phrases like ‘Is that your final answer?’ ‘You are the weakest link–goodbye!’ and ‘Ba-da bing!’ are.”
Stephen Battaglio, TV Editor at Inside.com, told Hollywood.com that Homer’s hit phrase has already penetrated our collective vocabulary-used by young and old-and TV’s constant bombardment of such terms lodges them into our everyday speech.
“I think Doh! has already made its way into the newsroom vernacular,” he said. “It’s a great word that says so much quickly and easily. Even if you haven’t seen the show, it’s hard not to understand what it means.
“The [Oxford English Dictionary] has added other phrases made popular by television shows like Seinfeld, so it isn’t a surprise. Endless repeats of popular programs in syndication give these words a life of their own. It’s not like people hear them once and they’re gone.”
Battaglio’s viewpoint on TV’s powerful effect on common speech is shared by journalist Tom Jicha, TV Editor for Florida’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper. Said Jicha: “TV is not that big an influence on vocabulary, it is the biggest. Sometimes it takes awhile for the dictionaries to catch up.” He added, “I have seen Homer’s Doh! used many times in [journalistic] pieces.”
According to the Oxford English Dictionary’s monthly newsletter, the terms “trailer trash” (derogatory noun) and “wifebeater” (a sleeveless, white T-shirt) are currently under consideration for inclusion in the next edition. But we’re sure Homer Simpson’s lifestyle has nothing to do with either of them…. Doh!
