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D'oh! - Simpsons grunt has global clout


Agence France-Presse
First Posted 08:09:00 03/26/2010

Filed Under: Language, Television, Animation, Cartoon

LONDON??D 'oh!" -- the grunt of frustration used by Homer Simpson -- has had the most impact on the English language among many coined by the TV show, an international survey of translators said Thursday.

Other expressions made famous by the US animated series since its launch two decades ago include "craptacular," "eat my shorts" and the dismissive "Meh," according to the survey of 320 linguists.

"Cheese-eating surrender monkeys" -- which gained currency as a description of the French by US critics during the 2003 invasion of Iraq -- is also among phrases which have entered the global lexicon via the small screen.

The survey on which words from the "The Simpsons" have had an impact on the English language was based on answers from translators working around the world for a London-based translation agency.

The results were as follows:

- 37 percent: "D'oh!" - a grunt expressing frustration at realizing that things have gone wrong, or that one has just said or done something foolish.

- 13 percent: "introubulate - to get someone into trouble.

- 11 percent "craptacular" - spectacularly crap.

- 10 percent: "eat my shorts" - a dismissive insult.

- 9 percent: "knowitallism" - describes Lisa Simpson's personality.

- 7 percent: "embiggen" - to enlarge or empower.

- 6 percent: "meh" - an interjection, suggesting deep indifference.

- 4 percent: "learning juice" - beer.

- 3 percent: "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" -- the French.

- 1 percent: "kwyjibo" - word made up by Homer Simpson to win Scrabble game. Defined as "a big dumb balding Northern American ape with no chin."

"Homer Simpson must be the most influential wordsmith since Shakespeare," said Jurga Zilinskiene, head of Today Translations, which carried out the survey.



Copyright 2012 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



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