D'oh! Most Used Simpsons' Catchphrase: Officially English Speech

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The Simpsons - Dohs

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sourced by Jacob Zinn

An international survey of 320 linguists found that The Simpsons, “D’oh!” is the most-used catchprase from the show now incorporated into the English language.

Today Translations, a London-based translation agency, determined that Homer’s 3-letter grunt of frustration had the biggest impact of all the new words coined on the show.

The survey included 10 quotes from the show’s 20-year run, including “eat my shorts” and “craptacular.” “Cheese-eating surrender monkeys” was used by American critics of the French in the 2003 Iraq invasion after it was used on The Simpsons.

"D'oh!" Ranked Highest in Influence on English Language

Below are the results of a poll of linguists. Simpsons' phrases are ranked according to their biggest impact:

• 37% - d’oh: a grunt expressing frustration after realizing things have gone wrong, as popularized by Homer Simpson.
• 13% - introubulate: to get someone in trouble, used by Kent Brockman when Apu Nahasapeemapetilon showered his wife with gifts and put other married men to shame.
• 11% - craptacular: spectacularly crap, used by Bart Simpson to describe the family’s Christmas lights.
• 10% - eat my shorts: dismissive insult, also used by Bart.
• 9% - knowitallism: how Lisa Simpson’s personality was described on her permanent record.
• 7% - embiggen: to enlarge or empower, as written on the statue of Jebediah Springfield in the current introduction.
• 6% - meh: neither yes nor no, used by the kids.
• 4% - learning juice: Duff beer, said by Homer.
• 3% - cheese-eating surrender monkeys: the French, as popularized by Groundskeeper Willie when he was a substitute teacher for French class.
• 1% - kwyjibo: a word made up by Bart to win a Scrabble game. Defined as “a big, dumb, balding North American ape with no chin.”