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D'oh!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"D-oh" redirects here. For the political organization sometimes abbreviated "D-OH", seeOhio Democratic Party.For other uses, seeDoh.
"Annoyed Grunt" redirects here. For the song, seeMouth Moods.

D'oh!
CharacterMiss Hotchkiss
ActorDiana Morrison
Written byTed Kavanagh
First used inIt's That Man Again
D'oh!
CharacterHomer Simpson
ActorDan Castellaneta
First used in"Punching Bag" (The Tracey Ullman Show)
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"(The Simpsons)

"D'oh!"(/doʊʔ/doh) is the most famouscatchphraseused by the fictional characterHomer Simpson,fromThe Simpsons,ananimated sitcom.It is an exclamation typically used after Homer injures himself, realizes that he has done something foolish, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him. All his prominent blood relations—sonBart,daughtersLisaandMaggie,his father,his motherandhalf-brother—have also been heard to use it themselves in similar circumstances. On a few occasions, Homer's wifeMargeand characters outside the family such asMr. BurnsandSideshow Bobhave also used this phrase.

In 2006, "d'oh!" was listed as number six onTV Land's list of the 100 greatest television catchphrases.[1][2]The spoken word "d'oh" is asound trademarkof20th Century Fox(now known as20th Century Studios).[3]Since 2001, the word "doh" has appeared in theOxford English Dictionary,without the apostrophe.[4]Early recorded usages of the sound "d'oh" are in numerous episodes of theBBC RadioseriesIt's That Man Againbetween 1945 and 1949, but theOxfordWordsblog notes "Homer was responsible for popularizing it as an exclamation of frustration."[5]The term also appeared in an early issue ofMadcomics, with a different spelling but the same meaning, in issue 8 (December 1953 – January 1954); in a one-page story byHarvey Kurtzmanentitled "Hey Look!", a man seeking peace and quiet suddenly hears a loud radio and, grimacing, says, "D-oooh – the neighbors [sic] radio!! "

Origin

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Several decades beforeThe Simpsonswas aired, the exclamation "D'oh!" was used in theBBCradio comedyprogram,It's That Man Again,which ran from 1939 to 1949. It was thecatchphraseof the formidable, but soft-hearted, character, "Miss Hotchkiss".[6]

Dan Castellaneta,voice ofHomer Simpson

During the voice recording session for aTracey Ullman Showshort, Homer was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt".[7]Dan Castellanetarendered it as a drawn out "d'ooooooh". This was inspired byJimmy Finlayson,who had used the term in his first sound film role, in 1929'sMen O' War,as aminced oathfor suggesting the word "damn!" without actually saying it. The mustachioed Scottish actor (acknowledged by Dan Castellaneta as the progenitor for Homer Simpson's similar expression of disbelief or outrage) would go on to appear in 33Laurel and Hardyfilms, from the pre-sound era up to 1940.[7]Matt Groeningfelt that it would better suit the timing of animation if it were spoken faster. Castellaneta then shortened it to a quickly uttered "d'oh!"[8]The first intentional use of "d'oh!" occurred in theUllmanshort "Punching Bag" (1988),[8]and its first usage in the series was in the series premiere, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".[9]It is typically represented in the show's script as "(annoyed grunt)", and is so spelled out in the official titles of several episodes. Some episodes feature variations of the word such as "Bart of Darkness"(season six,1994), where Homer says "D'oheth"[9]after an Amish farmer points out to him that he has built a barn instead of the swimming pool he was intending; "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo"(season ten,1999), where Homer says "d'oh" in Japanese (with English subtitles, the spoken phrase being "shimatta baka ni",meaning roughly" damn folly "); orThe Simpsons Movie(2007) where Homer bellows "d'oh-ome!" after theEPAseals the Simpsons' hometown,Springfield,in a giant dome.[10]The spelling is made official in "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"(season eight,1997), in which Homer, after having eaten a very spicy chili, hallucinates about a tortoise and exclaims a loud "d'oh!" as he realizes that he needs to follow the slow animal in order to find out about his soul mate.

Episode names

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As the word arose out of Castellaneta's interpretation of a non-specific direction, it did not have an official spelling for several years. Instead, it was always written in Simpsons scripts as "(Annoyed Grunt)", and then later on being spelled "d'oh", as it remains today.[11]

Dictionary

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The term "d'oh!" has been used or adopted by manySimpsonsfans as well as non-fans. The term has become commonplace in modern speech and demonstrates the extent of the show's influence. "D'oh!" was first added to theOxford Dictionary of Englishin 1998 as an interjection with the definition "(usually [in a manner] mildly derogatory) used to comment on an action perceived as foolish or stupid."[4]

In 2001, the word "d'oh" was added to theOxford English Dictionary;[12][13]The definition given is:[12][14]

"Expressing frustration at the realisation that things have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or done something foolish. Also (usu. mildlyderogatory): implying that another person has said or done something foolish "(cf.DUHint.).

The headword spelling isdoh,butd'ohis listed as a variant (as isdooh). The etymology section notes "the word appears (in the formD'oh) in numerous publications based onThe Simpsons".[12]Eight quotations featuring the sound "d'oh" are cited: the earliest is from a 1945 episode of the BBC radio seriesIt's That Man Again;two others areSimpsons-related.[12][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Dyn-O-Mite! TV Land lists catchphrases".USA Today.November 28, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 7,2008.
  2. ^"The 100 greatest TV quotes and catchphrases".TV Land.2008. Archived fromthe originalon March 13, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 7,2008.
  3. ^"Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS), Registration 76280750".United States Patent and Trademark Office.RetrievedSeptember 21,2023.
  4. ^abShewchuk, Blair (July 17, 2001)."D'oh! A Dictionary update".CBC News.RetrievedSeptember 8,2008.
  5. ^ab"Ay caramba! A look at some of the language of The Simpsons".Oxford Dictionaries. April 17, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon April 20, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 14,2013.
  6. ^Kavanagh, P. J.(1975). Introduction.The ITMA Years: Scripts.ByKavanagh, Ted.London: Futura Publications. p. 141.ISBN978-0-86007-245-4.
  7. ^abReiss, Mike; Klickstein, Mathew (2018).Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons.New York City: Dey Street Books. p. 108.ISBN978-0062748034.
  8. ^ab"What's the story with... Homer's D'oh!".The Herald,Glasgow.July 21, 2007. p. 15. Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2007.RetrievedJuly 22,2007.
  9. ^abSimon, Jeremy (February 11, 1994)."Wisdom from The Simpsons' 'D'ohh' boy".The Daily Northwestern.Archived fromthe originalon May 15, 2008.
  10. ^The Simpsons Movie(Film).20th Century Fox.July 27, 2007.
  11. ^The Simpsons (TV Series 1989– ) - IMDb,retrievedMay 3,2022
  12. ^abcdOED, 3rd draft online edition, s.v. "doh"
  13. ^"It's in the dictionary, d'oh!".BBC News, Entertainment.BBC. June 14, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon December 3, 2002.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
  14. ^ "'D'oh!' The Right Thing? ".Newsweek.June 15, 2001.RetrievedSeptember 7,2008.
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