| D'oh! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Character | Homer Simpson Bart Simpson Lisa Simpson |
| Actor | Dan Castellaneta |
| First used in | "Punching Bag" (The Tracey Ullman Show) "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (The Simpsons) |
| Also used in | It's That Man Again |
"D'oh!" (/doʊʔ/ ⓘ) is the most famouscatchphrase used 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, daughtersLisa andMaggie,his father,his mother andhalf-brother—have also been heard to use it themselves in similar circumstances. On a few occasions, Homer's wifeMarge and characters outside the family such asMr. Burns andSideshow Bob have 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 claimed as asound trademark by the owner ofThe Simpsons,20th 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 Radio seriesIt's That Man Again between 1945 and 1949, but theOxfordWords blog notes "Homer was responsible for popularizing it as an exclamation of frustration."[5] The term also appeared in an early issue ofMad comics, with a different spelling but the same meaning, in issue 8 (December 1953 – January 1954); in a one-page story byHarvey Kurtzman entitled "Hey Look!", a man seeking peace and quiet suddenly hears a loud radio and, grimacing, says, "D-oooh – the neighbors [sic] radio!!"
Several decades beforeThe Simpsons was aired, the exclamation "D'oh!" was used in theBBCradio comedy program,It's That Man Again, which ran from 1939 to 1949. It was thecatchphrase of the formidable, but soft-hearted, character, "Miss Hotchkiss".[6]
During the voice recording session for aTracey Ullman Show short, Homer was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt".[7]Dan Castellaneta rendered it as a drawn out "d'ooooooh". This was inspired by the Scottish actorJimmy Finlayson, who had used the term in his first sound film role, in 1929'sMen O' War, as aminced oath for suggesting the word "damn!"[7]Matt Groening felt 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 theUllman short "Punching Bag" (1988),[8][irrelevant citation] 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 also 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 theEPA seals the Simpsons' hometown,Springfield, in a giant dome.[10][non-primary source needed] 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.[citation needed]
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]
The term "d'oh!" has been used or adopted by manySimpsons fans 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 English in 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]
The headword spelling isdoh, butd'oh is 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]
The dictionary definition of"grimace" at Wiktionary – A sharp contortion of the face expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust. The dictionary definition of"duh" at Wiktionary
