Culturally significant words and phrases from The Simpsons
The Simpsons, an animated series, has used and coined many neologisms for humorous effect. The most famous example is Homer Simpson's signature annoyed grunt, "D'oh!" which has been listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, in addition to smaller references such as OUP's single-volume Oxford Dictionary of English (second edition).
Few of the following would qualify as neologisms from a strict lexicological perspective due to their extremely limited use outside of the show. For those that have found their way into regular use, the route passes through the considerable fan-base where use of these words carries the prestige of pop-cultural literacy among those who catch the references, just as among other cultural groups a clever parallel to a well-known phrase from the literary or rhetorical canon would be acknowledged.
The following, then, is presented more as a glossary of references than a list of neologisms. This list, however, is distinguished from other Simpsons-related lists by focusing on invented words and phrases rather than the names of specific characters or locations that are well documented elsewhere.
Many of these are intentional mutations, mispronunciations, amplifications, or portmanteaux of recognizable words that reveal or emphasize aspects of the characters using them. Homer, for example, often mispronounces words, showing his ignorance; Grandpa Simpson and Mr. Burns use obsolete or old-sounding words, which emphasize their age; and Professor Frink and Dr. Nick Riviera invent new scientific-sounding jargon to lend meager credibility to their obvious ineptitude.
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40 Rods to the Hogshead
Grampa says in "A Star is Burns" that "The metric system is the tool of the devil", and that his car gets "40 rods to the hogshead, and that's the way [he] likes it," which is about 0.00198413 miles per gallon, or about 10.48 feet per gallon (118 547.97 l/100 km, or about 119 m³/100 km). Grampa makes the comment as part of his explanation as to why it would be too confusing to adopt the metric system. Both the rod and the hogshead are real (although antiquated) imperial units of measure.
A
A wizard did it
A suspiciously evasive answer to an inquiry, usually with the implication the question is either being purposely avoided or is in fact silly or overthought. The phrase was widely propagated through Internet message boards, frequently as a catch-all response to continuity errors in games or webcomics. (See PFM)
The phrase originated in The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror X when Lucy Lawless responded to Professor Frink's question regarding a continuity error in Xena: Warrior Princess.
- [Frink]: Yes, over here, m-hay, m-haven … in episode BF12, you were battling barbarians while riding a winged appaloosa yet in the very next scene my dear, you're clearly atop a winged Arabian! Please do explain it!
- [Lucy Lawless]: Uh, yeah, well whenever you notice something like that … a wizard did it.
- [Frink]: Yes, alright, yes, in episode AG04 …
- [Lucy Lawless]: Wizard!
- [Frink]: Oh for glaven out loud.
It is also reminiscent of Terry Pratchett's reasoning for not making more use of magic in his fantasy novels, i.e. that because magic is a non-existent force that an author can use to do anything, it can become a deus ex machina plot device. "A wizard did it" can be used as a sarcastic retort to a fantasy story that overuses magic to drive the story forward.
The phrase (or similar reasoning) may well be older than either The Simpsons or Pratchett. Don Quixote often makes reference to 'sage enchanters' who assist knights-errant in their fantastic feats. In chapter four of book four of the first volume, Don Quixote refers to such enchanters bringing friends to a knight's aid and transporting them to their own homes for dinner afterwards, though the home was several thousand miles from the battlefield. The knight remarks on this in reference to the remarkable speed his squire Sancho Panza made in delivering a letter to his mistress Doña Dulcinea del Toboso, a journey of some thirty leagues, or approximately ninety miles, each way, in only three days.
Adultivity
The state or condition of being an adult.
In "Much Apu About Nothing," Kearney believes that his fake "Charles Norwood" ID will confirm this for him, thus allowing him to buy beer and cheap cigars.
Ahoy Hoy
Monty Burns' preferred telephone greeting.
In the early days of telephony there was no standard way to greet the unknown person at the other end of the line as most greetings were designed for face-to-face encounters. Alexander Graham Bell coined the phrase "Hoy Hoy", a take off of the nautical greeting "Ahoy", and advocated its use. However the term "Hello", which was supported by Thomas Edison, eventually won out. This is a humorous reference to Burns' age in that he still uses this arcane greeting long since forgotten by the rest of the world. (However, it should be noted that the Czech word "ahoj" (pronounced "ahoy"), meaning "Hi", remains that country's most popular informal greeting, and that "Hoi" is similarly common in Dutch and Swiss German.)
America Balls
A delicacy concocted by Bart and named by Homer, appearing in the episode "The Principal and the Pauper."
This food consists of round balls of dog food topped with tiny American Flags on toothpicks. They commemorate Skinner's 20 years of service to Springfield Elementary, and are based on Bart's theory that "Skinner likes dog food."
America Junior
A term for Canada coined by Homer in "The Bart Wants What It Wants."
- Homer: Canada? Why should we leave America to visit America Junior?
America's Wang
A term coined by Homer in reference to Florida's shape, compared to the rest of the United States, resembling a penis. See also: Mull of Kintyre test.
- Homer: Florida?! But that's America's Wang!
Annual Gift Man
The English translation for Santakurosu, the Japanese Santa Claus (or Father Christmas), who lives on the Moon.
Apulina
A name for Apu's wife Manjula, from "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore", that Homer sputtered while drunk.
Assal Horizontology
A term for a medical procedure coined by Dr. Nick Riviera in "King-Size Homer."
Homer Simpson tries to gain weight to get on workers' compensation. While prescribing a diet consisting of a steady gorging process for Homer, Dr. Nick suggests that it be combined with assal horizontology. Presumably, he means lying down - or more likely, sitting on your ass in an almost horizontal position.
Assbutt
A derogatory term originally spoken by Jimbo Jones in "Lisa's Date with Density"
- Jimbo: Oh yeah? Prove it, assbutt!
Automated Teller Machineyolatrolamaton
Mr. Burns' misconception on what ATM stands for in "The Regina Monologues".
Avoision
Kent Brockman's conflation of the words avoidance and evasion (and possibly aversion) in "Bart the Fink."
When corrected through his earpiece, Brockman responds to them on-air: "I say avoision." This is a reference to a William Shatner outtake where he argues with his director over "sabotage": "You say sabotage. I say sabot-age" (rhyming with the word badge).
The term avoision originated in the literature of the anti-taxation movement in the U.S. in the 1970s; it was coined to get around laws against advocating or providing advice relating to tax evasion.
B
Baby Pound
A term coined by Cletus for a place to drop off unwanted babies; also where Selma goes to adopt one.
Balcony Collapse (B.C.)
An event in which a balcony falls on unsuspecting people, injuring or killing them.
In the episode "Tennis the Menace", Bart indicates that he and Marge are competing in a charity tennis tournament which aims to raise money to help victims of Balcony Collapse, or B.C. Bart notes with hope that "we can wipe out B.C. in our lifetime!"
- See also: Porch collapse
Banjologist
An expert in banjo based musical styles.
In the episode "Home Away From Homer", Lisa listens to a radio program on obscure music, and hears the host refer to a guest as a banjologist, using ology as the suffix for the study of a subject (or sometimes the subject itself, although this is technically incorrect).
Barney-Guarding Job
Literally, the job of preventing Barney from hijacking a beer truck, which Smithers is offered after being fired by Mr. Burns. Homer also uses the term as a substitute for a McJob (an unrewarding and plodding job), when trying to convince Smithers to push to get his power plant job back.
Bartesque
A term coined by Bart that means, literally, being like Bart (i.e., mischievous).
- Bart: But it involves being a bit underhanded, a bit devious, a bit, as the French say: Bartesque.
BBBQ
A combination of Bring Your Own Beer (BYOB) and Barbeque (BBQ), as printed on Homer's invitations in "Lisa the Vegetarian."
- Lisa: [reading Homer's invitation] "Come to Homer's BBBQ, the extra 'B' is for BYOBB."
- Bart: What's that extra B for?
- Homer: That's a typo.
Beemobile
The name one of the beekeepers gives his Chevy, in the episode "Lisa's Rival", in an apparent attempt to liven up his seemingly boring job.
- Beekeeper 1: [enthusiastically] To the Beemobile!
- Beekeeper 2: You mean your Chevy?
- Beekeeper 1: [less enthusiastically] Yes.
A parody of the Batmobile.
Beginulate
Possibly a combination of "begin" and "matriculate" used by Professor John Frink as part of his pseudo-scientific jargon.
Its use appears in the "Treehouse of Horror XV" short In the Belly of the Boss:
- Frink: "Let the commencement… beginulate!"
Beheadbumped
Bumped on the head. Used in The Wettest Stories Ever Told when Ned Flanders is knocked unconscious.
Belly Fruit
A term for babies coined by Brandine.
Bemusement Park
A combination of "Bemusement" and "Amusement park". Coined by Ned Flanders in I'm Goin' to Praiseland. Also, it's referring to the fact that it's less-than-spectacular; instead of A-musement, it's B-musement.
- Ned: Oh, Maude, I've turned your dream of a Christian amusement park into a bemusement park.
- Homer: Don't say that, Ned!
- Ned: It is! It's a bemusement park!
Beverine
A coffee-flavored, beverage-like, caffeine-containing substance commonly consumed in the Springfield Elementary School's teachers' lounge.
Superintendent Chalmers takes it "grey, with Creamium." The term is from the episode "The Principal and the Pauper".
Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con
The abbreviation of the Bi-Monthly Science Fiction Convention held in Springfield.
Its name parodies the often nonsensical-sounding syllabic abbreviations of fantasy and role-playing conventions. The convention first appeared in the episode "Mayored to the Mob", which featured actor Mark Hamill as a guest star. The convention marquee advises visitors to "Set Phasers to Fun".
Blingwad
Unclassified transformed matter.
- Krusty the Clown: I oughta replace it right now with that Chinese cartoon with the robots that turn into...blingwads! But I'm a lazy, lazy man.
(From the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show".)
Blundering Numbskullery
Burns' insult to an assassin who can't do the job of killing Grampa Simpson.
- Assassin: [after failing to kill Grampa] D'oh! Not again!
- Burns: I can't take much more of your blundering numbskullery.
From the episode "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"."
Blurst
A word made up in "Last Exit to Springfield" by one of Mr. Burns's thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters.
This causes Mr. Burns to crumple the paper on which it was written into a ball and throw it at the monkey. This is a play on the famous opening words of the Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities.
- Mr. Burns: "It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times"? You stupid monkey!
B'oh
Something Homer Simpson does not say.
In the episode "Burns' Heir", a Michael Caine-esque actor hired by Mr. Burns to impersonate Homer drops his sandwich and exclaims "b'oh!" When Bart nearly sees through the actor's disguise, Burns scolds the actor, saying: "Homer Simpson doesn't say 'B'oh', he says [looks through script] 'D'oh'!" So, the actor repeats the scene, this time saying, "D'o-oh!".
Bolognium
An element on the promotional periodic tables provided by Oscar Mayer.
Springfield Elementary resorts to using these tables due to budget shortfalls. Its atomic weight is "Delicious" (also acceptable, "Snacktacular").
Bolognium also appears in the Canadian cult film Big Meat Eater, as a radioactive byproduct of rotting meat which has been specially treated by dubious means to assist the disposal process.
Bonestorm
The video game that Bart wants as a Christmas present in the episode "Marge Be Not Proud".
Milhouse owns it and claims that it is a one-player game, although the screen says otherwise. The TV advertisement for Bonestorm instructs children to tell their parents, "Buy me Bonestorm, or go to hell", which Bart does immediately after seeing the commercial. The game commercial featured characters similar to Goro from the Mortal Kombat series, and its name is similar to Bloodstorm, a violent game that had been released about a year before the episode aired.
Boni
Mr. Burns' pluralization of the word "bonus", pronounced "bone eye". He is using the word "bonus" in its original Latin adjective form, in which it is pluralized by changing the "-us" ending to an "-i" ending.
- Burns: Here are your Christmas boni!
The term is also used in the Caisse Desjardins movement in Canada to refer to special interest-rate supplements on deposit accounts and/or interest-rate reductions on loans and credit cards in the event of surpluses on the part of the local caisse.
Bonus Eruptus
A medical condition coined by Dr. Nick Riviera that is described as "a terrible condition where the skeleton tries to leap out of the mouth and escape the body" in "22 Short Films About Springfield" [1]
The term came to be when a frantic Abe Simpson demanded to see a quack. Abe's symptoms included being "edgy", having "ants in his pants" and being "discombobulated". Dr. Nick also warned Grandpa that if he didn't calm down to receive treatment, Grandpa would give himself skin failure. Dr. Nick's prescribed treatment for Bonus Eruptus was "Trans-dental Electromicide", which called for a golf-cart motor and a 1000-volt "Capacimator". High voltage is applied to the patient's teeth, presumably until he is either cured or dead.
This is a reference to the common cartoon trope of a skeleton escaping a character's mouth in fright, and possibly a reference to the Ray Bradbury short story "Skeleton".
Boo-urns
What Burns thinks the angry movie audience is saying after a screening of his film "A Burns for All Seasons".
During the episode "A Star is Burns", Mr. Burns asks his faithful assistant Waylon Smithers if the crowd is booing his blatantly egotistical motion picture. Smithers, ever the yes-man, replies that they are saying "boo-urns" (i.e. "Burns"), and not "boo". When Burns asks for clarification, the crowd replies that they are indeed saying "boo", and not "boo-urns". After the crowd replies, Hans Moleman says that, in fact, he was saying "boo-urns".
- Hans Moleman: I was saying "boo-urns…"
Bort
An apparently popular name in the series; a play on Bart.
The name first appears in the episode "Itchy & Scratchy Land", when, at a gift shop, Bart Simpson is unable to find a novelty license plate with his name, the nearest match being "Bort". At that time, there happen to be two people named Bort in the store, and later in the episode it is revealed that the gift shop has run out of Bort license plates.
The word "BORT" appears in a later episode, in a clip from a campy 70s Radioactive Man movie. The word appears, in the fashion of the Batman series of this era, in an explosion bubble accompanied by sound effects.
- ZUFF! PAN!! SNUH! BORT! POOO! NEWT! MINT! ZAK!
Brain Medicine
A fictitious medicine mentioned by Homer in an attempt to get Bart and Lisa to open the car's glove compartment.
Homer asks Bart to "open the glove compartment and fetch [him his] brain medicine" in the episode "Homerpalooza". The brain medicine turns out to be tickets to Hullabalooza.
The term "brain medicine" was also used in "Lisa's Wedding" by an insane relative of Lisa's fiancée:
- Lisa: [...]I love that painting. Judging by the clothes, I'd say...seventeenth century?
- Mrs. Parkfield: Actually, Lisa, it's just Uncle Eldred.
- Eldred: [fishing in an empty fishbowl] I get me brain medicine from the National 'Ealth!
Brassafrax
Presumably an extremely antiquated cry of submission (as in "Uncle!") used by Montgomery Burn's mother in the episode Homer the Smithers. When Smithers wants to regain Burns's trust, he tells Homer to call Burns's mother and transfer the call to his office. Smithers's plan is to rush in and rescue Burns from what will certainly be an awkward phone converstation.
- Smithers: Hello, Mrs. Burns? This is Waylon Smithers. I have your son Montgomery on the line...
- Mrs. Burns: That improvident lackwit? Always too busy stridin' about his atom mill to call his own mother. I'll give him what-fors 'till he cries brassafrax!
Buh
A sound uttered by various Simpsons' characters when they feel obliged to respond in a conversation they want no part of.
Homer uses the sound most famously when being pressed by Marge to assure her that he won't rashly buy Lisa a pony. At first, Homer just grunts in reply, to which Marge inquires whether that was a yes or a no. Homer then answers with "Buh," to which Marge replies that he is not even using real words, to which Homer replies with the even more nonsensical "Snuh."
Also see an exchange between criminals in "Cape Feare":
- Sideshow Bob: Take care, Snake. May the next time we meet be under more felicitous circumstances.
- Snake: Guh?
- Bob: Take care.
- Snake: Buh.
The usage here seems to show that "Buh" implies an understanding and possibly agreement.
"Buh" is used as a substitute for the word "duh" by Amy on Futurama, another Matt Groening creation.
- See also: Meh
Bumbled Bee
A pseudo-archaism used by Burns in Goo Goo Gai Pan in parody of his old age. Perhaps a reference to the out-moded term "iced cream" for what is now called ice-cream.
- Selma opens the car roof
- Burns: Stop that, you wantwit! I might get stung by a bumbled bee!
C
California Cheeseburger
A sandwich with a baby in the middle.
Chief Wiggum shows a group of touring kids a museum display of a hippie couple who are getting stoned and ready to take a bite of the "California Cheeseburger."
Can't sleep, clown will eat me
"Can't sleep, clown will eat me" is a stock phrase that has become a popular joke-explanation for insomnia.
The original source of the phrase is The Simpsons episode Lisa's First Word. It depicts a flashback to Homer Simpson building his son Bart a clown bed to sleep in. However, thanks to Homer's questionable crafting skills, the clown has a highly menacing appearance, so rather than "laughing himself to sleep" as Homer intended, Bart stays up chanting "Can't sleep, clown'll eat me...Can't sleep, clown'll eat me..." He is so scared he even imagines it talking to him with the threat of "If you should die before you wake... MWAHAHAHA!!" Bart is therefore suffering from coulrophobia (fear of clowns) as well as clinophobia (fear of going to bed) and phagophobia (fear of being eaten).
Later, Alice Cooper made a song based on the concept called "Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me" ("I can't close my eyes, I never close my eyes / See, they're always there with that funny hair").
In the penultimate Queen of Wands strip, the main character Kestrel lies awake the night before a cross-country move musing "Can't sleep. Future will eat me."
The phrase (with plural clowns) has also become popular as a motto for t-shirts and pins.
Capdabbler
A word made up by Mr. Burns in "Last Exit to Springfield" for a song parodying Dr. Seuss's "The Grinch":
"Look at them all, through the darkness I'm bringing
They're not sad at all. They're actually singing!
They sing without juicers
They sing without blenders
They sing without flungers, capdabblers and smendlers!"
The word may be derived from the "Cap Snaffler" invented by Ron Popeil of Veg-o-matic and Pocket Fisherman fame.
Car Hole
A common man's term for garage, coined by Moe Szyslak in "The Springfield Connection".
While "Car Hole" appears only twice in the series itself, it is often used by fans to jokingly refer to a garage, or garage-like structure. The phrase first appears in a conversation between Moe Szyslak and Homer Simpson, wherein Moe ridicules Homer for his use of the overly formal word, "garage".
- Homer: Hmm. I wonder why he's so eager to go to the garage?
- Moe: The "garage"? Hey fellas, the "garage"! Well, ooh la di da, Mr. French Man.
- Homer: Well what do you call it?
- Moe: A car hole!
The phrase appears once more, as Homer Simpson expresses his shock, upon discovering a counterfeit jeans outfit has (inexplicably) taken up operation in his garage.
- Homer: [gasps] A counterfeit jeans ring operating out of my car hole!
Due to Hank Azaria's delivery of Moe's line (and perhaps closed-caption mistakes), many people have mistakenly heard this as "Car Hold".
Champagneola
In "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love," after Gloria says yes to Mr. Burns' proposal, he leaves to fetch a bottle of 'champagneola'.
Charlie Church
Homer's term for someone who regularly attends church, e.g. Ned Flanders; also Churchy LaFemme.
Chazzwozzers
A fictitious Australian name for the American bullfrog.
As the Simpsons depart from Australia, an Australian equivalent of Squeaky Voiced Teen asks what the strange creature infesting his home country is called. Upon receiving its proper name, he responds, "Bullfrog! That's an odd name. "I'd have called them chazzwozzers." Probably a combination of the common Australian nicknames “Chas” (Charlie) and “Wozzer” (Warwick).
Cheese-eating Surrender Monkeys
This phrase originated in Britain in the 1980's[citation needed]. A derogatory nickname for the French popularized by Scottish character Groundskeeper Willie.
- Willie: [attempting to teach French to a classroom of children] Bonjour-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r, you Cheese-eating Surrender Monkeys!
Chestal
Of, or relating to, the chest.
- Bart: I'm all tense through the chestal area!
The word "chestal," in this sense, first became popular in the 1960s when Woody Allen used it in one of his stand-up comedy routines. It then appeared on the episode, "Bart's Girlfriend"
Also used: "neckal" and "scalpal". A similar term, "crotchal", was used in the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Also "chesticles" in Australia means female breasts. Combination of chest and testicles. Not for use in polite company.
Chester A. Arthritis
An imaginary disease that Lisa jokingly suggests after being diagnosed with "Jebeditis" by Hollis Hurlbut.
- Lisa: Just when I was getting over my Chester A. Arthritis.
- Hurlbut: ...You had arthritis?
Chewtality
A term used by Homer to describe his family's treatment with delicious taffy in "Brawl in the Family".
The Simpson family is immobilized by a robot policewoman, who uses a sticky spray of taffy to trap the family. Struggling amongst the taffy, Homer screams "Ahh! Police brutality" and as he takes a bite out of the wad of taffy surrounding the family, adds "...and chewtality."
Chocobots
Fictitious Mattel toys that have their own television show called the Mattel and Mars Bar Quick Energy Chocobot Hour.
It replaced the children's news show, Kidz Newz, started by Bart and Lisa in the episode "Girly Edition". Chocobots bear a strong similarity to Gobots or Transformers, both of which were robot toylines that featured an animated series tie-in that functioned as a thinly disguised program-length advertisement for the toys.
Chocotastic
One of the three neglected food groups, along with the Whipped group and the Congealed group, that Homer must concentrate on eating more of in "King-Size Homer"
This word has made its way into international culture, as there are Pop Tarts available in The Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe with the flavor of Chocotastic.
Churchy LaFemme
Another term Homer uses to describe a church-going person, e.g. Ned Flanders.
Churchy LaFemme was originally the name of the turtle in Walt Kelly's "Pogo" comic strip, a play on a phrase coined by Alexandre Dumas, to mean a problem that would be solved if a woman could be found... and later the search for a woman as a sexual partner. "Cherchez La Femme" was also the title of a 1970s dance hit by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band.
Cinco de Ocho
Along with the Tongue Kissing Festival and the Hobo Oscars, Cinco de Ocho (trans: Fifth of Eight) is a celebration that Homer tells Marge Ned Flanders will find painful as a widower in A Star is Born-Again. A take-off on Cinco de mayo (trans: Fifth of May).
Clobbersaurus
The name that Homer gives himself as a sumo wrestler. He throws the Japanese emperor out of the sumo ring, landing him and Bart in jail.
Cloneasaurus
Cloneasaurus—as in Billy and the Cloneasaurus, Skinner's book with an identical plot to Jurassic Park. He wrote it after Flanders became principal of Springfield Elementary in Sgt. Skinner's Badass Song, and had high hopes for it until put down by Apu, who treated him to a long rant ending in "...one of the most highly-grossing films of all time! What were you thinking, sir? Er, I mean, thank you, come again!"
Clouseauesque
A combination of excessive clumsiness and ridiculously bad luck, in the manner of Peter Sellers's hapless Inspector Jacques Clouseau. From the episode "The Boy Who Knew Too Much".
The French waiter, who accused Freddy Quimby of attacking him, says in the court room, "This is an outrage! I am not a clumsy clouseauesque waiter!" He then falls out of the window into an open truck of rat traps.
Clown Pole
Some form of pole (presumably) used by clowns for poking, and other clown-related activities.
The phrase originates from the term "ten foot barge pole", which refers to a long pole used by boatmen to propel a vessel through shallow water. To "not touch (something) with a ten foot (barge) pole" is to stay away from or avoid it, through fear and apprehension, or self-importance and superiority. The latter usage applies to the phrase by Krusty the Clown.
- Krusty: You will now go back to your home towns and do kids' parties, swap meets, and all the other piddling crap I wouldn't touch with a ten foot clown pole.
From the episode "Homie the Clown".
Clupid Bloropope
Homer's mispronunciation of "stupid horoscope" caused by the pickaxe that impacted his head.
In the episode "Treehouse of Horror XI," Homer reads his horoscope which states he will die today. As he backs out of the driveway leaving for work, lightning strikes a tree, which just barely misses striking the front of the car. "Missed me! Stupid Horoscope!" Homer taunts. He drives past a work zone where men are demolishing a Planet Hollywood restaurant. The wrecking ball knocks down the planet above the restaurant which falls on and destroys most of his car. "Stupid horoscope," Homer says to himself, chuckling. Then a pickaxe falls off of a truck in front of him and comes through the front windshield, embedding itself in Homer's forehead, and, presumably, his brain. Homer giggles insanely and says, "Clupid bloropope."
Cobblerin' Time
Homer's takeoff of The Thing's "It's clobberin' time!" catchphrase. From "Simple Simpson".
Coked-Out Manballoon
Mr. Burns refers to Homer as this when he failed the drug test to be a prison guard after Otto switched the urine samples.
COMQUAAQ
The former name of the phone company ZOVUVAZZ. See: ZoVuVazz. A pun on computer manufacturer Compaq and/or cable company Comcast. Perhaps also inspired by the wireless company Qualcomm.
- Homer: Well, our telephone company is Comquaaq.
From "Blame It on Lisa".
Commie-Nazis
Fictional villains Rainier Wolfcastle faces in one of his McBain movies.
While delivering UNICEF pennies to the "puny children who need them", the airplane he is in gets attacked. He picks up the radio and says, "McBain to base, under attack by Commie-Nazis." These "Commie-Nazis" combine Russian Communism and Nazi ideology, and use a mix of the Swastika and Hammer and Sickle on a red background as their standard. The Commie-Nazis are a parody of stereotypical villains in American action movies.
- See also: National Bolshevism
CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet
Homer's internet company in "Das Bus".
Marge thought it up when Homer asked her what he should name his Internet company. Throughout the episode, characters ask what, if anything, CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet actually does (and never receive an answer). Comic Book Guy contacts Homer after seeing a pop-up advertisement for the company while browsing Star Trek pornography online. Later in the episode, Bill Gates destroys the company with the help of two hired goons after he offers to "buy-out" the company.
- See also: CompuGlobalHyperMega.Net
Corpse Hatch
- See Innocence Tube
Crab Juice
The juice of a crab, packaged conveniently in a can. Perhaps a reference to clam juice, which is a component of some recipes and is sold in cans and bottles.
- Homer Simpson: [after eating a stick of Khlav Kalash] Now what do you have to wash that awful taste out of my mouth?
- Vendor at the World Trade Center: Mountain Dew or crab juice.
- Homer Simpson: Blecch! Ew! Sheesh! I'll take a crab juice.
From the episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson".
Crantastic
A reference to an Ocean Spray advertising device, where the word "cranberry" is reanalyzed as a compound of two distinct morphemes and "cran" becomes lexicalized.
Also note the reanalysis of "fantastic" using the same methodology. Said by the squeaky-voiced teen as he is swept away by a tide of cranberry juice in "Homer and Apu".
Crap Factory
Invented by Bart as a dysphemism for "stomach" after Nelson takes exception to his saying "tummy."
- Bart: "'Stomach,' 'gut,' 'crap factory!'"
Crap on a Crutch
An expression of surprise or disgust; used by Homer in "Mayored to the Mob".
- Homer: Crap on a crutch, they're milking rats! Milking rats!!!
Craptacular
A combination of "crap" and "spectacular."
Craptacular was used by Bart to describe the supposedly defective Christmas lights that Homer purchased in "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace". It is one of the more frequently used made-up words from the Simpsons, and, like a few others, was being used before The Simpsons made it popular.
Crapulence
An expression used by Mr. Burns in the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?". It is an actual English word. The OED defines crapulence as "1. Sickness or indisposition resulting from excess in drinking or eating. 2. Gross intemperance, esp. in drinking; debauchery.", giving as its most recent examples an 1859 sentence "The men are idle and debauched, spending their days in unbroken crapulence and drunkenness."
"Smithers had thwarted my earlier attempt to take candy from a baby. But with him out of the picture, I was free to wallow in my own crapulence"- Mr. Burns
Creamium
A cream substitute, usually served as adjunct to Beverine.
Crisitunity
A portmanteau created by Homer when Lisa tells him that the Chinese have the same word for "crisis" and "opportunity". The actual Chinese words for those terms are different but share a common character (危機 for "crisis", 機會 for "opportunity").
From "Fear of Flying".
Cromulent
A word meaning valid or acceptable, coined by David X. Cohen for the Simpsons episode Lisa the Iconoclast.
When schoolteacher Edna Krabappel hears the Springfield town motto, "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man," she comments she'd never heard of the word embiggens before moving to Springfield. Miss Hoover, another teacher, replies, "It's a perfectly cromulent word".
Later in the same episode, while talking about Homer's audition for the role of town crier, Principal Skinner states "He's embiggened that role with his cromulent performance."
Based on the context in which Miss Hoover uses the word cromulent, we can interpret that she intends it to mean "legitimate", "applicable" or "appropriate." Principal Skinner seems to use it to mean "more than acceptable" or "more than adequate"; these usages would also (in an assumed lexical context) satisfy Miss Hoover's use of the word. Perhaps both characters intend it to mean "authentic", which would validate both uses of the word (e.g. "it's a perfectly authentic word" and "he embiggened that role with his authentic performance"). Lisa uses it later in that episode, when instead of telling the truth about Jebediah Springfield, she accepts that the myth and the made-up words have inspirational value. The word has a sort of recursive irony about it: as a made-up word it possesses none of the qualities that it describes.
Both "embiggen" and "cromulent" were quickly adopted and used by Simpsons fans. Cromulent has taken on an ironic meaning, to say that something is not at all legitimate and in fact spurious. Indeed the DVD commentary for the episode Lisa the Iconoclast makes a point of reinforcing that "embiggen" and "cromulent" are completely made up by the writers and have since taken on a life of their own via the internet and other media.
In the 2005 Xbox game Jade Empire, the player meets a man who uses made-up and mispronounced words. When the player confronts the man with this, the man claims that one of the words he used was "cromulent".
"Cromulent" has since appeared in the Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English. (lookup via reference.com.)
Crotch Dot
A red dot that appears on one's crotch, and is thought to be fatal (Chief Wiggum's uncle died of Crotch Dot). Seymour Skinner was suspected of having this disease, although in reality, it was a laser pointer used as a prank by Bart. From "The Dad Who Knew Too Little".
D
Dash Hole
Another name for the cigarette lighter power socket.
This name was used by the automotive appliance salesman when asking Homer what he had plugged into his Dash Hole. From "Brake My Wife, Please."
Debigulator
A fictional device that has the power to shrink people down to a smaller size.
In the Halloween episode where Lisa creates her own mini universe out of a lost tooth, the miniature scientist, who looks like Professor Frink, used the debigulator to make Lisa small enough to rule their tiny society. In the same episode, the scientist suggests that the debigulation can only be reversed by a "rebigulator", which he describes as, "a concept so ridiculous, it makes me want to laugh out loud and chortle— uh, but not at you, O Holiest of Gods, with the wrathfulness, and the vengeance, and the blood rain, and the hey-hey-hey-it-hurts-me."
Deceleratrix
The service brakes on a car.
Mr. Burns attempts to drive a car for the first time while proclaiming he is sure the owners' manual will instruct him as to which lever is the velocitator and which one is the deceleratrix. The word is formed by applying the largely antiquated feminine suffix '-trix' to the real word "decelerator". From "Homer the Smithers"
De Fault
Homer's conception that 'default' is composed of two separate words.
When Barney is disqualified from becoming an astronaut in "Deep Space Homer," Homer is awarded the honor by 'default'. Homer begins chanting "De fault", and confirms this new dual-word using the phrase "ah, de fault, the two sweetest words in the English language."
Possibly a reference to the organized crowd chant at basketball games (and possibly other sports) where in a particularly tense situation, when the visiting team has the ball, the crowd will chant "De Fense" to encourage the home team and annoy the visitors. Quite often the home team's mascot leads the chant using two signs as props, one of which is labeled with "D" or "De-" and the other is labeled with "Fence", "Fense", and/or a picture of a fence.
Delochinator
Pronounced, "dee-LOK-in-eh-ter". A device used by Prof. Frink in the episode "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" to drain a loch.
This device was used in Mr. Burns' search for the Loch Ness Monster.
Dickety
Grandpa Simpson's made-up word for twenty.
This occurred in the episode "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"."
- Abe: Now, my story begins in nineteen-dickety-two. We had to say "dickety" 'cause the Kaiser had stolen our word "twenty". I chased that rascal to get it back, but gave up after dickety-six miles…
The word may have a faux "old timer" feel because of its similarity to the words "dicker" and lickety as in "lickety split." Dicker is a word for bargain that's sometimes associated with rural or antiquated settings.
In the Latin American version the word used is "tijiri", which has no actual meaning or similarity to another word.
The German version is "zwickig", which also has no meaning, but sounds similar to "zwanzig" ("twenty").
The term pokes fun at the common habit of replacing words during the anti-German sentiment of World War I, such as the replacing of Sauerkraut with "Liberty Cabbage" (according to Grandpa, Liberty Cabbage was, in turn, known as "Super Slaw"). See also Political neologism.
Diddly
Ned Flanders' characteristic non-word.
Generally speaking, "diddly" is what linguists call a filled pause, a non-word which a speaker uses to take up time or space in a sentence, and which are sometimes used for emphasis. Ned Flanders often uses "diddly" as an alliteration in his sentences, i.e. "What can I diddly-do you for?" Flanders also seems to use filled pauses as a crutch to avoid swearing, as in "son of a diddly...", until he finally snaps in "Hurricane Neddy" when the inept townspeople of Springfield push him too far and he belts out "Aw hell diddly ding dong crap! Can't you morons do anything right?!" (Diddly is not a made-up word — Flanders' usage is just a little bit out there)
Occasionally, Flanders will use "diddly" as a tmesis such as in the episode "Summer of 4 Ft. 2" in his note at the summer house to the Simpsons ("Wel-diddly-elcome").
It was also used as a familial word when the 'Flanders Clan' has a reunion, Jose Flanders says when meeting Homer, "Buenos ding-dong-diddly dias señor".
In the Latin American version, "diddly" is often translated as "-irijillo", an overly elaborate and ridiculous diminutive (e.g. "Perfectirijillo").
Dog-Dangling
A phrase used by Homer Simpson to describe the tedium of a boring afternoon, though it can be applied to any boring situation.
In the episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer", he's sitting on the couch dangling Santa's Little Helper from a chew toy when he declares, "Yeah, it's a lazy dog-dangling afternoon", a reference to the 1975 Sidney Lumet film Dog Day Afternoon.
D'oh!
An exclamation of annoyance often uttered by Homer.
In scripts and episode titles, D'oh is referred to as annoyed grunt.
Donder-Blitzen
A type of sausage that the Simpsons eat.
When the Simpsons entertain Rainier Wolfcastle as a dinner guest, Marge prepares a variety of sausages. Lisa, a vegetarian, names each type of food in disgust, ending with Donder-Blitzen.
The word is assumed to be a combination of Donder and Blitzen, two of Santa's reindeer from Clement Clarke Moore's poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas) whose names usually follow one another when listed. "Donder" is Dutch for "Thunder" (the German word is "Donner"); "Blitz" is German for "Lightning".
Dorkus Malorkus
A fictitious Latin phrase used by Bart Simpson presumably based on the word dork.
In the episode "Bart on the Road", Bart announces that he is going to the National Grammar Rodeo and his sister, Lisa, protests.
- Lisa: It's not fair. I'm the best student in school, how come I never heard about this competition?
- Bart: Maybe because you are, as we say in Latin, a dorkus malorkus.
- Lisa: That's not Latin. Mom! Bart's faking it!
- Marge: Lisa, you've had your glory. Now it's Bart's turn.
This episode was a 1996 episode and dorkus malorkus was in use on the school grounds well before 1996. In fact, there is considerable testimonial evidence that the term was in use as far back as the late 1970s. A more appropriate spelling might be Dorcus mallorcus, indicating a dork of the major variety. The word malorkus may be derived from malarkey, (nonsense or foolishness).
Double-Bacon Geniusburger
An über-intelligent person, used as an alternate lyric in Homer's version of the Grinch song.
"You're a Hero, Homer J. You're as crafty as a skunk! They'll thank you in the morning, for stealing Flanders's junk, Homer JAAAY! You're a double-bacon geniusburger, and just a little drunk!" From the episode "'Tis The Fifteenth Season".
Droodel
The word Homer uses to describe a dreidel, in the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass"
- Bart: Any luck, Dad?
- Homer: No, but the rabbi gave me this. [spins the dreidel]
- Bart: What is that?
- Homer: Son, they call it a droodel.
Drunkening
The process of becoming drunk, a gerund form of the pseudo-verb "To Drunken".
Moe tells Homer he's late for his drunkening. From "Brake My Wife, Please".
Dumbening
The process of becoming dumber.
In the episode "Lisa the Simpson," Lisa is writing in her diary after speaking to Grandpa about "the Simpson Gene", which supposedly makes every male in the Simpson family stupid.
- Lisa: [writing] Dear log, can it be true? Does every Simpson go through a process of dumbening? Hey, that's not how you spell 'dumbening'. Wait a minute… 'dumbening' isn't even a word!
Dumpster Buns
Cinnamon buns thrown out into a dumpster.
In the episode "Thank God it's Doomsday", Homer wants to go to the mall to eat the day old throw aways from Cinnabon. While at the mall, Bart and Lisa run into their father eating out of the dumpster.
- Homer: Mmm...dumpster buns.
E
Edna Krabappoly
A fictitious Monopoly type of game that uses Edna Krabappel as the theme.
This is a parody of the trend of making Monopoly games with a centralized theme, including a Simpsons edition.
Electromicide
According to Dr. Nick Riviera, the only treatment for Bonus Eruptus.
Dr. Nick's procedure is trans-dental electromicide, a process of introducing severe electrical currents into the body through the mouth. The word electromicide is possibly a conflation of the prefix electro- with homicide.
Eltdown
Homer's interpretation of meltdown.
In the episode "I'm With Cupid", Homer gets a page from work. Seemingly having looked at the screen after the 'm' has disappered, he looks puzzled and wonders aloud "Hmmm...what's an eltdown?" Despite his many years working in nuclear power, and his own personal experience with one (See "Homer Defined"), he seemingly does not know (or remember) what a meltdown is.
An alternate view is that due to a typing mistake or a pager network glitch the letter "M" was not received, and Homer is too stupid to reconstruct the actual word that is missing a letter.
Embiggen
The action of making something larger.
From a famous saying by Jebediah Springfield/Hans Sprungfeld: "A Noble Spirit Embiggens the Smallest Man", evoking the manner in which its antonym, belittle, was coined by Thomas Jefferson. It is likely a creative conflation of big with the word embolden (to render bold; to hearten, to encourage).
Examples of use:
- "He's embiggened that role."
- "Patriots will embiggen America."
Encyclopedia Self-Destructica
Parody of Encyclopedia Britannica, appearing on Behind the Laughter which features topics like "interracial homoeroticism" and "reckless spending."
F
Fantastipotamus
An animal located in a "different" zoo that contains creatures that people like Homer have never heard of.
- Ron Howard: Look, I'd love to help you out, Homer, but I'm taking my kids to the zoo.
- Homer: That's great. Even big stars take their kids to the zoo.
- Ron Howard: Well, it's a different zoo, containing animals you've never heard of.
- Howard's daughter: Daddy, we're missing the fantastipotamus. She only sings twice a day.
A conflation of the words "fantastic" and "hippopotamus".
Farkbot
As in, "What the farkbot?" Said by a frustrated Bart Simpson during the opening scroll of Cosmic Wars.
Possibly a reference to the website fark.com.
Faxtrola
What Burns calls a fax machine in "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"."
A conflation of the words "fax" and "victrola".
Feast of Maximum Occupancy
A religious holiday concocted by Homer.
Homer calls in to work in "Homer the Heretic" to advise the plant he won't be coming in that day due to his observation of the Feast of Maximum Occupancy. Various groups have since celebrated this faux holiday throughout the year, with June 5 being an especially popular date, as the number on Moe's sign reads 65 (taken as 6/5).
Female Madman
A phrase made by Mr. Burns' attempt to feminize "madman".
In the episode "Goo Goo Gai Pan", Mr. Burns thinks to himself that Selma must be some kind of a "female madman" when she begins having hot flashes while she is proctoring his road test. He also uses the archaic insult "wantwit."
Financial Panther
Homer's interpretation of financial planner.
In the episode "Homer vs. Dignity," Marge suggests to Homer that they need to talk to a financial planner, which he mishears as "financial panther." This sparks a humorous daydream in which, after being informed that his account is overdrawn by a dollar, Homer tells his panther "Sheba" to attack the bank employee.
Fishbulb
A Japanese mascot composed of a fish and bulb, that strikingly looks like Homer.
When Homer stumbles across a Japanese dish detergent, in the episode "In Marge We Trust", whose mascot, Mr. Sparkle, bears a striking resemblance to him, he becomes determined to find its origin. The truth is found at the very end of a video from the detergent's manufacturer, meant for potential investors. The Homer-like visage is an amalgamation of two other corporate logos: a fish representing Matsumura Fishworks and a lightbulb representing Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern. Bart turns to Homer and says, "There's your answer, Fishbulb."
Flanswered
The act of Ned Flanders being the answer to a question or proposition.
- Homer: Single women of Springfield, your prayers have been Flanswered.
From "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly".
Floor Pie
A pie that is on the floor.
In the episode "Boy Scoutz N the Hood", Homer is lured into a trap set up by Bart in which the bait is a pie on the floor ("Ooooh, floor pie!"). This saying has been adapted by some for various objects (e.g. "floor candy" or "floor clothes"). As a general snowclone, Floor [word] is used for an object which is on the floor when it probably shouldn't be.
Sweedish-American sculptor Claes_Oldenburg also created a large sculpture of a piece of Cake to be displayed on the floor of a gallery entitled Floor Cake.
Flunjer
A word made up by Mr. Burns in "Last Exit to Springfield" for a song parodying Dr. Seuss's "The Grinch,":
"Look at them all, through the darkness I'm bringing
They're not sad at all. They're actually singing!
They sing without juicers
They sing without blenders
They sing without flunjers, capdabblers and smendlers!"
Flurking Schnit
(See Holy Flurking Schnit.)
Focusyn
A parody of the ADHD drug Ritalin.
In "Brother's Little Helper", Bart is diagnosed with ADHD he is given the experimental drug to alter his behaviour. Bart later grows addicted to the drug. In a state of insanity, Bart steals a tank and shoots down a pro baseball spy satellite, proving he wasn't insane after all.
Foilage
Marge's mispronunciation of "foliage".
Walking around during autumn in the episode Burns, Baby Burns, Marge implores the kids to enjoy the fall foilage (Lisa points out that the word is 'foliage').
Foodbag
A derogatory term in Burns, Baby Burns used by Mr. Burns to describe Homer. It is used while they are eating a lavish dinner together, thus it is likely referring to the amount of food Homer was eating at the time and/or his weight in general.
- Burns: You, foodbag, do you have a son?
Forfty
A portmanteau of the words "Forty" and "Fifty".
In the episode Homer the Vigilante, Homer mentions the word as he responds to Kent Brockman about statistics.
- Kent Brockman: Mr. Simpson, how do you respond to the charges that petty vandalism such as graffiti is down eighty percent, while heavy sack-beatings are up a shocking nine hundred percent?
- Homer Simpson: Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that.
Oddly enough, the captions read "forty" or "fourteen".
Fortress of Choclitude
The Chocobots' headquarters.
The "Fortress of Choclitude", is made out of what appear to be Hershey's-like rectangular sections. It can be seen prior to hearing "put down those entertaining Mattel and Mars Bar products..." at the very end of "Girly Edition." This is derived from Superman's "Fortress of Solitude", which was made from similar rectangular sections made of crystal.
F.Q.
Abbreviation of fatherhood quotient and takeoff on intelligence quotient.
Patty and Selma make Homer take a test to determine his "F.Q." in "Saturdays of Thunder". Initially, he failed miserably, but after spending time (and having a fall out) with Bart, he passes as a perfect father.
the Freak States
The two American states that are not attached to the physical U.S. mainland.
After Homer is confused with a pilot and breaks a plane that he unsuccessfully tries to fly, the airline company (Crazy Clown Airlines) rewards him with a trip to any of the 48 continental states. The offer does not include Alaska or Hawaii, which the airline official describes as "the freak states."
Frinkahedron
Professor Frink's name for a cube.
In the Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror VI", Professor Frink tries to explain Homer's disappearance into the third dimension. He explains using a cube, which he names a Frinkahedron: perhaps an allusion to the Zocchihedron. A possible real-life analog to the Frinkahedron is the tesseract.
Frogurt
Portmanteau of "frozen yogurt".
Not a proper neologism, as the term "frozen yogurt" has been used before its appearance on The Simpsons.
- Shopkeep: Take this object [talking Krusty the Clown doll], but beware it carries a terrible curse.
- Homer: Oh, that's bad.
- Shopkeep: But it comes with a free frogurt.
- Homer: That's good.
- Shopkeep: The frogurt is also cursed.
- Homer: That's bad.
- Shopkeep: But you get your choice of topping.
- Homer: That's good.
- Shopkeep: The toppings contain potassium benzoate.
- Homer: (blank stare)
- Shopkeep: That's bad.
- Homer: Can I go now?
Frostillicus
The name that Apu gives to Jasper as a money-making attraction when Jasper freezes himself in a Kwik-E-Mart freezer in a makeshift attempt at cryogenics. From the episode "Lisa the Simpson".
It may be an obscure reference to the 1961 Danish B-grade horror film Reptillicus, which involved a giant frozen lizard discovered in the tundras of Lapland. It thaws upon its arrival to an aquarium in Copenhagen, wreaking havoc on the city.
Fuchsiatard
The ballet teacher's name for Bart's ballet outfit.
Conflation of the words "fuchsia" and "leotard". Intended to amplify the effeminate connotations of the two words by gestalt. It could be a play on the insult "fucktard".
Fudrucker
A swear used by Marge during "The President Wore Pearls". When the police show up shortly after she says it, she thinks that they have come to arrest her for saying it. A play on the word "fucker", but also may be a reference to the Fuddruckers chain of restaurants.
Führerific
A conflation of "führer" and "terrific".
This is how Bart describes what is claimed to be Hitler's car in the episode "Bart Carny".
- Bart: It's Führerific.
G
Gamblor
The name Homer gives to the monstrous gambling vice that has metaphorically "enslaved" Marge in "$pringfield." The creature is purported to have neon claws.
Garbagewater
Homer spills some detritus-laced liquid from the bottom of the garbage can on his slipper while taking out the trash and coins this word, as in, "AAAAH! Garbagewater!"
Gibby Gabby
Marge's name for the Albanian language, as uttered upon hearing the dialog from the movie "Kosovo Autumn". From the episode Home Away from Homer.
Gime
How Homer pronounces "Gym" in the episode where he climbs the Murderhorn, the highest mountain in Springfield. (IPA: /gaɪm/)
Whilst walking at night:
- Homer: "Gime? What's a gime?"
He then walks into the gym and sees the exercise equipment:
- Homer: "Oh, a gime!"
Glaven
A word used by Professor Frink when he's muttering. In one episode while he's shocked he says, "Great glaven in a glass!" or "Good glaven!" It is most often heard when Frink is in pain like "Oh, so much pain in the glaven!" (pronounced /ˈglejvn̩/) This is probably an adaptation of Jerry Lewis's interjection "froyndleyven!", which, in turn, is presumed to be Yiddish semi-nonsense roughly meaning "happytime!" (cf. standard German "Freund" ("friend"), "Freude" ("joy"), "Leben" ("life")). The similarity to Slavic words for 'head' (golova, glava, glowa) does not account for the vowels or 'n' and is probably coincidental. Interestingly, Lewis's portrayal of the Nutty Professor is considered by many Simpsons fans to be partial inspiration for Frink's character.
- Frink: That meteor is headed straight for us, with the fire, and the impact, and the hundred percent chance of pain!… Pain in the glaven!!
Alternate spelling: glavin or glayvin.
GM Chrysler!
A minced oath exclaimed by Principal Skinner in "Bart on the Road" to express his surprise and frustration at the outrageous cost of changing his plane reservations (which were improperly made to begin with). Refers to automakers General Motors and Chrysler, and equally obviously, to the American oath, "Jesus H. Christ".
Good Morning Burger
A hamburger made from eighteen ounces of ground beef, soaked in butter, and topped off with bacon, ham, and a fried egg.
Goofy Doofy
Season 13 - Episode 09 Jaws Wired Shut:
- Marge: I am not going to make you another sparerib smoothie. Most people with their jaws wired shut don't gain weight.
- Homer: [pauses to reflect, and then writes "So, how was your day?" on his chalkboard]
- Marge: [reading] "How was your day?" Do you really want to know?
- Homer: [nods] Uhn-huh.
- Marge: Well, let's see. I was in the kitchen counting the corncobs on the curtains, when who should ring the doorbell but Ned Flanders.
- Homer: [writes "D'oh!"].
- Marge: [laughs] It seems he wanted to ban culottes in the schools.
- Homer: [growls].
- Marge: Pardon my French, but sometimes that man's a goofy-doofy.
- Homer: [thinking] She thinks Flanders is annoying! This marriage just got interesting.
Groin-Grabbingly
A phrase used by Homer to describe anything positively during his brief stint as a food critic in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?":
- Lisa: Hmm. What's the English equivalent for [drools like Homer]? I'd say...transcendent.
- Homer: How about groin-grabbingly transcendent?
- Lisa: Uh ... I don't think so.
- Homer: We make a good team. A groin-grabbingly good team.
H
Headbag
An ice bag found by Bart in the ice freezer at the Kwik-E-Mart, with Mr. Burns's bear, Bobo, in it (the body is buried in the ice, so that only the head is visible). Apu comes up with the name, and claims it's "full of...heady goodness", so that Bart will buy it anyway, instead of throwing it away in disgust. From the episode "Rosebud".
Hoaxiscope
Another Frink invention, used in conjunction with the Monsterometer at Loch Ness in "Monty Can't Buy Me Love."
HoJu
Homer's suggested nickname for Bart in "Marge vs. the Monorail". Basking in Bart's new-found respect after he is accepted as the monorail conductor, Homer asks Bart "Do you want to change your name to Homer Junior? The kids can call you 'HoJu'".
Possibly patterned on "HoJo," a popular nickname for both the Howard Johnson's chain of hotels and resorts as well as baseball player Howard Johnson, not to mention a nickname amongst fans for new wave musician Howard Jones.
Holy Flurking Schnit
A vulgar exclamation used by one of the aliens, Kang or Kodos.
Homersexual
During a routine disciplinary visit to Principal Skinner's office, Bart must call Moe's Tavern looking for his father, Homer. But when Moe answers the phone, Bart preempts the original purpose of the call and substitutes one of his trademark prank-calls. Instead of asking for his father "Homer Simpson," Bart asks for "Homer Sexual." With the prank thus launched, Bart quickly hands the phone to the Principal, who is shocked and dismayed to hear Moe Szyslak's resulting tirade.
Later, when Homer marks Skinner as a possible mate for Selma, an imaginary heads-up display seen from Homer's point of view (a spoof of The Terminator movies) identifies Skinner as a possible "homer-sexual."
Though not exactly the same, Homer proclaims it is time to "get Homererotic" when he is having himself photographed in suggestive poses for a gift portfolio for Marge.
More recently the term homersexual has been used an a parody antonym for the expression metrosexual (which means a heterosexual with stereotypical gay habits), in this context homersexual refers to a gay person with stereotypical straight habits.
Hoyvin-Mayvin
A secret project by the Motherloving Sugar Corporation to get the town of Springfield addicted to sugar in the episode "Sweets and Sour Marge." The project was named after the vocal ramblings of its creator, Professor Frink. The Professor was also the project's whistleblower.
Hullabalooza
In the episode "Homerpalooza", Homer takes Lisa and Bart to Hullabalooza, an obvious parody of Lollapalooza. Bands and artists featured at Hullabalooza include: Peter Frampton, Cypress Hill, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Sonic Youth. Apparently a confluence of "Lollapalooza" and "Hullabaloo," or a ruckus.
"Hullabaloo" was also a popular TV variety show in the 1960's which featured top rock acts of the day.
Hungee
Homer's mispronunciation of 'hungry' due to his fatigue during his hunger strike in the episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer".
- Homer: Me so hungee.
A possible play on Papillon Soo Soo's "Me so horny" exchange from the Stanley Kubrick movie Full Metal Jacket (1987).
Hungrig
In episode The Canine Mutiny, Homer pronounced the German word for 'hungry' with an incorrect American accent, whereas in German, 'hungrig' is pronouced with a short u, resulting in a word that sounds similar to the way an American would pronounce 'hoongreeg'.
- Lisa: Oh, my German verb wheel. Ich esse, Du isst, Wir essen. (German for I eat, You eat and We eat)
- Homer: When, when? Ich bin hungrig.
Hypohemia
Mr. Burns's rare blood disease, for which he needed a transfusion of Bart's blood in the episode "Blood Feud." The word stems from a combination of hypo (Greek prefix for under or below) and hemia (Greek for blood).
Interestingly, the traditional medical term "anemia" was not used. The choice of words is perhaps deliberate; anemia means a reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, for any of a number of reasons, whereas hypohemia would refer to an actual lack or absence of blood itself from the body, as if it had all drained out. This nuance is perhaps in keeping with Mr. Burns's "bloodless" personality, and might have been chosen to make his need for a transfusion of Bart's blood seem all the more vampiric.
Hy-larious
Mr. Burns' interpretation of the word hilarious, pronounced with a clear separation between hy (as in 'high') and larious.
I
Immigants
Who Moe (an illegal immigrant himself) blames for the high taxes in Springfield. From "Much Apu About Nothing." The episode also introduced the words "Germania" (the actual Latin name for Germany), "Electrical College," "sentimonies" and "aggravateses" all of which were used to display the stupidity of Springfield's anti-immigrant movement.
Innocence Tube
Homer starts screaming uncontrollably in "The Blunder Years" which reveals the telling of his childhood when he, Lenny, Carl and Moe spent the summer days hiking. During a misfortunate swim in the old quarry, Homer stumbles upon a dead body. The family decides to investigate why the body was found and who the murderer is. With the aid of Chief Wiggum, they travel up the pipe from which the body emerged. At the end of the pipe they find a hatch, on the other side of which is the office of Mr. Burns. They confront Mr. Burns, but he insists that he didn't kill the man in the quarry.
- Burns: What are you doing in my corpse hatch?!
- Wiggum: Montgomery Burns, you're under arrest for murder.
- Burns: Did I say "corpse hatch?" I meant..."innocence tube"!
Interslice
A buzzword that is meant to evoke the image of being at the cutting edge of the newest Internet technology. Homer considers it as the name for his Internet company in "Das Bus", but later chooses CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet.
- Marge: What exactly is it your company does again?
- Homer: Come on. This industry is moving so fast, it's really hard to tell. That's why I need a name that's cutting edge, like Cutco, Edgecom… Interslice.
Introubulate
The act of getting someone into trouble. From "I'm With Cupid" where Kent Brockman reads a story about how Apu is giving his wife extravagant presents for Valentine's Day, and the rest of the town's wives are annoyed at their husbands for their comparative romantic lameness.
- Brockman: One Springfield man is treating his wife to an extra-special Valentine's Day this year, [sotto voce] and introubulating the rest of us.
Italian-American–Mexican Standoff
Moe leads the Simpson family to Little Italy to save Maggie from getting caught in the crossfire of a standoff between mob bosses, which Marge dubs the Italian-American–Mexican Standoff. From the episode "Moe Baby Blues".
J
Jammitin
A drug to help old people have sex. An obvious parody of impotency drugs like Viagra. Most likely comes from "Jam it in" with the joke being many medicines end with "-itin".
Jebeditis
A medical condition resulting from excitement over Jebediah Springfield. When Hollis Hurlbut, curator of the Springfield Historical Society, returns to Lisa with Johnny Cakes, she is acting strangely having just found "The Secret Confessions of Jebediah Springfield" hidden in Springfield's fife. Lisa attempts to disguise her behavior as "just the excitement of studying Jebediah."
Jebus
According to Matt Groening, The Simpsons writers have an ongoing competition to write a line that "most represents Homer at his singularly most stupid." Most likely the current champion is Homer's faux term for Jesus, first mentioned in the episode "Missionary: Impossible". When asked to be a missionary, Homer replies that he "[doesn't] even believe in Jebus!". When the plane that is carrying Homer is taking off, he cries, "Save me Jebus!"
There are several theories of earlier uses of this misspelling. One attributes it to Frank Zappa, of whom Matt Groening is a fan. The earliest says it was used by jazz performer Duke Ellington, in a throwback to his Catholic school days. He used it instead of Jesus so that the nuns couldn't beat him. He used it instead of Jesus for the rest of his life, which is how Zappa probably found it.[citation needed]
In another animated show, Family Guy, Jebus appears as a typo on page 375 in The Bible.
Historically, the Old Testament of the Bible mentions a people called the Jebusites, residing in Jebus, which was renamed Jerusalem after being conquered by the Israelites.
Jerkass
A combination of the words "jerk" and "ass," used by Homer, in the episode "The Joy of Sect".
This term is also used to describe Homer's behavior during some recent seasons, primarily during seasons 10-12, and rising up briefly in season 16.
It has been theorized that this may also be related to the term asshat (see Asshole) and is meant to imply that the entirety of someone's body serves solely as locomotion for their own ass.
Jiminy Jillikers
A phrase used by Radioactive Man's sidekick Fallout Boy, this phrase featured largely in the portion of the Radioactive Man film that was shot in Springfield.
Juggler's Despair
One of the many fictitious maladies that Homer finds that qualifies someone for disability in "King-Size Homer." Unfortunately, he doesn't have Juggler's Despair and despairingly checks it off the list, along with Lumber Lung and Achy Breaky Pelvis.
Jumping Box
Used by Mr. Burns when describing a television.
- Mr. Burns: Jumping box, television, picto-cube.
K
Karmaceuticals
Most likely a combination of karma and pharmaceutical, meaning a supply of medicine that is supposed to be spiritual. (the word "nutraceutical" is actually quite frequently used in real life)
Featured in the episode where Lisa has a stomach ache, due to stress; Homer takes her to a New Age shop for some alternative treatment.
Khlav Kalash
In episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson", Homer travels to New York City to collect his car (currently Denver booted in front of the World Trade Center). Whilst waiting for the police to arrive, he gets hungry and orders the foreign-delicacy-on-a-stick, Khlav Kalash, from a street vendor and eventually washes it down with many a Crab Juice. It shows up again in "Lost Our Lisa", where Lisa attempts to get to the museum by herself and ends up in a Russian neighborhood of Springfield. A similar vendor offers her the same treat and she's terrified.
Killbot Factory
Kent Brockman's openly-declared "more alarmist" name for the United States Army, an institution Brockman shockingly describes as a place where "hundreds of men are given weapons and trained to kill!" The term "killbot" has gone on to be widely used in Futurama.
Knifey Spooney
A fictional Australian barroom game made in the episode "Bart vs. Australia", in a parody of a scene from the movie Crocodile Dundee, Bart is confronted by an Australian local who shows him a spoon and says "This is a knife!" Most often used in the phrase "I see you've played knifey-spooney before."
Knowitallism
Knowitallism (also Know-it-all-ism) is a fictitious word made up by the faculty of Springfield Elementary School to describe Lisa Simpson's precocious personality. The students break into the school's vault and find their permanent records and when Lisa reads that her teachers have labelled her as suffering from "knowitallism", she exclaims, "That's not even a word!" Knowitallism probably riffs on "Know-nothingism," originally a political epithet from the 1850s used against the nativist American Party, who wanted to create the United States as a nation of Anglo-Saxon Protestants.
Kwyjibo
Kwyjibo (IPA: [ˈkwɪdʒiˌbo]) is a word made up by Bart Simpson during a game of Scrabble with his family. In the episode "Bart the Genius," Bart puts "kwyjibo" on the board, scoring more than 150 points. When Homer demands Bart say what a kwyjibo is, Bart replies, "A big, dumb, balding North American ape… with no chin." Marge adds in, "…and a short temper." At this point, Homer chases Bart away, causing him to exclaim, "Uh oh! Kwyjibo on the loose!"
'Kwyjibo' was used as one of the aliases of the creator of the Melissa worm, and is the name of a yo-yo string trick. 'Kweejibo' is a handmade clothing company in San Francisco.
L
Land Cow
How a pilgrim describes a buffalo after seeing one for the first time, in the episode "Lisa the Iconoclast". In the film Young Jebediah Springfield, which relates the founding of Springfield, the group of pilgrims see a wild buffalo, with one of them proclaiming, "It's some sort of land cow!" Presumably a reference to sea cows, also known as manatees.
Learnding
In "Lisa Gets an 'A'," when Ralph is using a learning program on the school's computer, he announces, "I'm learnding."
Love Day
A made up holiday specifically invented by greeting card companies in order to milk consumers of yet more money. This references rumors and controversy regarding holidays, such as those surrounding Valentine's Day, which infer crass commercialization has obscured any original meaning. See also Hallmark Holiday.
Lumber Lung
Lumber Lung was another disability that Homer didn't qualify for when he was trying to get on disability and thus be able to work from home (if at all) for the same pay. Eventually he finds that weighing 300lbs or more counts as a disability, so he tries to gain weight.
Lupper
When Bart and Lisa embarrass their parents while having brunch, Homer decides to leave and go to Moe's, stating he will see them at "lupper" (a portmanteau of lunch and supper). This rather obvious parallel portmanteau has appeared before in Archie comics and in the television sitcom Seinfeld.
M
Macamadamia
Homer's reinterpretation of the word "macadamia", which features in the episode "Bart's Dog Gets An F".
He exclaims "Ooo... macamadamias!" when offered free samples from the Collossus Cookie store, and subsequently uses this misspelling in the note he writes declaring it his property.
Mad-Fish Disease
In "The Regina Monologues" the British Puberty Guy at Dame Judi Dench's Fish & Chips makes the claim that the restaurant is "now free of mad-fish disease." An obvious play on Mad Cow Disease.
Magaggie
Homer's misspelling of his daughter's name on a birthday cake. He promptly asks, "What, it's not Magaggie's birthday?" and begins to eat off his mistake, taking some of the other letters with it, at which point Marge points him to a cake covered in random letters that she made specifically for him to ruin.
Malk
The cost-effective milk substitute served to the children of Springfield Elementary (with plenty of "Vitamin R"), perhaps revealed to be rat's milk. "Vitamin R" might also be a reference to Ritalin, a medication used in the treatment ADHD. Perhaps it is meant to evoke "chalk," which is also white and not food.
- Bart: But I always drink plenty of… [examines carton] malk?
Malparkage
The state or condition of being illegally parked. In "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" Barney had left Homer's car illegally parked at what was believed to be the World Trade Center. Homer then received a letter regarding this violation:
- "Dear motorist, your vehicle is illegally parked in the Borough of Manhattan. If you do not remedy this malparkage within 72 hours, your car will be thrown into the East River at your expense."
This could be a reference to George Orwell's Newspeak, featured in his book 1984, where mal is a prefix for mistake, bad, or wrong. The following is a bureaucratic jargon quote (not actually Newspeak, but using Newspeak prefixing) from 1984 asking the protagonist to fix an error in Big Brother's speech on Africa:
- "times 17.3.84 bb speech malreported Africa rectify"
(Translated into Oldspeak, or standard English: "There is an error in the reporting of Big Brother's speech in the Times of 17 March 1984 with regards to Africa; it needs to be rectified.")
"Mal-" is also a Latin word meaning "bad," and is used in several English words such as "malign," "malignant," and "maladjusted."
Maxwell Circuit
During the episode "The Sweetest Apu," Rainier Wolfcastle appears on Inside the Actor's Studio. Host James Lipton asks Wolfcastle to enter the character of McBain. Wolfcastle complies, saying, "All right, Mendoza, I'll give you the Maxwell Circuit if you give me my daughter back." He then, extremely in character, shoots Lipton, who responds "It's a pleasure to eat your lead, good sir," before expiring.
Megacide
The murder of a giant. Used by Eddie in Simpsons Bible Stories. When he is one of the Israelite soldiers who arrests King David (Bart) after killing Goliath's Son, Goliath II, this is the crime with which he is charged.
Meh
A general statement of indifference.
- Homer: Kids... how would you... like to go to... Blocko Land!?
- Lisa/Bart: Meh
- Homer: But... the TV gave me the impression tha..
- Bart: We said "meh"
- Lisa: M-e-h. Meh.
Metabomolism
Homer's mispronunciation of the word "Metabolism". From the episode "The Way We Was".
Mexico-touchers
An insulting term used by a Canadian border guard towards the United States, referring to the U.S. sharing a border with Mexico. The full insult is "Shatner-stealing Mexico-touchers."
Milpool
How Milhouse signs Bart's leg cast while hurrying to the Simpsons' backyard pool. From the episode "Bart of Darkness".
Mmm, (gummi beers, chocolate, floor pie, forbidden doughnut, etc.)
While mmm long predates The Simpsons, and was in wide use long before it, Homer often says "Mmm, word" (where word can be as short as "beer" or as long as "open-faced club sandwich", and can also not be food related, such as "something", and "Moses"), thereby popularizing this specific formula. e.g. "Mmm, gummi-Venus". Some linguists have informally characterized this sort of phenomenon - the spread of an attributable formulaic expression in the same manner as that of an attributable word - as a "snowclone".
"Mmm" was also used in the Futurama episode, "A Big Ball of Garbage" when Bender eats the shorts of a Bart Simpson doll and exclaims, "Mmm, shorts."
Momato
"Tomato" spelled with a "mo" rather than the "to" prefix, similar to how a small child might say it.
In "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?", Homer had been asked to write a food review for a newspaper using a broken typewriter. The editor says he keeps "using words like "pasghetti" and "momatoes."
Money Fight
This is like a snow-ball fight, only with wads of cash in place of snow-balls. It can be done with two or more people within close range of each other. Mr. Burns and Mr. Smithers decide to have a money fight in the middle of a difficult conversation concerning the power plant's safety budget.
Money Melon
About to be dumped into shark-infested waters, Moe says "I'm gonna die and I never tasted cantaloupe". Krusty quickly replies with "You didn't miss much. Honeydew is the money melon."
Monosodium Poisonate
One of the ingredients of Dalai Lamanade, from the episode "The Heartbroke Kid", a play on the actual food additive Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) which has come to be perceived as an unnecessary or even harmful additive.
Monsterometer
Searching for the Loch Ness monster, Professor Frink brings a machine he invented to detect monsters. Frink realizes, however, that he brought the wrong equipment: "Wait a minute, this isn't the Monsterometer. This is the Frog Exaggerator."
Municipal Fortress of Vengeance
The Springfield Courthouse. After Springfield's members of Mensa take over the local government, they change the name of the courthouse to increase attendance for jury duty. Jurors are then called members of the Justice Squadron.
Myerhoff Lifters
A car part made up by Moe to expose Homer's lack of car knowledge. In "Realty Bites," Moe looks under the hood and questions Homer about the parts inside.
- Moe: Myerhoff Lifters?
- Homer: Oh yeah.
- Moe: I made that last one up.
- Homer: I see....
N
Neighborino
A Ned-Flanderized version of the word "neighbor." Possibly inspired by Comedian Louis Nye on the Steve Allen Comedy Hour (1967), whose character Gordon Hathaway greeted Allen by saying "Hi, ho, Steve-a-reeno."
May also be inspired by Kimmy Gibler's "Hola, Tanneritos" from the sitcom Full House.
Noodle-Armed Choirboy
An insult directed at Reverend Lovejoy by Groundskeeper Willie when the former is unable to club a brainwashed Homer unconscious in "The Joy of Sect".
Nuclear Panner Plant
Homer's mistaken name for his place of employment (nuclear power plant), from the episode "Homer's Enemy."
- Lenny: Yeah, me and Carl both have our Master's. 'Course, ol' Homer, he didn't need a degree. He just showed up the day they opened the plant.
- Homer: I didn't even know what a Nuclear Panner Plant was!
Nuclear Whipping Boy (NWB)
In the episode "Worst Episode Ever", it is revealed, in a film that Bart and Milhouse find in Comic Book Guy's stash of illegal films hidden in his basement, that Springfield is classified Nuclear Whipping Boy in case of an emergency and will be bombed at will by all allies to calibrate their missiles. The General who is divulging this information then terminates the cameraman.
Nucleon
Homer's stated place of work; mispronunciation of nuclear power plant.
A nucleon is actually a term for the particles of matter within a nucleus.
Nuisancefon
Mock German, meaning a phone which causes distress.
In the episode "Bart vs. Australia", Bart dials several Southern Hemisphere countries attempting to discover in which direction their toilets flush. One of those countries is Argentina, where Bart winds up dialing a man who appears to be Adolf Hitler. When the man can't answer his phone in time, he laments, "Das Wagenfon ist eine [sic]...Nuisancefon!"
There is no word even phonetically similar to "nuisance" in German; however, the German word for "nuisance" is Ärgernis, and a more accurate German rendering of the term would be the compound noun Ärgernisfon, translating exactly into "nuisance telephone."
Nutty Fudgekins
An exclamation Marge uses when something bad happens.
- Marge: Aaah, nutty fudgekins!
O
Oboemoboe
Homer's mispronunciation of Oboe. (See Saxamaphone.)
Okaly Dokaly
Ned Flanders' version of the phrase, "Okie Dokie."
Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence
Bogus award given to Homer by Mr. Burns. Homer was found to have a low sperm count by working at the nuclear power plant. Mr. Burns' lawyers told him to have Homer sign a small cash settlement so he couldn't sue for a lot more later. When Homer asked what it was for, Mr. Burns told him it was for this fake award. Mr. Burns also had to provide an elaborate award ceremony, with former heavyweight champion "Smokin'" Joe Frazier presenting the award to Homer.
Ovulicious
When Apu's wife Manjula gives birth to octuplets, Apu confesses to secretly giving his wife fertilty drugs. Several of the Simpsons admit that they had done the same, and Homer says "Mine tasted like strawberry." He pops one of the pills into his mouth, moaning "Mmm, ovulicious!". Presumably, ovulicious is a portmanteau of "ovulation" and "delicious." (See sacrilicious.)
P
Penetrada
An erotic dance currently being created in Brazil. It is said to make "sex look like church".
Petroleum distillate
Another Burns-ism, what he calls motor fuel. Not actually a neologism, but an overly formal and somewhat antiquated sounding (though technically correct) name for diesel.
The term "distillate" was frequently used in the mid-1930's with reference to the Union Pacific Railroad's City of Salina streamliner trainset and its powerplant.
Pog form
When Bart goes to Milhouse's house in an attempt to get back his soul, which he had sold to him earlier, Milhouse tells him he traded Bart's soul for Alf Pogs. "Remember Alf?" he says excitedly. "He's back! In Pog form!"
Poindextrose
The chemical that Lisa discovered is secreted by nerds and which enrages bullies. A portmanteau of "poindexter" and "dextrose."
Pointy Kitty
Ralph Wiggum's description of a rat, when he and Bart are looking for a lost key in the episode "This Little Wiggy".
- Ralph: There's the key! [a rat takes it] Aagh! The pointy kitty took it!
Pie Pants
Bart's replacement sound-alike word for "science", used to assuage Homer, who is seemingly against the practice of science.
- Milhouse: I didn't know your dad was so interested in science.
- Homer: Science!?
- Bart: Uh, he didn't say, "science." He said, "pie pants".
- Homer: Mmmm, pie pants.
From the episode "She of Little Faith".
Ponii
Principal Skinner's mispluralization of the word "pony." Superintendent Chalmers says, "I anticipate quite the dog and pony show," and Skinner replies, "Sir, this school has a strict no-animals policy. I assume these are hypothetical dogs and ponii?" From the episode "The Heartbroke Kid."
Possi-bligh
Said by the Pilot of the Helicopter taking the Simpsons to Itchy & Scratchy Land, a place where "nothing can possi-bligh go wrong. …Possibly go wrong. That's the first thing that's… ever gone wrong." The reference is to the 1973 movie Westworld, about an adult theme park staffed by robots who go berserk; its advertising tagline was "Welcome to Westworld where nothing can go worng." [sic] (although the sequence itself in the Simpsons episode is a parody of a similar sequence in 1993 movie Jurassic Park).
Posturologists
Scientists who study the field of posture. Ms. Krabappel informs her students that their oddly curved chairs were designed by such scientists in "The Boy Who Knew Too Much." Possibly just a marketing term used to sell the uncomfortable chairs.
- Edna: Well, children, our new ultra-hard Posturefect chairs have arrived. They've been designed by eminent posturologists to eliminate slouching by the year 3000.
P.P.A.S.S.C.C.A.T.A.G.
Stands for "Proud Parents against Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens and Gays," and is pronounced as a single word (puh-PASS-cuh-tag). It is Marge's reaction group to S.S.C.C.A.T.A.G.A.P.P. Doctor Hibbert remembers its name because it is also the name of a disease in the brain stem.
Presbylutheran
Formally The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism, it is the Protestant church attended by the Simpson family. Presbylutheranism was formed as a result of a schism with the Presbyterian and Lutheran churches over the right for worshippers to attend church with wet hair (a tenet the Presbylutheran church has since abandoned). A group of Presbylutheran ministers were also responsible for the approval of the stop-motion Gravey and Jobriath (a parody of Davey and Goliath); we see one episode in which Gravey builds a pipe bomb to blow up a Planned Parenthood. See The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism.
Pricetaggery
"To spoil the fun of buying something by noticing the exorbitant price"; when Mr. Burns decides to make amends for his ingratitude after receiving the gift of life from Bart's blood, he takes Smithers shopping and then berates him for his pricetaggery.
Pro Boner
Pro Boner was a deliberate mispronunciation of 'pro bono', a term used to define work done 'on the house' (particularly consulting work like legal help), spoken by Bart to Principal Skinner in the episode Special Edna. After Skinner obtained Bart's help through coercion and Bart said he'd do it 'pro boner', Principal Skinner thought Bart had mispronounced pro bono, but Bart told him, "I know what I said".
Project Bootstrap
Project Bootstrap was a government program, apparently initiated by President Gerald R. Ford in an attempt to provide more jobs by enforcing lower hiring standards in government regulated services. This allowed more under-qualified people to find work. Because of this project, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was forced to hire the least-educated person it could find to fill the vacancy in sector 7-G. The only person dumb enough to meet government approval was Homer Simpson.
Puck-Slapping Maple Suckers!
An insult wielded by Americans and directed towards their Canadian counterparts. The Canadian response was of course: "You Shatner-Stealing Mexico Touchers!"
Pull a Homer
"To succeed despite idiocy", or rather, to have great amounts of dumb luck. After Homer does so in the episode "Homer Defined", this phrase becomes a temporary fad in the Simpsonverse.
Q
Quetzlzacatenango
During the episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)", Homer samples many different chilis proudly served by Springfield residents at the annual chili cook-off. Chief Wiggum prepares an especially spicy concoction for Homer containing, "The merciless insanity peppers of Quetzlzacatenango… grown deep in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum." "Quetzal" is a Central American bird and the currency of Guatemala. "Tenango" means in K'iche land of. Acatenango is a volcano in Guatemala. "Quetzaltenango", also known as "Xela", is the second largest city in Guatemala. "Quetzalcoatl" was an Aztec deity.
R
Rack and Peanut Steering
Homer's interpretation of rack and pinion steering while designing a car for his brother, Herb Powell.
Radio-activity
In the episode "There's Something About Marrying", Bart and Milhouse convince an out-of-towner that, in this case, a sign saying "Radioactivity" actually describes activity involving radios. Previously, in a Beavis and Butt-Head comic, the title characters believed themselves to have gained super-powers by receiving an electric shock from a radio. "Dude, you just got radio-activated!"
Rageohol
A fictitious substance that creates rage. From the episode "I Am Furious Yellow", in which Homer admits: "I'm a rageoholic! I just can't live without rageohol!"
This is a misformed word based on alcoholic, under the mistaken impression that "ic" is a suffix for "addicted to."
Rear Admiral
Fully, The Dreaded Rear Admiral: an apparently fictitious school bully prank mentioned by Milhouse.
In real life, the rear admiral is used as a derogatory term to describe homosexuals or to describe doggy style sex.
Rebigulator
- See Debigulator
Re-Deadening
From the title of the horror film in which Lenny has a bit part.
Redorkulated
In "The Blunder Years", a hypnotist turns Professor Frink into a suave ladies man, which suggests strongly that Frink's character is modeled on Jerry Lewis's Nutty Professor/Buddy Love very closely. When the spell wears off Frink says, "Oh dear, I've redorkulated." Literally, the word means, "to become dorky again."
Repressitol
Pills that Milhouse takes in "Bye Bye Nerdie" to repress his bad memories:
- Lisa: [about a new kid at school] Give her a break. Remember your first day at school?
- Milhouse: Not as long as I keep taking these. [holds up a bottle of pills labeled, "Repressitol"]
Retirony
In the episode "Homer vs. Dignity", Chief Wiggum explains to a financial planner that retirony means he'll get shot three days before retirement. Seemingly a portmanteau of 'retire' and 'irony'.
Based on a common cliché in crime and action films, examples of retirony are one of the show's longest-lasting running gags, as illustrated by these instances:
- "Saturdays of Thunder" — Homer watches a McBain movie, where McBain's doomed partner (an apparent substitute for Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon) is killed right before retirement.
- "Homer and Apu" — When Homer smashes the hidden camera hat used to spy on Apu, Kent Brockman tells him that the hat had one day left until retirement.
- "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons" — a man writes on a billboard "Today: Bachelor Auction. Tomorrow: I Retire, Ya Bastards!". Finishing up with the "!" the man topples off the ladder and falls to the ground.
- "Natural Born Kissers" — When a police dog sniffs a pair of Homer's underwear, it runs away, prompting Wiggum to say that the dog had one day left until retirement.
- "Homer to the Max" — A tree falls onto a police car, destroying it. Wiggum notes that the car had one day left until retirement.
See: On-screen clichés
Reverse Vampires
Vampires that only come out during the day and sleep at night. First, mockingly suggested by Lisa in the episode Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy as to the reason why parents were going to bed early. Later added to Bart's Grand Conspiracy Theory diagram along with the Saucer People and the Rand Corporation. ("We're through the looking glass people" comments Milhouse, quoting a line from JFK).
Reversifying Glass
According to Cletus's wife (and sister), Brandine, "mirror" is just "a big city word for Reversifying Glass" (From the episode "The Seven-Beer Snitch").
Robo Trumble
A mispronunciation of the title of the show "Robot Rumble", made by the show's announcer ("We now return to 'Robo Trumble' . . . oh, I'm sorry, I mean 'Robot Rumble.'") The fictional show was inspired by the real life robot-combat shows "Robot Wars" and "BattleBots." (From the episode "I, D'oh-Bot").
Rootmarm
A flavorless mush enjoyed by pioneer settlers, most notably Jebediah Springfield. (From the episode "Lemon of Troy").
S
Sacrilicious
Homer's description of his act after eating a waffle that Bart threw on the ceiling, which he was praying to as if it were God. The writers of the Simpsons later told us it was related to a disgusting candy on the ceiling of the writing room. A portmanteau of the words 'sacrilegious' and 'delicious'. From the episode "Homer Loves Flanders".
Safen
In the episode "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk", Homer is eager to look busy in front of the new German owners of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and says 'Hey you, stop being... so unsafe! Smitty! Safen up!'.
Sandal-Wearing Goldfish-Tenders
Term used by Mr. Burns's grandfather to describe the Japanese, in response to a young worker's prophetic claims:
- Worker: You can't treat the working man this way. One day, we'll form a union and get the fair and equitable treatment we deserve! Then we'll go too far, and get corrupt and shiftless, and the Japanese will eat us alive!
- Old Man Burns: [incredulously] The Japanese? Those sandal-wearing goldfish-tenders?
From the episode "Last Exit to Springfield".
Sarcasm Detector
A device created by Professor Frink that detects the sarcasm in a particular comment. Used once on Comic Book Guy but exploded when he said "Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention".
Saudi-Israelia
The 51st state of the USA, apparently combining Israel and Saudi-Arabia. In the episode "Future-Drama", where Bart and Lisa see their future, Bart's date, Jenda, tells Bart "Sex on prom night is as American as our 51st state, Saudi-Israelia".
Saxamaphone
Homer's word for Lisa's favorite instrument.
He also seems to be unable to pronounce several other instruments. In "Lisa's Sax" where Homer tells Lisa the story of how she got her sax, he suggests a few other potential instruments: oboe-ma-bo, vio-mo-lin and tuba-ma-ba. There is a chance this may be a form of Gibberish.
During Lisa's absence in "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily", Homer attempted to "play" Lisa's baritone saxophone in her memory by singing "Saxamaphone" to the tune of the initial motif from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony into the instrument.
Science Pole
A long pole, usually made of metal, used for scientific purposes.
- Scientist: Frink, are you mad?! Put down that science pole!
Scientician
An incorrect name for a scientist. From "Lisa the Vegetarian":
- Jimmy: Uhh, Mr. McClure? I have a crazy friend who says it's wrong to eat meat. Is he crazy?
- Troy: No, just ignorant. You see, your crazy friend never heard of "The Food Chain." Just ask this scientician.
- "Scientician": [Looks up from microscope] Uh -
- Troy: He'll tell you that, in nature, one creature invariably eats another creature to survive.
Likely a combination of the words 'science' or 'scientist' and the -cian ending of such words as 'politician', 'physician', or 'statistician'.
Possibly a jab at Scientology.
Scotchtoberfest
Scotchtoberfest is a fake Scottish festival which was featured in the episode "Bart's Girlfriend". It was invented by Principal Seymour Skinner to catch Bart red-handed in the act of perpetrating a prank, as is Bart's perennial wont. Groundskeeper Willy, the Scottish school janitor, plays the bagpipes whilst wearing a kilt. Bart lifts his kilt with helium balloons, and since Willy wears his kilt without underpants, at least one woman faints at the sight.
- Skinner: There's no such thing as Scotchtoberfest.
- Willie: [sounding genuinely surprised] There's not?! Ya used me, Skinner. Ya used me!
Since its appearance, some (it's pretty much limited to groups of friends sharing the joke round somebody's house) Scots have made Scotchtoberfest into a real festival, held on the third Friday of every October. For most people who celebrate it, it is simply "a celebration of all things Scottish". Another variation is to combine elements of Highland Games and Oktoberfest, with "Scottish" and "German" Pavilions.
It is a play on the Oktoberfest held in Munich, Germany every September.
Scrabbleship
An ingenious mix between Scrabble and Battleship created by Bart and Homer.
- Homer: You sunk my Scrabbleship!
- Lisa: This game makes no sense.
- Homer: Tell that to the brave men who just lost their lives. Semper Fi. [salutes]
Screamapillar
Featured in the episode "The Frying Game", the screamapillar is a fictional species which resembles a large orange caterpillar that screams nearly all the time, even as it sleeps. It is sexually attracted to fire, and requires constant consolation and encouragement or it will die. Because it is an endangered species under the fictional "Reversal of Freedoms Act of 1994", allowing it to perish is a federal offense. Judging by the picture on the brochure relating to its care, the screamapillar can grow to colossal proportions, but this is likely an artist's rendition to show that the screamapillar is a bane to people.
Scrod Basket
The fictional town of Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport is called "America's scrod basket" in "Summer of 4 Ft. 2". Conversely, Springfield is "America's Crud Bucket", according to Newsweek. Scrod means "A young cod or haddock, especially one split and boned for cooking as the catch of the day," so a scrod basket would be a type of fish container, or, in this context, a place producing lots of fish (Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport appears to be on the coast, so this is feasible).
Sex Cauldron
Krusty the Clown's misinterpretation of Maude Flanders's spelling-out of the words "sex" and "children":
- Maude: Hello!? We're talking about S-E-X in front of the C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N!
- Krusty: [surprised] Sex Cauldron? I thought they closed that place down!"
From the episode "Grade School Confidential".
It should be noted that in episode 7G12 "Krusty Gets Busted," Krusty admitted to illiteracy. His spelling difficulties on this occasion may be caused by this.
Sexarossa
The type of car made by Bugatti that Mr. Burns claims to drive in "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love".
- Mr. Burns: I don't understand. She was my young fiancée, he was my sexually virile best friend, and they just drove off in my Bugatti Sexarossa. How could this ever have happened?
'Bugatti Sexarossa' could be a reference to the 'Ferrari Testarossa'.
Shatner-Stealing Mexico Touchers!
An insult wielded by Canadians as a response to the insult: "You puck-slapping maple suckers!"
Shazbot
A curse term used by space aliens Kang and Kodos in episode "Treehouse of Horror VI" as well as by Comic Book Guy on more than one occasion. This one is not made up on The Simpsons. It is a reference to Mork and Mindy where it was originally used by Mork (played by Robin Williams) for the same effect. Also referenced in Futurama and the video game Starsiege Tribes.
In Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, Kilgore Trout writes about a planet identical to Earth, except that they used the word 'shazz' instead of 'peanut', referring to 'peanut butter' as 'shazz butter', and so on.
She. U.I.
A D.U.I. committed by a woman.
- Chief Wiggum: This D.U.I. is a She. U.I.!
Shinning
A play on the mispronunciation of the word "Shining" as a reference to the sixth sense, as in the Stephen King novel and Stanley Kubrick film The Shining. It appears in episode "Treehouse of Horror V."
- Groundskeeper Willie: Boy, you read my thoughts! You've got the Shinning.
- Bart: You mean Shining.
- Groundskeeper Willie: Shhh! Do ya' want to get sued?
Shirkaday
In "22 Short Films About Springfield," while he and Mr. Burns are riding a tandem bicycle, Smithers is stung by a bee and goes into anaphylactic shock. To save his lackey, Mr. Burns employs an insult-based motivational technique to inspire Smithers to pedal them both to the hospital. As they collapse upon arrival at the hospital, with his last gasp Mr. Burns calls Smithers a "wretched shirkaday." From "to shirk," meaning to avoid duty or responsibility, plus "workaday."
Shirt-wiener
From "Thank God It's Doomsday", while hunting for a winning "photo" to be hung in the school lobby for the rest of the year, the Springfield Elementary Photo Club sees Principal Skinner's shirt sticking out of his pants zipper. Nelson declares "Look! The Principal has a shirt-wiener!" Much photo snapping ensues to the chagrin of Skinner.
Sisterectomy
A request Bart made to the 911 operator while Lisa was babysitting him. The surgical removal of a sister.
Skin Failure
A medical condition made up by Dr. Nick Riviera in the episode "22 Short Films About Springfield" when trying to calm a frantic Abe Simpson, who had demanded to see a quack. Dr. Nick tells him, "Slow down sir, you're going to give yourself skin failure."
Skittlebrau
Skittlebrau (or Skittlebräu) is a type of beverage that looks like beer with candy floating in it. It is implied that Homer imagined it by mixing Skittles and beer in the episode "Bart Star." Later episodes show Skittlebrau as an actual product sold at the 33 cent store. One web satire publication even dedicated several articles in a series to documenting Skittlebrau experimentation.
It is assumed the combination derives from the historical phrase Life is not all beer and skittles, referring to the game of ninepins and documented in 1894 (although the Oxford English Dictionary pins the phrase's origin on Dickens in 1837). It may also be inspired by the regional penchant in various enclaves around the USA (parts of the Midwest and South) for combining M&Ms or peanuts and cola. In Long Island, New York some people drink Zima with Skittles in it.
It could also reference the short-lived Orbitz soft drink which was sold during 1996 and 1997, just prior to the air date of this episode.
Smarch
In the Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror VI", the thirteenth month is Smarch. Smarch was, according to Marge Simpson, just a misprinted word on a calendar. Homer, however, didn't realize this and cursed the "lousy Smarch weather."
During the same episode, Groundskeeper Willie was allowed to burn to death by the Springfield PTA on Smarch 13th at 1:00 p.m., the thirteenth hour of the thirteenth day of the thirteenth month.
The month of Smarch has been included in Simpsons calendars.
Smeckler's Powder
A fictional treatment option suggested in jest by Bart in "Lady Bouvier's Lover", to mock Grampa's and Grandma Jackie's competing suggestions for a medicinal response to Maggie's frightened reaction to flashbulbs, candles and a darkened room during her birthday party. Said suggestions included: "Lister's Carbolic Unguent" on a wad of cotton, placed in Maggie's ear (from Grampa); a "balsam specific" (from Grandma Jackie); and a "curative galvanic belt" (facetiously from Grampa).
Smendler
A word made up by Mr. Burns in "Last Exit to Springfield" for a song parodying Dr. Seuss's The Grinch:
"Look at them all, through the darkness I'm bringing
They're not sad at all. They're actually singing!
They sing without juicers
They sing without blenders
They sing without flunjers, capdabblers and smendlers!"
Smockron
A word Homer uses when Marge tells him about a "smapron":
- Marge: They're unveiling a combination apron-smock. It's called a "smapron."
- Homer: Did you say smockron?!
From the episode "Pokey Mom".
Smokesperson
A spokesperson for a cigarette company, such as Laramie Cigarettes' Menthol Moose, or Joe Camel
The American Cancer Society has used this term frequently in a recent anti-smoking ad campaign parodying "American Idol" entitled "America's Next Smokesperson".
S-M-R-T
In "Homer Goes to College," Homer gleefully sets his high school diploma aflame, while singing, "I am so smart, I am so smart, S-M-R-T, I mean S-M-A-R-T!" Behind him his living room is going up in flames. People now chant either "S-M-R-T" or "I am so smart, S-M-R-T", particularly when they are feeling stupid, celebratory, or both.
The now legendary "S-M-R-T" line was actually not in the script and was a genuine error by voice actor Dan Castellaneta. However, the error was so much in Homer's character that they chose to include it in the finished product.
This line was also included in the video game The Simpsons Hit & Run.
In the Czech language and many of South Slavic languages ( namely Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, etc.), the word "smrt" translates to "death"; however, the original meaning of this joke has little if anything to do with this coincidence.
Snacktacular
In the episode "Lisa Gets an "A"", Snacktacular is offered by Edna Krabappel as an acceptable atomic weight for the element Bolognium as taken from a promotional periodic table provided by Oscar Mayer.
SNUH
S.N.U.H. stands for Springfieldians for Nonviolence, Understanding, and Helping.
Sodium Tetrasulfate
Bart uses Sodium tetrasulfate, a potent herbicide, to write his name in 40ft. tall letters on the lawn of Springfield Elementary.
Sophistimacated Doowhackey
Homer's term for a complex machine, used to describe Frink's matter transporter. i.e "Bart, this is a highly sophistimacated doowhackey," proving that he can't even get the word "doohickey" right.
Speedholes
While dressed as Krusty the Clown, Homer is shot at by mob assassins (under the direction of Fat Tony) as he visits a car dealership. Asking about the new bullet holes peppering the vehicle he is interested in (after they shoot and miss), Homer is told by the quick-thinking salesman that they are speedholes to make the car go faster. Later in the episode, Homer 'installs' speedholes in his existing car with a pick-axe. The word has been picked up by many fans to jokingly describe the condition of run-down cars (specifically, those with holes in the body).
Spine-o-cylinder
Homer rebels against the tyranny of the town chiropractors and is fortunate enough to discover a crumpled metal garbage can that when rolled over, perfectly aligns the human spine. Thus is born "Doctor Homer's Patented Spine-o-cylinder". It is later destroyed by a group of angry chiropractors who are afraid of losing their business.
Spiritual De-pantsing
Apu's description for his karmic fall from grace, suffered in the episode 1F10 "Homer & Apu". In response to Marge asking him if he would accompany her to the Kwik-E-Mart for milk, Apu says "I cannot go there. That is the scene of my spiritual de-pantsing".
Spruce Moose
The miniature plane Mr Burns tries to force Smithers to board at gunpoint, when in a crazed Howard Hughes-like state during his ownership of 'Mr Burns's Casino'. See Spruce Moose.
Squishee
A frozen, flavoured ice-slush drink, sold by Apu at the Kwik-E-Mart; possibly derived from the 7-Eleven convenience stores' 'Slurpee' drink.
Squishee flavourings have, if ingested in sufficient quantities, hallucinatory properties.
In one episode, a new flavor of Squishee is introduced by Apu: Chutney flavor ("You can really taste the chutney!!")
In a Treehouse of Horror episode, Apu was murdered by a homicidal Homer Simpson being controlled by Snake's hair by being stuffed into his Squishee machine.
Squozen
Past participle of the verb "to squeeze." In "Lemon of Troy" Milhouse alerts the gang that there are no more lemons available for their lemonade stand: "We've squozen our whole supply! To the Lemon Tree!"
The term has appeared on television at least twice previously: in an episode of M*A*S*H, in which Radar offers the doctors orange juice "freshly squozen"; and in the movie Private Parts. "Squozen" is also used in the movie Secretary.
S.S.C.C.A.T.A.G.A.P.P.
Abbreviated name of "Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens and Gays against Parasitic Parents," pronounced "suh-SCAT-a-gap." The group is founded by recurring character Lindsey Naegle after a disastrous children's concert forces the town to suck money out of everyone's pockets to recoup its losses.
- Lindsey: "I dream of an America with nudity and F-words on network TV, where the whole world doesn't stop because a school bus did! Children are the future. Today belongs to me!"
From "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays".
Stabby
From "Grift of the Magi"; the state or condition of being likely to stab.
- Fat Tony: I don't get mad. I get stabby.
The word also appeared in the popular internet song by Adam and Andrew "Emo Kid" or better known as "The Emo Song", where the lyrics sing about fictional bands named "Blood Red Romance" and "Suffocate Me Dry" with songs named "Stab My Heart Because I Love You", "Rip Apart My Soul" and "Stabby Rip Stab Stab".
Steamed Hams
An alternate name for hamburgers. As one of the segments from "22 Short Films About Springfield", a mishap in the kitchen forces Principal Skinner to tell Superintendent Chalmers they were having steamed clams. After Skinner sneaks back from Krustyburger with lunch, Chalmers confronts him on the change in menu. Skinner tries to pass off that he in fact said 'steamed hams', a regional term from upstate New York synonymous with hamburgers. When Chalmers retorts that he is from Utica, and has never heard the term, and that the nickname "steamed hams" made no sense because the burgers were "obviously grilled", Skinner's final stab at alleviating his discomfort is "oh, no, it's an Albany expression". To this, an inexplicably satisfied Chalmers replies, "I see," and ceases the questioning immediately. This is probably Skinner's best performance at dealing with Chalmers; at the end of the night, Chalmers remarks "Well, Seymour, you are an odd fellow, but I must say... you steam a good ham."
Stim
A drug mentioned in the episode "Future-Drama".
Kearney is heard to say "Stim kills," while Principal Skinner says "It's what turned Superintendent Chalmers into a vegetable!"
Doubtlessly a shortened version of the word stimulant, the word could also be a possible reference to video games and works of science fiction such as Doom, StarCraft, and/or Babylon 5, in which "stim packs" and "stim" can be found.
Stonecutters
Springfield's equivalent to the Freemasons. There are only two ways to join the Stonecutters. You have to be the son of a member, or save the life of a Stonecutter.
Strudel-Sucking Globbenheimer
Facility Director Tab Spangler's mispronunciation of a German backpacker's insult made at the expense of an overweight Bart Simpson.
- Spangler: Excuse me, we're looking for Mr. and Mrs. Simpson. I'm sorry to say this is their son.
- Backpacker: Oh! So he's the strudel-sucking globenheimer who has bankrupted them with his expensive treatments.
- Spangler: Strudel-sucking globbenheimer. You need to think about that. That's what the human race thinks about you.
From the episode "The Heartbroke Kid."
Successmanship
The practice of success through the use of "Megatronics"; Homer enrolls in Stark Richdale's extension class Successmanship 101, which gives him the "Megatronics" tools needed to take over the SNPP. From "C.E. D'oh".
- [Homer leaves the class and is reading the Successmanship book while driving]
- Homer: "Step One, 'Live every day as if it were your last.'"
- [cut to next scene: Homer sobbing inconsolably on the curb]
- Homer: "Step Two..."
Supercalifragilistics
A field of science apparently made up (and studied) by Professor Frink.
This is a spoof of the term "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from the movie Mary Poppins.
Superliminal
The most direct of the three methods ("Subliminal, liminal, and superliminal") used by Navy recruiter Lt. L. T. Smash to convince new recruits. The term was coined in the 12th season episode "New Kids on the Blecch" when Lt. Smash shouted out a window telling Lenny and Carl to join the Navy. They did.
Supernintendo Chompers
What Ralph calls Superintendent Chalmers, confusing Chalmers' complicated title with a video game system, while messing up his last name in the process.
Surgical Two-by-four
A plank of wood in episode "The Homer They Fall" wrapped in a sterile wrapper, ostensibly used for medical procedures. Dr. Hibbert claims he could "[...] wallop [Homer] all day with this surgical two-by-four without ever knocking you down."
Swedish Lunchbox
What Grampa Simpson used to call a suitcase in his youth.
- Grampa: Back in my day, a suitcase was called a Swedish lunchbox!
From the episode "Jaws Wired Shut".
Sweet Merciful Crap!
The phrase Homer uses in the episode "Summer of 4 Ft. 2" to expound his surprise, anger and anguish at Lisa's new friends decorating the family car with sand and sea shells.
Swishifying
The effect of the modern world, what with its MTV and diet sodas, on the youth of today, as stated by keen-eyed observer of humanity Moe Szyslak in the episode Homer's Phobia. Suggested remedies involve killing men, or, better yet, a deer, which Barney declares is "like killing a beautiful man".
T
Terlet
Terlet is a colloquialism of the word "toilet", as seen in three different references. In one, it seems to be a made-up word by Grampa Simpson, as he intimates to Bart's class how he invented it with no real context. When Skinner reenlists in the army in Sweet Seymour Skinner's Badasssss Song, one of the new recruits asks, "they don't have those group terlets here no more, do they?" (It should be noted here that the recruit may have actually said "grilled turnips"). When the Simpson family is watching "Ernest Goes Somewhere Cheap" at the Aztec theater (Cape Feare), a character in the movie asks someone to help get his head out of the "terlet," to which Homer reacts with raucous laughter.
This is not a Simpsons specific term, being Archie Bunker's version of "toilet".
May also be inspired by the Brooklyn accent which commonly interchanges the "oi" sound with the "er" sound, e.g. "terlet" and "boid" (for "bird"). Bugs Bunny and the Bowery Boys spoke like this. The homestarrunner.com characters Bubs and Coach Z also say toilet this way.
Thrillho
Thrillho is a reference from the episode "Marge Be Not Proud." In it, Milhouse is playing a copy of the fictitious game Bonestorm and enters 'THRILLHOUSE' for his character name, which is then truncated to 'THRILLHO.' This is obviously a take on many video games at the time which, due to hardware or other limitations, would limit the number of characters in a player's desired character name.
Ironically, Milhouse's name would be able to fit on the high score list in full.
Tomacco
Tomacco was originally a fictional hybrid fruit that is half tomato and half tobacco, from the 1999 episode "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt);" the method used to create the tomacco in the episode is fictional. The tomacco became real when it was allegedly produced in 2003. The tomacco is one of the few made-up words in The Simpsons that resulted in real life application.
In the Simpsons episode, the tomacco was accidentally created by Homer when he "plants a little bit of everything" and fertilized his tomato and tobacco fields with plutonium. The result is a tomato that apparently has a tobacco center, and, although being described as tasting terrible by many characters (Ralph Wiggum: "Eww, Daddy, this tastes like Grandma!"), is also immediately and powerfuly addictive. The creation is promptly labeled "Tomacco" by Homer and sold in large quantities to unsuspecting passers by.
Tomorry
Homer's former mangling of the word "tomorrow", as revealed in "HOMЯ".
Traumedy
Perhaps spelled 'Traumady', Traumedy is a portmanteau of 'trauma' and 'comedy' identified by Dr Hibbert in the episode Faith Off as a syndrome of horrifying yet amusing injuries.
Tramampoline / Trambapoline
Pronounced "tra-MAMP-o-leen" and "tram-BAP-o-leen", they are Homer's words, used in excitement, for trampoline. They were both coined in the episode "Bart's Inner Child."
Trash Cookies
Cookies from a trash can. Apparently, a common dessert for Bart, as he excitedly exclaims "All right! Trash cookies!" before devouring them. Marge had scraped freshly baked cookies into the trash after Lisa refused to give up Buddhism for them in "She of Little Faith."
Tromboner
Mr. Largo the music teacher asks Lisa if she finds something funny about the word "tromboner" after she chuckles at a prank Nelson Muntz plays on Groundskeeper Willie in "Lisa's Date with Density."
Tunk
In the episode "I Love Lisa", Ralph gives Lisa a present that's hidden in the trunk of a Malibu Stacy car. The attached note says, "Look in the tunk." Lisa reads the note and says, "He must mean 'trunk'."
Tubamaba
See: Saxamaphone.
Twilighty
In the episode "Treehouse of Horror VI", when Homer discovers a portal behind his bookcase leading to another dimension, he states it's "like something out of that twilighty show about that zone."
U
Unblowupable
The state or condition of being unable to be blown up. Describing his toy rocket, Homer says: "The word unblowupable is thrown around a lot these days, but I think I can say for certain that... (Boom)". This may refer to the people who confidently predicted that the Titanic was "unsinkable."
Unpossible
Spoken by Ralph Wiggum in the episode "Lisa on Ice," as a synonym of "impossible."
- Ralph: [Upon Principal Skinner informing him that he's failing English class] Me fail English? That's unpossible!
Interestingly, "unpossible" appears in Shakespeare's play Richard II (Act 2, Scene 2: Line 129).
The word first came into contemporary use in Walt Kelly's comic strip Pogo.
Up And Atom
A pun used in the "Radioactive Man" cartoon. Its use was foiled in the later movie, when star Rainier Wolfcastle couldn't grasp the pronunciation of the joke, and instead continuously said "Up And At Dem!" (from the episode "Radioactive Man")
Uppity Box
Cletus' term for an elevator (from the episode "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife")
Uter-you
Homer's reasoning behind asking Marge to be a surrogate mother in order to make some extra money. When she predictably objects, he accuses her of being selfish and says, "It's called UTERUS, not UTER-YOU!"
V
Vegetabletarian
What Homer calls a Vegetarian. This word also appeared in the 1960s in a Dennis the Menace cartoon strip.
Velocitator
Mr. Burns's archaic name for a car's accelerator pedal. Burns attempts to drive a car for the first time while proclaiming he is sure the owners manual will instruct him as to which pedal is the velocitator and which one is the deceleratrix.
Viagrogaine
A fictitious drug from "Barting Over" for which Homer is in a commercial. It is a spoof on Viagra and Rogaine. According to the commercial, side effects include loss of scalp and penis.
Viomolin
See: Saxamaphone.
W
Walking Bird
Another name for a turkey. In "Lisa v. Malibu Stacy," Grandpa Simpson drones on with a rambling story about Thanksgiving:
- "I just used [my washtub] that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking bird. We'd always have walking bird on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we'd all watch football, which in those days was called 'baseball'..."
Whacking Day
A local holiday in which Springfield town residents beat snakes to death with clubs. Lisa is outraged by the holiday and tries to save the snakes with the help of Bart and Barry White.
(Lisa sits in Lovejoy's office looking for advice)
Lovejoy:(reading)"And the Lord said "Whack ye all the serpents which crawl on their bellies and thy town shall be a beacon unto others." So you see, Lisa, even God himself endorses Whacking Day!"
Lisa:"Let me see that"
Lovejoy:"...No."
Wiggle Puppy
An imaginary dog made up by Ralph Wiggum, who can wiggle his tail to fly.
Marge: Is that normal?
Chief Wiggum: Oh, he's just playing Wiggle Puppy. I tell ya, that dog has had some amazing adventures...
Withstandinator
The name of a bomb shelter Homer once tried to purchase from Herman. It provided effective protection against a blast of exactly 6 megatons, 'no more, no less'.
Woozle Wuzzle
Spoken by Bart on Krusty's TV show after his rendition of his catchprase, "I didn't do it!" for the umpteenth time yielded only a cough and some crickets. From the "Bart Gets Famous" episode.
Initially said earlier in the episode by Homer, hoping to exploit his other children for financial gain, as a suggestion for something funny for Lisa to say:
- Homer: Come on, Lisa, say something funny.
- [holds a tape recorded with a microphone]
- Lisa: Like what?
- Homer: Oh, something stupid like Bart would say. "Bucka Bucka" or "Woozle Wuzzle": something like that.
"Woozled" is also a colloquial term for "drunk; intoxicated with alcohol". "Wuzzled" is a possible variation.
Word Hole
Used by Chief Wiggum in "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" meaning mouth.
- Bob: There. That's the last condom wrapper.
- [a jet flies by, blowing all the neatly piled trash away]
- Bob: Oh, I renew my objection to this pointless endeavor! Informally now and by affidavit later. Time permitting.
- Wiggum: Shut your word hole! We've got to get this place clean for the air show.
Worky
Literally work
- Homer: [singing, to the tune of Barry Manilow's song "Mandy"] Oh, Margie, you came and you found me a turkey, on my vacation away from worky.
Worst (insert word) Ever
Earlier on in the Simpson's show history, a TV Guide critic described one particular episode in the late '90s and its writing as the "Worst episode ever!" This is what led to the use of Worst (Insert word) Ever on the show, and in particular to Comic Book Guy's reference to "Worst Episode Ever" in "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" [2]. Comic Book Guy has also made use of this with: "Worst Cosmic Wars Ever. I will only watch it three more times. Today." (Cosmic Wars being a parody of the popular George Lucas film series Star Wars.) There was also an episode called "Worst Episode Ever", in which Comic Book Guy suffers a heart attack, defined by Dr. Hibbert as a "cardiac episode", inevitably leading Comic Book Guy to proclaim, "Worst...episode...ever." In "Saddlesore Galactica" Comic Book Guy also consistently reminds the Simpsons that they have owned a horse, and thus the episode will be the worst episode ever. He sports a T-shirt with the slogan, taunting with chants of "I'm watching you!" Ironically, there is a t-shirt that sports the Comic Book Guy with the words "Worst. T-Shirt. Ever."
The phrase itself is a common catch phrase that became popular in the 1980s, commonly attributed to the "Valley girl" style of speaking. (Other such phrases include "Like, totally!" and "What-EVER!") The phrase is usually delivered with slight pauses between each word, and an emphasis on the "ever". It is also sometimes spelled with a period at the end of each word, to emphasize the pauses between words, i.e. "Worst. Episode. Ever." This inflection reflects William Shatner's oft-parodied stylings on Star Trek. It is also an example of a "snowclone."
This may come from a series of CD music albums from the United Kingdom which began around 1980. They are called variations on The Best Album in the World... EVER Volume 2 etc. There have also been some Worst Album in the World... Ever releases. The band Five Iron Frenzy released a CD in this vein, calling it Our Newest Album Ever, which eventually proved to be false, as they released seven albums afterward.
X
Xt'Tapalatakettle
It is an extremely large statue of the head of the Olmec Indian God of War, given as a gift to Bart by Mr. Burns for donating to him his young blood, type double-O negative. It is worth an estimated $32,000, but sat in the Simpsons' basement for several years. They unsuccessfully tried to sell the head in a garage sale ("Two Bad Neighbors"), and later donated it to help compose the short-lived, Berlin-style separating wall between the new municipalities of Old Springfield and New Springfield ("A Tale of Two Springfields"). The Giant Head of Xt'Tapalatakettle is constantly, and consistently, drawn into the background of scenes in the basement.
Y
Yellow Fatty-Beans
What Grampa calls bananas. At the end of one of his trademark long, pointless speeches, he says, "...and that's why today, bananas are called yellow fatty-beans. Any questions?". From the episode "Natural Born Kissers".
Yoink!
After appearing many times on The Simpsons, "Yoink" has gained widespread usage as a verbal exclamation made when removing or stealing an object from its owner or rightful place. First used by Homer in "Duffless", when he snatches the wad of money he saved, by not drinking for a month, from Marge. Coined by Simpsons writer George Meyer. [3]
Similar to "Goink, goink, goink!", first appearing on The Flintstones in the final episode of Season One, "Fred Flintstone - Before and After", which first aired April 7, 1961. It was used by Fred's "sponsor" from Food Anonymous, whenever he obnoxiously retrieved whatever unhealthy snack Fred was about to consume.
- See also: The Yoink List.
Yvan Eht Nioj
Yvan Eht Nioj (pronounced /ivɑn ɛt niɔʒ/) is a catchy chorus from the hit song "Drop Da Bomb" by the Party Posse in the episode "New Kids on the Blecch". It is actually a subliminal message encouraging listeners to join the United States Navy, as the phrase "Yvan Eht Nioj" backwards is actually "Join the Navy". It should be noted that the manner in which "Yvan Eht Nioj" is pronounced is not an actual reversal of "Join the Navy" (/dʒɔjn ðə 'nejvi/), contrary to the revelations by Lisa.
Z
Zazz
Used to describe that certain je ne sais quoi that Bart has as an anchor of Kidz News, and that Lisa, a much better investigative reporter, does not. From the episode "Girly Edition":
- Lisa: What is 'zazz'?
- Lady: Zing! Zork! Kapowza! Call it what you want, in any language it spells mazuma in the bank!
- Lisa: 'Zork'? What is 'zork'?
- Lady: I didn't say 'zork'. The point is, the camera loves him!
ZoVuVazz
The Simpsons complain about how their phone company is always switching names. When they go to the phone company to complain about a call on their bill, a large crane is removing an old name sign that says "Comquaaq" and replacing it with a sign that says "ZoVuVazz" (which, incidentally, sounds very much like "Zovu Vas", Russian and South Slavic Language Family for You are being called. Likely a parody of "Verizon".
Zuh
Exclamation used when one cannot comprehend a complex situation or statement. Used by Bart Simpson, in the episode "The PTA Disbands" Milhouse says to Bart: "Bart, you'll never get Krabappel and Skinner together again. They're like two positively charged ions." Bart responds, "Zuh?"