The Daily Dave

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D’ohcabulary: Ten Simpsonsisms I Use All the Time

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Table of Contents

Embiggen

v. /ɛmˈbɪɡən/

  1. To make something bigger
  2. To de-debigulate.
Simpsons screen grab of two teachers smoking.

It’s the most useful (and delightful) neologistic deadjectival causative transitive verb I know. I use it quite a bit here on The Daily Dave.

Not only is it fun to say and easily understood, but it also gives me an opportunity to show off my grammar nerdery and use words like “neologistic,” “deadjectival,” and “transitive.”

Cromulent

adj. /ˈkrɑːmjʊlənt/

  1. Acceptably adequate.
  2. Adequately acceptable.
Miss Hoover tells Mrs. Krabapple "It's a perfectly cromulent word."

By far, my most-used Simpsons neologism. There’s no better way to suggest that something is satisfactory yet unsatisfying.

Devil’s Cabana Boy

noun phrase /ˈdɛvəlz kəˈbænə bɔɪ/

This is Linus’s nickname.

A screengrab of Lisa Simpson calling Bart "the devil's cabana boy."

This, of course, makes Lucy the sweet, kind minister’s daughter. Wait, does that make Britt and me ministers? We could have been tax-exempt all this time! D’oh.

Itchy Lot

noun phrase /ði ˈɪʧi lɑt/

A large parking lot named for a cartoon mouse. Or is Scratchy the mouse?

A Simpsons screengrab showing a packed parking lot and a sign saying "Itchy Lot."
A Simpsons screengrab showing a packed parking lot and a sign saying “Itchy Lot.”

Every time we park the car in a massive lot, like at the mall or a theme park, I tell Britt, “Now, remember, we’re in the Itchy lot.”

We have never not been able to locate our car on the way out so, if you overlook the specious reasoning, it totally works.

Tunk

n. /tʌŋk/

  1. An enclosed storage compartment in the rear of a passenger vehicle.
  2. A compartment in a toy car that holds Krusty the Klown anniversary show tickets and will eventually lead to Ralph’s heart being broken on live television.

Note: Not to be confused with carhole.

I use this phrase even when cars aren’t involved. Here’s the reminder I post for myself on hotel doors:

Ironing

n. /ˈaɪɚnɪŋ/

The most delicious form of irony.

A malapropism about irony is … wait … what’s the word for it?

My Eyes! The Goggles Do Nothing!

excl. phr. //maɪ ˈaɪz/
interj. /ðə ˈɡɑɡəlz du ˈnʌθɪŋ/

  1. A statement of extreme personal discomfort after an unsettling sight.
  2. A statement of extreme physical discomfort while being burned by acid on a movie set because Milhouse bailed on the film.

Your Ideas Are Interesting to Me, and I Wish to Subscribe to Your Newsletter

excl. phr. /jʊɹ aɪˈdiəz ɑɹ ˈɪntɚəstɪŋ tə mi ænd aɪ wɪʃ tə səbˈskɹaɪb tə jʊɹ ˈnuːzˌlɛtɚ/

A statement of interest in, and possible agreement with, another’s position on a specific issue.

There’s a delicate balancing act with this one. It doesn’t work if you’re too sincere—or too snarky. Deadpan delivery is the way to go. That makes why this is a comment to use online, where no one can detect your facial expressions or tone of voice.

You’d be surprised how often I use this at work. Actually, you wouldn’t.

Boo-urns

also: buu-urns
excl. phr. /buːːːːːːːːːɚnz/

A misinterpreted phrase of derision or disgust, directed at a vain, pompous billionaire.

Montgomery Burns asks if the crowd is booing him.
Smithers tells Mr. Burns that the crowd is saying "Buu-urns."
Mr. Burns asks the crowd what they are saying.
The crowd continues booing.
Hans Moleman says "I was saying Buu-urns."

This one comes in handy more frequently than you’d expect. Especially if you’re a Bucs fan.

Meh

interj. /mɛ/

A disaffected shrug in spoken form.

Bart and Lisa Simpson say "meh."

The Simpsons invented meh in the same way Columbus discovered America, by which I mean they didn’t. I’ve heard it all my life. It comes from Yiddish, the language that gave us oy and ekh.

Some Honorable Mentions

Dental Plan

See “Lisa needs braces,” below.

Homer thinks "dental plan."

Woolloomooloo Dirt Monument

I wrote about this world-famous monument in a previous post.

A screen capture from an episode of the Simpsons. Lisa is saying "But the Woolloomooloo Dirt Monument is just too exciting to pass up!"

The Monorail Song

Britt knows that I’ll sing the entire song out loud to him any time we see a monorail, like at Walt Disney World.

What Britt doesn’t know is that I’ll sing it aloud even if he’s not there. Even to strangers. I’ve had some weird stares in Seattle and Las Vegas.

Lyle Langley sings to the people of Springfield.
Lyle Langley sings at a Springfield town hall meeting. In the foreground, you can see raised arms and hands.
The people of Springfield sing in front of town hall.

It Can’t Have Gotten Far. It Has No Legs.

I say this when I’m looking for the remote. I’m misquoting Homer, who, when he can’t find the Gummi Venus de Milo he had stolen from the candy industry trade show, says, “She can’t have gotten far. She has no arms.”

A screengrab of Homer Simpson looking for something in a big pile of candy.

And I, For One, Welcome Our New Insect Overlords

The nightmarish overlords are already here and running the country. I have no interest in helping them round up people.

A gray-haired newsreader on television.

Cristitunity

I’ve had my share of crises, and few of them could be parlayed into opportunities.

A screen capture of Lisa talking to Homer, Marge, and Maggie.
A screen capture of Homer responding to Lisa.

Lisa Needs Braces

See “Dental plan,” above.

Homer thinks "Lisa needs braces.”