I'll call your bluff...

Posted by Aroc (A) on July 18, 2002 at 14:53:04

In Reply to: Re: you must not watch the Simpsons TV show... posted by dennzio on July 18, 2002 at 14:11:44:

It depends on who you ask. Matt Groening (Simpson's creator) spells homer's trademark expression as "D'oh" with an apostrophe. This is supported in articles like this one. Also on this official simpsons's book title . And also here. Also for those of you who carefully watch the animated TV show, Matt Groening does spell the expression as "D'oh!" - with an apostrophe. There have been a couple instances of "D'oh!" text balloons on the show. So I'm assuming that Matt's preferred spelling is with the apostrophe, rather than without. For sake of arguement, I don't see how Matt can spell his own word incorrectly. His spelling, in my mind, would be be the correct spelling even if he spelled it "XYZQW!"

But to back up your claim, it did find the following. And I quote:

Even though Doh is usually spelled with an apostrophe (like D'oh), dictionary editors decided not to include it. The word "Doh" was actually used as early as the 1950s, it wasn't made popular until Homer Simpson began using it in the 1990s.

Though consider this text (again) , allegedly quoting Matt Groening (I can't verify it easily)

Conceived initially by Matt Groening in written form as "annoyed grunt," (and still written that way in all Simpsons TV scripts) Homer Simpson voice actor Dan Castellaneta was inspired by Jim Finlayson of the Laurel and Hardy films, "a bald-headed Scot with a bushy moustache who would go doooh , whenever they did something that angered him." However, at Matt's suggestion that it be said faster to better suit the speed of animation, "D'oh" was born!

So depending on who you interpret this, we get a couple of things.

1.) D'oh exists spelling as "annoyed grunt" in the context of a written script. but does it exist in all written forms with that spelling?
2.) Matt interprets the original expression (at least in the above cited case) to be a "longer grunt" and to be spelled "doooh", with more than just one letter "O." Suggesting that in at least one historical reference/case of "doh/d'oh" that the simple "doh" spelling is misleading or not totally correct.
3.) And it was from the above "doooh" reference that Matt suggested shortening it to "d'oh" with an apostrophe. However, at Matt's suggestion that it be said faster to better suit the speed of animation, "D'oh" was born!

So if you go by the "official" entry in the dictionary. It is "Doh." but in the case of Homer Simpson's trademark exclamation, the correct spelling is "D'oh" (as Matt intended" with the apostrophe. so really, I guess both are correct. It just depends to which usage of the word you subscribe to? I susbscribe to the latter. And if you want to really stretch both doooh and "annoyed grunt" (only in written context of a script) would be correct, depending again on your intended usage.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a link from the "offical simpsons' website" at http://www.thesimpsons.com/ . it seems to be a playground rather than a document collection. Oh well.

D'oh! (and also - Doh! Doooh! "annoyed grunt")
-Aroc

http://www.monstromart.com/php/articles.php?article=doh
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?salesurl=Ishop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp&isbn=0812694333
http://www.irsburger.com/special/ .
http://www.thesimpsons.com/

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - What's the difference between an Almond Joy and a Mounds candy bar?? - hadnuts 01:30:26 07/18/02 (43)

I've just read this entire thread, and my question is... - Bagsgroove 13:47:40 07/18/02 (6)

Just click your heels together and say... - Mrs. Piggy 14:16:12 07/18/02 (0)

Made ya look!!!!!! - Bruce Righter 14:02:15 07/18/02 (4)

Killing me!!! Excellent Adnut abuse, very, very good(nt) - Sordidman 19:32:06 07/18/02 (0)

Bruce--Be carefull ! - Got Nuts? 17:13:19 07/18/02 (0)

Bruce--Be carefull ! - Got Nuts? 17:13:08 07/18/02 (1)

Hmm...unstable personality--double posts! nt - Gone nuts? 17:16:31 07/18/02 (0)

Re: They're both the grossest candy bars ever invented!!!! - marantzman 09:14:02 07/18/02 (4)

My vote would go for Charleston Chew-remember those? -nt - Mrs. Piggy 14:18:59 07/18/02 (3)

Charleston Chew Never Went Away - Luminator 16:28:40 07/18/02 (0)

is that like Big League Chew? -NT - Aroc 14:57:55 07/18/02 (1)

Red Man! - hifitommy 12:31:32 07/20/02 (0)

I thought this was about audio so I took an Almond Joy and.... - Bob Samuelson 09:02:18 07/18/02 (3)

LOL-but did it lower the noise floor? -nt - Mrs. Piggy 16:41:48 07/18/02 (1)

Not sure. I think it's still "burning in." - nt - Bob Samuelson 18:11:43 07/18/02 (0)

Re: I thought this was about audio so I took an Almond Joy and.... - denzio 13:56:50 07/18/02 (0)

Re: What's the difference between an Almond Joy and a Mounds candy bar?? - bwhite 07:52:25 07/18/02 (0)

The significant difference, musically speaking, is... - Ted in NJ 06:34:26 07/18/02 (0)

"Almond Joy has nuts, Mounds don't" - Matthew G. 06:23:43 07/18/02 (0)

Finally a question I can answer - darkstar 05:09:29 07/18/02 (19)

Doh! - darkstar 07:48:33 07/18/02 (6)

Isn't it 'DUH'? How did 'DOH' come about to displace 'DUH'? - CQ DX 10:58:01 07/18/02 (5)

you must not watch the Simpsons TV show... - Aroc 11:04:47 07/18/02 (4)

Re: you must not watch the Simpsons TV show... - dennzio 14:11:44 07/18/02 (3)

I'll call your bluff... - Aroc 07/18/0214:53:04 07/18/02 (2)

Now that's what I call research....(nt) - AndrewG 16:24:28 07/18/02 (1)

more like 30 seconds with the google toolbar. -NT - Aroc 04:53:35 07/19/02 (0)

Yup - You blew it! - Cut-Throat 06:10:14 07/18/02 (5)

Not so fast, Cut-throat! - Ted in NJ 06:27:42 07/18/02 (4)

Could you please provide a link to the specific page where a milk-chocolate mounds is - sxr71 07:22:54 07/18/02 (2)

me too! -NT - Aroc 08:20:06 07/18/02 (1)

See below. - Ted in NJ 08:26:36 07/18/02 (0)

Yeah - Those sound like Tweaked Candy Bars............. - Cut-Throat 06:43:35 07/18/02 (0)

are you sure? ... - Aroc 05:22:14 07/18/02 (5)

Audiophiles can NEVER agree !!! The truth is out there (actually below) - Bruce Righter 05:29:33 07/18/02 (4)

I'm glad you posted that link, but it's pretty clear if you've actually eaten a Mounds that it ... - sxr71 06:02:57 07/18/02 (1)

that was assertation too... - Aroc 06:07:59 07/18/02 (0)

Now answer this. - Ted in NJ 05:52:44 07/18/02 (1)

Geraldo Rivera has begun an investigative report - Bruce Righter 08:25:08 07/18/02 (0)

Re: What's the difference between an Almond Joy and a Mounds candy bar?? - shaynet 04:37:46 07/18/02 (3)

Shouldn't that be ... - Big Dave 19:57:26 07/18/02 (0)

Re: Fried Mods? - jdwaudio 08:37:05 07/18/02 (1)

Re: Fried Mods? - shaynet 12:51:02 07/18/02 (0)

Follow Ups

I'll call your bluff... - Aroc 07/18/0214:53:04 07/18/02 (2)

Now that's what I call research....(nt) - AndrewG 16:24:28 07/18/02 (1)

more like 30 seconds with the google toolbar. -NT - Aroc 04:53:35 07/19/02 (0)

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