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"D'oh!" ( /dʔ/ ) is a catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the television series The Simpsons, an animated sitcom (1989–present). It is an exclamation typically used after Homer injures himself, realizes that he has done something stupid, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him. All his prominent blood relations—son Bart, daughters Lisa and Maggie, his father, his mother and half-brother—have also been heard to use it themselves in similar circumstances. On a few occasions Homer's wife Marge and even non-related characters such as Mr. Burns and Sideshow Bob have also used this phrase.

A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass media. Some become the de facto or literal "trademark" or "signature" of the person or character with whom they originated, and can be instrumental in the typecasting of a particular actor.

A character is a person or other being in a narrative. The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a "fictional" versus "real" character may be made. Derived from the ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ, the English word dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of "a part played by an actor" developed. Character, particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema, involves "the illusion of being a human person". In literature, characters guide readers through their stories, helping them to understand plots and ponder themes. Since the end of the 18th century, the phrase "in character" has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor. Since the 19th century, the art of creating characters, as practiced by actors or writers, has been called characterisation.

Homer Simpson fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Homer was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He named the character after his father, Homer Groening. After appearing for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpson family got their own series on Fox that debuted December 17, 1989.


In 2006, "d'oh!" was listed as number six on TV Land's list of the 100 greatest television catchphrases. [1] [2] The spoken word "d'oh" is a sound trademark of 20th Century Fox. [3] Since 2001, the word "doh" has appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary , without the apostrophe. [4] Early recorded usages of the sound "d'oh" are in numerous episodes of the BBC Radio series It's That Man Again between 1945 and 1949, but the OxfordWords blog notes "Homer was responsible for popularizing it as an exclamation of frustration." [5] The term also appeared in an early issue of Mad comics, with a different spelling but the same meaning, in issue 8 (December 1953 – January 1954); in a one-page story by Harvey Kurtzman entitled "Hey Look!", a man seeking peace and quiet suddenly hears a loud radio and, grimacing, says, "D-oooh – the neighbors [ sic ] radio!!"

TV Land Pay TV channel in the USA

TV Land is an American pay television channel that is owned by Viacom through its Viacom Media Networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and classic television series, original scripted series, and limited theatrically released movies. The network is headquartered at One Astor Plaza in New York City.

A sound trademark is a trademark where sound is used to perform the trademark function of uniquely identifying the commercial origin of products or services.

20th Century Fox American film studio

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is an American film studio that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is located on the Fox Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles.


Catchprase D'oh!.svg
Dan Castellaneta, voice of Homer Simpson Dan Castellaneta cropped.jpg
Dan Castellaneta, voice of Homer Simpson

During the voice recording session for a Tracey Ullman Show short, Homer was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt". Dan Castellaneta rendered it as a drawn out "d'ooooooh". This was inspired by Jimmy Finlayson, the mustachioed Scottish actor who appeared in 33 Laurel and Hardy films, from the pre-sound era up to 1940. Finlayson had used the term as a minced oath for suggesting the word "damn!" without actually saying it. Matt Groening felt that it would better suit the timing of animation if it were spoken faster. Castellaneta then shortened it to a quickly uttered "d'oh!" [6] The first intentional use of "d'oh!" occurred in the Ullman short "Punching Bag" (1988), [6] and its first usage in the series was in the series premiere, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". [7] It is typically represented in the show's script as "(annoyed grunt)", and is so spelled out in the official titles of several episodes. Some episodes feature variations of the word such as "Bart of Darkness" (season six, 1994), where Homer says "D'oheth" [7] after an Amish farmer points out to him that he has built a barn instead of the swimming pool he was intending; "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" (season ten, 1999), where Homer says "d'oh" in Japanese (with English subtitles, the spoken phrase being "shimatta baka ni"); or The Simpsons Movie (2007) where Homer shouts "d'oooohme!" after the EPA seals the Simpsons' hometown, Springfield, in a giant dome. [8]

<i>The Tracey Ullman Show</i> television program

The Tracey Ullman Show is an American television variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987 and ran until May 26, 1990. The show was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The show blended sketch comedy with musical numbers and dance routines, choreographed by Paula Abdul, along with animated shorts. The format was conceived by creator and executive producer James L. Brooks, who was looking to showcase the show's multitalented star. Brooks likened the show to producing three pilots a week. Ullman was the first British woman to be offered her own television sketch show in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Dan Castellaneta American actor, voice artist, and comedian

Daniel Louis Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian and screenwriter, best known for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the Fox Broadcasting Company animated sitcom The Simpsons. He also voices many other characters for the show including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Mel, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby and Hans Moleman. Castellaneta also had roles in several other programs, including Futurama for Fox Broadcasting Company, Sibs and Darkwing Duck for ABC, The Adventures of Dynamo Duck for Fox Kids, Back to the Future: The Animated Series for CBS, Aladdin for Toon Disney, Taz-Mania for Warner Bros. Animation and in Hey Arnold! as Grandpa Phil for Nickelodeon.

James Finlayson (actor) Scottish actor

James Finlayson was a Scottish-born American actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is known for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression "d'ooooooh", and as the best remembered comic foil of Laurel and Hardy.

Episode names

As the word arose out of Castellaneta's interpretation of a non-specific direction, it did not have an official spelling for several years. Instead, it was always written in Simpsons scripts as "(Annoyed Grunt)". In recognition of this, four episodes feature the phrase "(Annoyed Grunt)" in the episode title:

"Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' eighth season that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 7, 1997. When Marge becomes stressed, the Simpsons hire a nanny, a Mary Poppins parody named Shary Bobbins. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz and written and executive produced by Al Jean and Mike Reiss. It was the last episode for which Reiss received a writing credit. In 2014, Jean selected it as one of five essential episodes in the show's history.

<i>The Simpsons</i> (season 8) Episode list for season of animated series

The Simpsons' eighth season originally aired on the Fox network between October 27, 1996, and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The showrunners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The aired season contained two episodes that were hold-over episodes from season seven, which Oakley and Weinstein also ran. It also contained two episodes for which Al Jean and Mike Reiss were the show runners.

"E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)" is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 7, 1999. In the episode, inspired by a Zorro movie, Homer begins slapping people with a glove and challenging them to duels. However, when a real Southern gentleman accepts Homer's request for a duel, the Simpsons run off to the old farm Homer lived in with his parents and breed a dangerously addictive but successful tobacco/tomato hybrid called "tomacco". Just when they are about to gain a hundred and fifty million dollars from the hybrid, dangerously addicted animals ruin their plan.

After the word became well-defined, nine other episodes just had it written in their titles as "D'oh" (initially interspersed with "(Annoyed Grunt)", then replacing it):

"D'oh-in' in the Wind" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons' tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 15, 1998. In the episode, Homer Simpson travels to a farm owned by Seth and Munchie, two aged hippies who were friends with Homer's mother. After finding out his middle name is "Jay", Homer is drawn to the care-free lifestyle of hippies, and decides to become one himself.

<i>The Simpsons</i> (season 10) Episode list for season of animated series

The Simpsons' tenth season was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between August 23, 1998, and May 16, 1999. It contains twenty-three episodes, starting with "Lard of the Dance". The Simpsons is a satire of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. Set in the fictional city of Springfield, the show lampoons American culture, society, television, and many aspects of the human condition.

"Days of Wine and D'oh'ses" is the eighteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 2000. In the episode, Barney realizes how much of a pathetic drunk he is after watching his birthday party video and decides to give up alcohol forever, which upsets his friend Homer. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa work together to take a memorable photo for a new phone book cover contest. The episode was written by cast member Dan Castellaneta and his wife Deb Lacusta. Several staff members opposed the idea of Barney becoming sober because they did not think a sober Barney would be funny. Several critics, including Chris Turner, have also criticized the character's change.


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

<i>Oxford Dictionary of English</i> A single-volume completely new dictionary first published in 1998

The Oxford Dictionary of English (ODE) is a single-volume English dictionary published by Oxford University Press, first published in 1998 as The New Oxford Dictionary of English (NODE). The word "new" was dropped from the title with the Second Edition in 2003. This dictionary is not based on the Oxford English Dictionary and should not be mistaken for a new or updated version of the OED. It is a completely new dictionary which strives to represent as faithfully as possible the current usage of English words.

In 2001, the word "d'oh" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary ; [9] [10] The definition given is: [9] [11]

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

The headword spelling is doh, but d'oh is listed as a variant (as is dooh). The etymology section notes "the word appears (in the form D'oh) in numerous publications based on The Simpsons". [9] Eight quotations featuring the sound "d'oh" are cited: the earliest is from a 1945 episode of the BBC radio series It's That Man Again ; two others are Simpsons-related. [9] [5]

See also

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  1. "Dyn-O-Mite! TV Land lists catchphrases". USA Today. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  2. "The 100 greatest TV quotes and catchphrases". TV Land. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  3. "Latest Status Info". TARR. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  4. 1 2 Shewchuk, Blair (2001-07-17). "D'oh! A Dictionary update". CBC News . Retrieved 2008-09-08.
  5. 1 2 "Ay caramba! A look at some of the language of The Simpsons". Oxford Dictionaries. 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  6. 1 2 "What's the story with . . . Homer's D'oh!". The Herald, Glasgow. July 21, 2007. p. 15. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  7. 1 2 Simon, Jeremy (1994-02-11). "Wisdom from The Simpsons' 'D'ohh' boy". The Daily Northwestern . Archived from the original on 2008-05-15.
  8. The Simpsons Movie (Film). 20th Century Fox. 2007-07-27.
  9. 1 2 3 4 OED, 3rd draft online edition, s.v. "doh"
  10. "It's in the dictionary, d'oh!". BBC News, Entertainment. BBC. 2001-06-14. Archived from the original on 2002-12-03. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  11. "'D'oh!' The Right Thing?". Newsweek . 2001-06-15. Retrieved 2008-09-07.