The Simpsons' cult lines

"D'oh!", "Eat my shorts!", "Excellent…": in three decades, Springfield has given the world a vocabulary of its own.

Behind every cult line hides a studio accident or an old memory from the movies. Here is the guide.

"D'oh!", the most famous grunt

The most famous line of all was not even written. Homer's script said only "(annoyed grunt)"; it was performer Dan Castellaneta who invented the "D'oh!", drawing on an actor from the Laurel and Hardy films. Now cult, the word even entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001.

📱 The "(annoyed grunt)" called for in the script is the same one that slips out when your iPhone slides off the table: our Simpsons iPhone cases are here to spare you that one.

Bart's catchphrases

Bart alone contributed several. His "Eat my shorts!" is an ad-lib by his actress, drawn from a memory of high school marching band — a phrase the show popularized without inventing it. Not forgetting his "¡Ay, caramba!", a Spanish interjection, and his insolent "I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?". Another of his lines, the famous "I didn't do it!", even earns him a flash of fame on Krusty's set.

Excellent, Ha-ha and the rest

Springfield is full of verbal tics. The whispered "Excellent…" from Mr. Burns, fingers steepled, was devised by a writer after a friend. The sneering "Ha-ha!" from Nelson is said to be the only catchphrase deliberately written for the show. Add Ned Flanders's "Okily-dokily!", the "Worst episode ever" from Comic Book Guy — cult long before the episode that bears the name — and the universal "Yoink!", and the picture is complete.

🧢 Mr. Burns has his "Excellent…" murmured over steepled fingers, Nelson his sneering "Ha-ha!": in Springfield, a verbal tic doubles as a signature, and the front of one of our Simpsons caps is just the spot to show off yours, right above the brim.

And in the French version?

The French version created legends of its own. Homer's "D'oh!" becomes a "T'oh!" there (his actor having misread the line at his first session), paired with a delicious "Ouh pinaise!". As for Bart's "Eat my shorts", it turns into an unforgettable "Va te faire shampouiner !". Inventions that have themselves become perfectly cult.

Summary table

FAQ

• Where does Homer's "D'oh!" come from?
  The script only said "annoyed grunt": Castellaneta invented the "D'oh!" after an actor from Laurel and Hardy. It entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001.
• What does Homer say in the French version?
  He says "T'oh!", his actor having misread the line at his first session, as well as "Ouh pinaise!".
• How is "Eat my shorts" translated?
  As "Va te faire shampouiner !" in the French version — the original phrase being an ad-lib by Bart's actress.
• Which catchphrase was written on purpose?
  Nelson's "Ha-ha!" is said to be the only cult line deliberately written for the show.

Conclusion

Improvised, borrowed or carefully calibrated, The Simpsons' cult lines have shaped the language of pop culture. Proof that in Springfield, a simple grunt can travel around the world.

👕 If a simple grunt managed to travel around the world, a printed quote will at least make it around your neighborhood: our Simpsons T-shirts are made for wearing that kind of line across your chest.