Meh

For the Singlish word, see Singlish vocabulary. For other uses, see MEH (disambiguation).

Meh is an interjection, often used as an expression of indifference or boredom. It can also be used as a verb (rendering something uninteresting, boring or useless to the beholder) and an adjective (meaning mediocre, boring, or apathetic).

Popularization

Some have speculated that meh's origin is Yiddish because of its similarity to the interjection "feh".^{[citation needed]} For example, the word appears in the 1936 classic film Yidl Mitn Fidl as the transliteration of the sound a goat makes.

As early as 1992, "meh" appeared in a posting to a Usenet Internet forum in a discussion referring to the television series Melrose Place. The word's first mainstream print usage occurred in Canadian newspaper the Edmonton Sun in 2003: "Ryan Opray got voted off Survivor. Meh."

Meh's popularity surged after its use on The Simpsons. It was first used in passing on the show during the 1992 episode "Homer's Triple Bypass", when Lisa describes her generation's nonchalance regarding events such as her father's open heart surgery. It was also used in a 1994 episode, "Sideshow Bob Roberts", when a librarian reacts to Lisa's surprise that voting records are not classified, and in "Lisa's Wedding" after Marge weaves "Hi Bart" on a loom to try to pique her son's interest in weaving, to which he responds "meh". In the 2001 episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer", Lisa spells out the word for emphasis ("M-E-H"), after Homer tries to interest her (Lisa) and Bart into going to the theme park "Blockoland".

American lexicographer Benjamin Zimmer wrote in 2006, "Whatever Yiddish origins the interjection might have had, they have been lost in post-Simpsons usage." Lexicographer Grant Barrett wrote about meh and d'oh, "I suspect they're both just transcribed versions of oral speech, which has any number of single-syllable sounds that mean a variety of things."

A supporting example is the television series The Mentalist (2008-present), on which the protagonist Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) can be heard uttering "meh" on several episodes, as a show of his disapproval or disdain.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2009, meh was included in the BBC News Online list of 20 words which defined the decade.

Controversy

In November 2008, the word was added to the Collins English Dictionary, a British publication published by HarperCollins. Cormac McKeown, senior editor for Collins dictionaries, said:

"This is a new interjection from the US that seems to have inveigled its way into common speech over here".

"It was actually spelled out in The Simpsons when Homer is trying to pry the kids away from the TV with a suggestion for a day trip. They both just reply 'meh' and keep watching TV; he asks again and Lisa says 'We said MEH! M-E-H, meh?!' "

The inclusion of a neologism in a dictionary caused some controversy. Sam Leith, writing in the Daily Telegraph, described the appearance of the word, following suggestions received from the public as a "gimmick", before concluding it was a "useful" word.

In Canada

Harper Collins' definition of "meh" included a "real example" of usage:

"As in 'the Canadian election was so meh' "

When complaints arose over this choice of example, Harper Collins' lexicographer Cormac McKeown, who chose the election reference, insisted that he meant "no slight to Canada."

External links

• Mark Caro (March 2, 2009). "A surprising brouhaha over the use of 'meh'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 4, 2009. 
• Staff Writer (November 17, 2008). "'Meh': Apathetic Expression Added to Dictionary". Fox News. Retrieved 2009-04-013.