# The word "duh"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356 "2002-11-18T19:10:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356/1 "2002-11-18T19:10:21Z")

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Where the heck did the word “duh” come from?

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**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356/2 "2002-11-18T19:33:03Z")

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The OED traces it back to 1943, to a _Merry Melodies_ cartoon of all things! It also calls its etymology “imitative,” which makes sense to me; it duplicates the sound of a half-wit’s comical slowness.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356/3 "2002-11-19T02:29:41Z")

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**peepthis** nailed it.

You might be interested in the quote from the cartoon:

> [@](#):
>
> Duh…Well, he can’t outsmart me, 'cause I’m a moron!

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356/4 "2002-11-19T02:32:48Z")

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And the usage of the word “duh” used as a retort to mean “that is exceedingly obvious”(thanks to J.E. Lighter for the quote and definition), is attested to as early as 1963.

I wouldn’t have guessed it that early.

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**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-duh/137356/5 "2002-11-19T03:37:48Z")

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Also pronounced “der” and “doy.” During the 1980s, I heard the latter used in the form of “No doy,” a grade-school version of “No shit, sherlock.”