# Why has the term "stabby" suddenly erupted into the popular lexicon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130 "2008-02-25T23:24:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/21 "2008-02-26T15:00:54Z")
Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw often uses the term in his [Zero Punctuation](Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw) reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/22 "2008-02-26T18:16:25Z")
It conveys meaning clearly, and it’s funny. I try to use it regularly, and try to get my friends to do the same. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/23 "2008-02-27T16:29:32Z")
[QUOTE=Iggins] It conveys meaning clearly … [/QUOTE] Not really. What does it mean? … In 500 years, is Matt Groenig going to occupy a slot in the English-language pantheon next to Shakespeare? Or will all Simpsonisms be forgotten about within 50 years or so? ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/24 "2008-02-27T17:28:58Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] In 500 years, is Matt Groenig going to occupy a slot in the English-language pantheon next to Shakespeare? Or will all Simpsonisms be forgotten about within 50 years or so? [/QUOTE] Is this an actual question or is it asked in the same way my Nan asks questions like that to essentially undermine the quality of anything that ‘kids these days’ like? ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/25 "2008-02-27T17:37:23Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] Not really. What does it mean? [/QUOTE] I suppose I should have said “intent” instead of “meaning”. I take it to mean annoyance to the point of physical violence, in a joking manner. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/26 "2008-02-27T17:42:46Z")
I’ve heard it and used it. And I’m not a Simpsons watcher. I thought it was from Buffy. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/27 "2008-02-27T17:45:12Z")
[QUOTE=WILLASS] Is this an actual question or is it asked in the same way my Nan asks questions like that to essentially undermine the quality of anything that ‘kids these days’ like? [/QUOTE] Not quite like the latter … but in all seriousness, many Simpsonisms seem to be entering the mainstream English language (have any of them made it to dictionaries?). And really, we wouldn’t know who will be considered the giants of our contemporary arts scene in the year 2500. Why not Groenig? ---
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/28 "2008-02-28T02:11:05Z")
Wasn’t this used in 8-bit Theater? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/29 "2008-02-28T04:42:34Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] Not quite like the latter … but in all seriousness, many Simpsonisms seem to be entering the mainstream English language (have any of them made it to dictionaries?). [/QUOTE] “D’oh” is in the OED. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130/30 "2008-02-28T05:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=Crocodiles And Boulevards] Wasn’t this used in 8-bit Theater? [/QUOTE] Yup. and I would have been first to mention it if you hadn’t come in two posts above me! Of course, I doubt that 8-Bit Theater has any grand effect on the public at large but it was where _I_ first heard the word and started using it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-term-stabby-suddenly-erupted-into-the-popular-lexicon/439130.md?page=1)