Heh? Meh Is The Word... Officially
Nov. 18 2008, Published 11:55 a.m. ET
Lexicographers claim to be enthusiastic about the latest addition to the language: The word 'meh.'
The term, which is an expression of boredom or disinterest, has now been included in the Collins English dictionary for its 30th anniversary.
The word became popular after appearing in a 2001 episode of The Simpsons. Homer recommends a day trip to his kids Bart and Lisa, to which they both reply 'meh' and continue watching TV.
Surprisingly, the use of 'meh' isn't confined to America but has spread to England through the Internet.
"This is a new interjection from the U.S. that seems to have inveigled its way into common speech over here," said Cormac McKeown, head of content at Collins Dictionaries. "Internet forums and e-mail are playing a big part in formalizing the spellings of vocal interjections like these. A couple of other examples would be 'hmm' and 'heh.'
Another triumph for the art of communication!