30 Words And Phrases You Might Not Realize Originated From A Movie Or TV Show

Erin Maxwell
3.5K votes 388 voters
Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Words That Came from TV and Movies
Voting Rules
Vote up the common words and phrases you didn't realize got their start on the big and small screens.

The ancient Greeks are not the only ones who can take credit for the etymology of key words and phrases.Well-used terms and slang can easily come from a long-running cartoon, a late-night TV show, a cartoon character, or a beloved rom-com.

Here are a few examples of everyday words and phrases whose origin and popularity can be traced to a TV show or movie. Vote up the words and phrases with a surprising origin story. 

  • 1
    305 votes

    MILF - 'American Pie'

    From Dictionary.com:

    A sexually attractive older woman, typically one who has children.

    The popularity of the term "MILF" can be traced to the movie American Pie.

  • 2
    250 votes

    Meh - 'The Simpsons'

    From Merriam-Webster:

    Not impressive; apathetic, different.

    Though the word has Yiddish roots and can be traced back to 1928, the word "meh" to be used as a term of indifference was introduced into popular culture by The Simpsons in 1994.

  • 3
    128 votes

    Poindexter - 'Felix the Cat'

    From Merriam-Webster:

    A person with intellectual or academic interests or pretensions.

    From Poindexter, boy genius who wears a lab coat and mortarboard hat in the television cartoon series Felix the Cat (1959-60).

  • 4
    192 votes

    Gaslighting - 'Gaslight'

    From Merriam-Webster:

    To psychologically manipulate (a person) usually over an extended period of time so that the victim questions the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and experiences confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, and doubts concerning their own emotional or mental stability. 

  • 5
    179 votes

    Nimrod - 'The Looney Tunes Show'

    From Dictionary.com:

    1. A descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar.

    2. A person expert in or devoted to hunting.

    3. A foolish or inept person; doofus.

    In the Bible, “Nimrod” is a hunter, a king, and a close descendent of Noah. But in a Looney Tunes episode, Bugs Bunny called Elmer Fudd a "nimrod" in a sarcastic manner. After this instance, the term has been used to in lieu of "moron" or "idiot."

  • 6
    204 votes

    D'oh - 'The Simpsons'

    From Dictionary.com:

    (Interjection); used to express dismay when one has said or done something stupid or when something has gone wrong.

    First recorded in 1950-55; later popularized by Homer Simpson, character in the animated TV series The Simpsons, who smacks his forehead while saying "d'oh"!