From the 399th episode, which aired last Sunday, further evidence of why The Simpsons is the darling of linguists everywhere. "24 Minutes" was a parody of 24, broadcast on The Simpsons' own Fox Network.
Principal Skinner: Just how wide is the Web?
Lisa: World.
* * *
Marge Simpson, preparing for the Springfield bake sale as the digital clock ticks down: The pre-heat is on!
* * *
Principal Skinner, hovering over Lisa's shoulder as she brings up a schematic of Springfield Elementary School on her computer: Enhance! Enhance!
[And then, when the zoom image reveals "Skinner Stinks" carved into a desk:]
Dehance! Dehance!
(Read how linguist Michael Covarrubias deconstructed the Simpsonian derivational morphology of "dehance.")
I missed the "how wide is the web?"--"world" joke in that episode. I like that one.
Thanks for the referring link: you say "deconstructed" -- someone else might say "destroyed".
Posted by: Michael Covarrubias | May 23, 2007 at 11:55 PM
You've probably seen this
http://heideas.blogspot.com/2005/03/beyond-embiggens-and-cromulent.html
"Something WAS stirring in one Springfield house this Christmas eve, and what it was stirring was up trouble!"
Posted by: John | May 29, 2007 at 09:56 AM
John--Yep, I'm a huge fan of Heideas. As far as I'm concerned, Heidi's posts on Simpsonian linguistics are required reading!
Posted by: Nancy | May 29, 2007 at 10:01 AM