Over 20 years ago, The Simpsons episode “Lisa the Iconoclast” brought a new word into the American lexicon by way of Springfield’s official motto: “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.” The word “embiggens” has taken on a life of its own in the subsequent decades, and now it’s been added to the dictionary. Merriam-Webster made the announcement by quoting The Simpsons‘ use of “embiggens” while also acknowledging Ms. Marvel, a comic book heroine who has also become associated with the word.
A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.
Also, ’embiggen’ is now a word we enter. https://t.co/3XmkZO0ral pic.twitter.com/wLUDsWIAga
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 5, 2018
Ms. Marvel co-creator G. Willow Wilson was quick to respond to the news.
OH MY GAWWWDDDDD https://t.co/82VgM8OYmv
— G. is in the Dictionary (@GWillowWilson) March 5, 2018
In the Marvel Universe, Ms. Marvel (a.k.a. Kamala Khan) is teenage girl whose latent Inhuman powers manifested as an ability to stretch her limbs and body to a fantastic degree. Kamala subsequently adopted “embiggen” as one of her favorite expressions. But according to Wilson, she wasn’t even aware of The Simpsons connection when she first started using the word.
Here is a true story: growing up, my parents didn’t let us watch much TV, so the first time I encountered the word “embiggen” was in reference to sizing JPEGs. Didn’t realize it was a Simpsons thing until years later.
— G. is in the Dictionary (@GWillowWilson) March 5, 2018
Now, it belongs to the ages. D’oh!
What do you think about the official recognition of embiggen? Make your thoughts bigger or more expansive in the comment section below!
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Image: 20th Century Fox
