Vocabulary and Expressions from "Homer's Phobia"

force majeure: An "act of God." This is a legal term used to determine insurance liability. Often insurance will have a special set of rules for what to do when something is damaged or destroyed in an unusual way. Bart argues that the gambling game in his dryer was ended by an act of God or "force majeure," so he doesn't have to return the money to the kids who paid to enter the game.

retirement fund: Money saved to help pay for your life after you have stopped working.

heirloom: Some thing that has been in a family for a long time and has special meaning (also called "sentimental value") to the people in the family.

cockamamie: Nonsense. "I don't want to listen to your cockamamie ideas."

Non-Partisan: Doesn't belong to any political group.

Midget: A very short person with proportionate limbs. (A short person with very small limbs is a "dwarf".)

"Oh, Boo-hoo": This phrase mocks someone for being upset about something unimportant. "The teacher is mad at me because I don't come to class." "Oh, boo-hoo."

construe: interpret

lad: A young man.

passed down: Given from an older member in the family to a younger member in the family.

figurine: A small artwork that looks like a person.

graphics: The visual design and color scheme of something. They don't necessarily have to be animated. (John talks about the "graphics" on the toy box.)

discombobulate: To make confusing. More common is the adjective "discombobulated."

camp: "Camp" is an appreciation of something that is unusally weird. If a movie has "camp" value, it means people like to watch it because it is a very bad movie, but for some reason it is fun to watch and make fun of.

boy-howdy: Not a common phrase. It means, "that's really true," more or less.

palpitating: Beating quickly in excitement. "My heart's palpitating."

Geez Louise: This phrase is used to express that you are annoyed or upset. It replaces a curse word.

"big fat party animal": This is a type of guy who is very friendly, like to drink a lot of alcohol, and is fun in informal social settings (like parties). This is a popular "type" of person in American culture, especially in a college environment.

"cuffs and collar don't match": This means that someone has dyed the hair on his/her head. It's a pretty shocking reference (i.e. the phrase says the hair on your head and your body hair are not the same color), but for some reason it doesn't upset people too much.

"Classic": This phrase can mean something like "traditional" or "well-known." We now use the word to refer to things from the recent past, not just the distant past. You might hear someone say, "Lord of the Rings is a classic movie." Often English speakers here say, "classical," but "classic" is more common and more easily understood. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a camp classic."

"I'll be just a minute.": This is an informal way to excuse yourself when you are talking to someone.

"worth a bundle": Worth a lot of money. Banks bundle large amounts of bills.

"quite a charmer": "He is quite a charmer" would mean, "He can make people like him easily." This can refer both to someone's ability to flirt and someone's ability to make friends although it's probably more commonly used to refer to flirting.

"You are the living end": You are a fun and unusual person; you are weird in a good way. You might say this to someone who has just said or done something that is both entertaining and strange.

festive (adjective): Full of energy and always ready to have fun. This is also a "code word" for "gay" because the stereotype is that gay men are always very social and friendly.

"You're being ridiculous": This means someone is acting in an immaturing way or saying something stupid.

mince: To move with an exaggerated motion. This term refers to the stereotype of how people think all gay men walk.

flaming (adjective): This is a term--usually perjorative, but sometimes not among friends--that refers to a man who is "obviously" gay because his behavior fulfills all of the stereotypes of how gay men act. Homer is mad at John because he thinks John acts "too straight," so he says he wants his homosexuals to be flaming. The joke is that John does not act very straight. In fact, his horn plays "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which is a famous song sung by Judy Garland, who is a "gay icon" (a celebrity popular with homosexuals). (Also, the rainbow is a symbol of gay pride and solidarity.)

zap: A sound kids make when they play with laser guns.

annual: Once per year.

humiliate yourself: To do something that makes you look foolish or stupid.

"sick mother": This is a common lie to tell someone when you don't want to see him or her anymore. "I'm sorry, but I have a sick mother, so I don't have time to date you."

"Come out of the closet": To publicly acknowledge that you are a homosexual. Used as a joke in this episode. "Bart, where did you get that shirt?" "I don't know; it just came out of the closet."

cross-dressing: When one dresses as a member of the opposite sex.

teensy: Very small. It's a "cute," informal way of saying very small.

queer: Generally, it means "strange" or "unusual." It's also a prejorative term for homosexual, and it is a term that some homosexuals call each other. Homer tells John that it's "our word for making fun of you guys," so he's angry that the word is also used by homosexuals.

tenderized: To make something softer by striking it repeatedly. Usually a term for meat preparation in cooking.

"Be nice!": A "classic" way for a gay man to respond to someone's prejudicial remark. Homer says at the steel mill, "You're all sick!" One worker responds, "Oh, be nice!"

gay anthem: A song that is known for being famous among gay people. This differs from time to time and country to country. The song played during the episode was a popular song in the late 1980s. After some time, and maybe because of this episode, it became considered a "gay anthem."

swishifying: To make something more "swishy". A "swish" describes the stereotypically "gay" walk.

"It ain't no mystery": An informal way to say, "The answer is obvious."

hideous: Very disturbing or very ugly.

Immature: To act like a child, or to act disrespectfully, when one is an adult.

Buck: A male deer.

Astroturf: An artificial grass once popular at sports stadiums (for baseball, American football and soccer games). The joke is that Springfield's park is made with astroturf, so there's nothing for deer to eat.

"Be a sport": Be respectful and follow the suggestion of the people around you; a suggestion to fulfill the request of the people around you.

waterworks: Slang for "crying heavily." Technically it's a term for the underground sewage and water systems.

"It's a miracle!": An exclamation used when something very good and/or unexpected has happened.

Ultrasuede: An unusal fabric used to make clothes. John calls ultrasuede "a miracle," a joke that relies on the stereotype that gay men are very interested in fashion.

"Good timing": To do something when it needs to be done. If you have a party, and you finish cooking right as the first guest knocks on the door, you might say, "That was good timing."

sissy: A common pejorative term for gay man. It is occasionally used as an adjective, and it is used as "a sissy" in noun form. The term refers to the idea that gay men "act like women": they are physically weak, emotion, etc. So the term reflects prejudice both against men and women.

fruit: A pejorative term for gay.