What does "duh" mean? Where did this expression come from?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
When used at the beginning of a sentence that answers a question, the word "duh" expresses that the answer to the question is obvious or self-evident. Originally, "duh" was used simply to express the sound of a less intelligent person thinking, and this use was made popular by the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon. Eventually, it started to be used sarcastically to imply that the person asking the question is less intelligent and the answer is obvious. Today, the implication of stupidity has dropped from the meaning, and "duh" simply means that the answer to a question is obvious, but it can still be used to imply that the person asking is less intelligent if a very sarcastic tone is used. Ex: A: Did you brush your teeth? B: Duh, I know how important dental hygiene is... Ex: A: Do you know when the presentation starts? B: Duh... I'm not sure, I didn't look at the schedule.
