Meditation on "Ass-Hats"
As anyone who talks to me and/or follows the blog knows, I really like the word “ass-hat.” I use it a lot. Mostly, I use it a lot, because there happen to be a lot of ass-hats out there.
And it conveys perfectly its intended connotation. When you say that “so-and-so is a total ass-hat,” your audience knows immediately exactly what you mean, even if they’ve never heard the word before. It’s very efficient that way.
Recently, a handful of unrelated people have commented on my use of the word ass-hat, either in the blogosphere or in person.
Specifically, a departing co-worker confessed that in the time we’ve worked together, he has begun integrating “ass-hat” into his everyday vocabulary, all thanks to me. (This was a very proud moment for me.) He said he’d never heard it before he met me, and wondered if I had coined the phrase myself.
So I thought about it.
But no, I don’t believe I did coin it myself. Although, I have been using it for years. And I do not remember when or where or how I first came in contact with the term. It just seems unfathomable that I could be solely responsible for the ass-hat revolution, even though I wish with all my heart that I was.
Hoping to find a clue to the actual origin, I looked up the phrase on UrbanDictionary.Com. Very entertaining indeed!
Some of my favorite definitions:
And I also found these lovely illustrations, which made me so incredibly happy:
Although I do not take credit for coining the phrase, I WILL take credit for perpetuating its popularity. So, do me a favor and call at least one person an ass-hat today. It’ll make you feel better, I swear.
And it conveys perfectly its intended connotation. When you say that “so-and-so is a total ass-hat,” your audience knows immediately exactly what you mean, even if they’ve never heard the word before. It’s very efficient that way.
Recently, a handful of unrelated people have commented on my use of the word ass-hat, either in the blogosphere or in person.
Specifically, a departing co-worker confessed that in the time we’ve worked together, he has begun integrating “ass-hat” into his everyday vocabulary, all thanks to me. (This was a very proud moment for me.) He said he’d never heard it before he met me, and wondered if I had coined the phrase myself.
So I thought about it.
But no, I don’t believe I did coin it myself. Although, I have been using it for years. And I do not remember when or where or how I first came in contact with the term. It just seems unfathomable that I could be solely responsible for the ass-hat revolution, even though I wish with all my heart that I was.
Hoping to find a clue to the actual origin, I looked up the phrase on UrbanDictionary.Com. Very entertaining indeed!
Some of my favorite definitions:
- One whose head is so far up their rear end it could pass for a hat; used to describe a person who is stubborn, cruel, or otherwise unpleasant to be around.
- What guys think the Heart symbol in chatting is. <3 Jen: I <3 You Mike: What? Why do you ass-hat me?
- 1. A hat worn by a drunken fool, or ass.2. A foolish person, as one who would wear an asshat.
And I also found these lovely illustrations, which made me so incredibly happy:
Although I do not take credit for coining the phrase, I WILL take credit for perpetuating its popularity. So, do me a favor and call at least one person an ass-hat today. It’ll make you feel better, I swear.
posted by Flamingo Jones at 8/26/2005 02:07:00 AM
2 Comments:
I always thought "asshat" was one of Tom Alday's hate-terms. I first saw it bandied around right-wing blogs, so I figured it ws either his term or (more likely) a GOPAC-approved liberal insult. Then again, the fact you've used it for years is probably proof that they really aren't that clever anyway. I definitely can't call you an "asshat" for that.
Yeah, I KNOW I didn't get it from right-wing asshats. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Alday and Co. were, in fact, the original inspiration for the term.
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