A new use of "duh?"

[Wilson Gray]

I come down on the side of "bizarre and unusual." I've never seen it or
heard it before. Anyway, what caught my attention was the use of "duh" as
though it was a noun and a synonym of "wonder":

"Well, no wonder / no duh your product isn't selling ..."

 The meaning is clear, but this construction is new to me. I guess that I
need to get out more. ;-)

-Wilson


On 3/3/06, Alice Faber <faber at haskins.yale.edu> wrote:
>
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Alice Faber <faber at HASKINS.YALE.EDU>
> Organization: Haskins Laboratories
> Subject:      Re: A new use of "duh?"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Wilson Gray wrote:
> >>From SlashDot:
> >
> > "Well, no _duh_ your product isn't selling like hotcakes."
> >
>
> I assume you're referring to the "no"; "duh"'s been around since, at
> least, my childhood (1950s). I first encountered the form "no duh" from
> students of mine at the University of Florida in the 80s. There was
> pretty much an even split. For some it was the norm, and for some it was
> bizarre and unusual.
>
> --
>
> ==============================================================================
> Alice Faber                                    faber at haskins.yale.edu
> Haskins Laboratories                           tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
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