Where did Embiggen come from? Is Patrick Rothfuss a Giant Bomber!

So that Embiggen button is weird, because I'm fairly sure Embiggen is not a real word and maybe the GB duders made it up or something? At least that's what I assumed.

So imagine my startlement when I saw the word used on Patrick Rothfuss's blog!

http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2012/01/gaiman-and-goats-gifts-that-keep-on-giving/

Specifically this part:

(Click to Embiggen and you can actually read the titles….)

Or is Embiggen an American thing and I'm an idiot?

Embiggen is a very old Simpsons reference.

Embiggen is a reference to the Simpsons. And the little guy is Andre the Giant.

I couldn't tell you, but Joystiq has also been doing this for a really long time.  
 
Edit:  A quick google search tells me that, like everything else, The Simpsons used it first.

Oh right. So I'm just dumb. Well, or not. I mean, if I got a Simpsons reference, then I'd be dumb.

But still, I'm pretty dumb.

As the people above have said, embiggen is a made-up word created by The Simpsons writers. It's since gained somewhat common use on the internet. It's a perfectly cromulent word.

@louiedog said:

As the people above have said, embiggen is a made-up word created by The Simpsons writers. It's since gained somewhat common use on the internet. It's a perfectly cromulent word.

Damn you, made me look up cromulent...

How can you call yourself a member of the internet and not know where that word originates?

lol. kids. Bet you know who sings that "baby baby baby oh" song though.

I recall a Dave Radio Show where the caller asked for a feature to embiggen videos and Dave seemed receptive enough to it, then bam we got an embiggen button soon afterward. Guess the caller was referencing The Simpsons.

@phish09 said:

lol. kids. Bet you know who sings that "baby baby baby oh" song though.

lol, assuming that all people of a certain generation get 100% of the references from said generation.

@ShaggE said:

@phish09 said:

lol. kids. Bet you know who sings that "baby baby baby oh" song though.

lol, assuming that all people of a certain generation get 100% of the references from said generation.

Better than assuming that they all originated with Giantbomb.

@phish09 said:

@ShaggE said:

@phish09 said:

lol. kids. Bet you know who sings that "baby baby baby oh" song though.

lol, assuming that all people of a certain generation get 100% of the references from said generation.

Better than assuming that they all originated with Giantbomb.

Because it's so crazy to imagine that Giant Bomb made up a word? The site that regularly plays fast and loose with the English language? At least the guy asked to make sure. This is why so many people choose to keep believing their assumptions quietly, because they catch shit for trying to enlighten themselves.

@ShaggE: But why not just use Google? Like every other person on the internet.

lol. kids. Bet you know who sings that "baby baby baby oh" song though.

@AlexW00d said:

@ShaggE: But why not just use Google? Like every other person on the internet.

Can't say, but still no reason to belittle him.

I think I'm just sick of internet cynicism in general. (a thing that I have taken part in myself, so don't take this as a "holier than thou" statement)