Expanding Lexicon
The stories behind the things we say.
Episode 12
Head Butt
Expanding Lexicon
Episode 12
Head butt, butting heads, butthead
6/13/19
​
Welcome to Expanding Lexicon the story behind the things we say. Today’s episode is a threefold. What is today’s topic? head butt, butting heads, and butthead.
​
Let’s start with the head butt. The internet puts the origin of this term as the French “botter” meaning to kick (Wikipedia). Many male animals are known to butt including Hippos, mountain goats, deer, the Alaskan musk ox and rams (Hiaasen). Katherine Ralls, senior scientist with the Smithsonian National Zoo is quoted as saying "Most animals that fight that way have skulls built to take it. We don't appear to be built that way, (Hiaasen)" In fact terms like hydraulic ram and battering ram come from the act of Ram’s head on head butting for dominance (Wikipedia).
The first known creature to headbutt was the dinosaur Pachycephalsaurus who lived 65 million years ago (Hiaasen). The name of this dinosaur comes from the Greek for “thick headed lizard” This is in reference to the dome that tops their skull (Yong). In Humans much like in animals, headbutting is often a display of dominance occurring in moments of frustration, desperation, or for humor. Famous human headbutters include boxer Mike Tyson, cartoon character Homer Simpson, and Star Wars’ Jango Fett (Hiaasen). One of the most memorable instances of Headbutting is when 3 stooges Curley took out a bull with his head (Hiaasen).
​
The term headbutt as a compound word is generally new with the first use sometime between 1917 (entymonline.com) and 1925 (Merriam- Webster) previous to this the act was usually referred to simply as butting with the use of the head being implied. In fact Webster’s still has the second definition of butt as “a blow or thrust with the head or horns” (Merriam-webster). It wasn’t until as recently as 1945 that headbutt was used as a verb (quora). Microsoft word still considers headbutt to be two separate words.
​
Moving to butting or bumping heads. This idiom is defined as “arguing uncompromisingly with someone” example: every time politics comes into the conversation we end up butting heads (yourdictionary). The idiom is clearly related to the act of animal’s head butting to establish dominance. Which evolved into referring to heated confrontations and disagreements. Quora explains the difference in the following way “Of course, when you debate with someone, it’s essentially a fight between your brains. So, your heads are fighting or ‘bumping’. this may also have contributed to why ‘bumping heads’ means a verbal fight, rather than a physical one (quora).”
​
Finally Butthead in the 1600’s butthead was used to reference the bottom or butt end of something (etymonline.com). In the 1960’s butterhead was a popular African American term to refer to someone who was a disgrace to the community (etymonline.com) this term could also be used to reference a varietal of lettuce or as a racial slur referring to the Japanese during WWII (The Racial Slur Database). By the 1980’s the slang was used by students and meant that an individual was objectionable (etymonline.com). Urban dictionary defines butt head as “a thoroughly unlikable person who is stubborn… ignorant, arrogant and among other things a real jerk (Urban dictionary).” Example: Man, you’re little brother is a major butthead (urban dictionary)” This slang term can seemingly trace its roots to the uncompromising and frustrating arguments you have while butting heads. Simplifying to an individual who is in fact a butthead.
​
From literally smashing one head against another as a show of dominance to figuratively pitting one’s mind against another in an argumentative and uncompromising way to being an unlikable and frustrating individual. Butting Heads has evolved from the Cretaceous fossil record to the present day.
​
I hope you enjoyed today’s topic. Please follow the show on Instagram at expanding lexicon. The show is posted on google podcasts and Spotify, please subscribe! Check the website for the show notes and bibliography at www.expandinglexicon.wixsite.com/podcast. Feel free to leave comments, stories, or episode suggestions or just say hi.
​
Until next week try not to literally or figuratively butt to many heads.
​
​
Works Cited
“Butthead (n.).” Index, www.etymonline.com/word/butthead.
“Butt Heads.” The Free Dictionary, Farlex, idioms.thefreedictionary.com/butt+heads.
“Butt-Heads.” Butt-Heads Dictionary Definition | Butt-Heads Defined, www.yourdictionary.com/butt-heads.
“Butt.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butt.
“Butterhead.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterhead.
“Butterhead.” The Racial Slur Database, www.rsdb.org/slur/butterhead.
“Butthead (n.).” Index, www.etymonline.com/word/butthead.
“Butthead.” Urban Dictionary, www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=butthead&utm_source=search-action.
“Head-Butt (n.).” Index, www.etymonline.com/word/head-butt#etymonline_v_34217.
“Headbutt.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headbutt.
Hiaasen, Rob. “Headbutt Is a Longtime, If Primitive, Male Tradition.” Chicagotribune.com, 23 Aug. 2018, www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-07-16-0607160414-story.html.
Walker, Ruth. “Putting Umbrage in Its Place.” The Christian Science Monitor 22 Feb. 2006: 18. Web.
“Why Do American Dictionaries Not Have the Word ‘Headbutt’?” Quora, www.quora.com/Why-do-American-dictionaries-not-have-the-word-headbutt-Ive-tried-Merriam-Webster-and-American-Heritage-dictionary.
Yong, Ed. “Butting Heads Over Skull Injuries and Dinosaur Head-Butts.” National Geographic, 19 July 2013, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/07/19/butting-heads-over-skull-injuries-and-dinosaur-head-butts/.
​