The Rice University Neologisms Database

any impetus or cause of extreme, uncontrollable rage. Rageahol is derived from alcohol, and the speaker clearly wanted to draw an analogy to rage and alcohol by adding –ahol to equate the addiction of alcohol to Homer’s uncontrollable, unrestrained rage. ‘Rageahol’ aptly describes Homer’s personality attributed to his frequent, uncontrollable outbursts of rage. In this sense, Homer seeks pity from his wife by admitting that he’s addicted to angry and fury. In essence, he is using an analogy to compare his extreme, addictive rage to the helplessness and addiction of alcoholics. Because alcoholics evoke a sense of pity and weakness, Homer hopes to gain some sympathy from his wife by generating an excuse that states that his rage is attributed to an irrepressible susceptibility to rage, in this case, an unknown substance prone to causing rage. Society is generally accepting and helpful toward alcoholics as shown in various support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; however, support groups for chronically angry people are not as prevalent and widespread. As a result, his comparison of rage with alcohol is aimed to alleviate society’s condemnation of his brash behavior. By coining the new term ‘rageahol,’ Homer effectively and definitively relates his struggles with rage to alcoholism. In effect, he is presenting a scapegoat to his actions by dubbing a dubious source of rage known as ‘rageahol.’ Ironically, Homer is an alcoholic. Perhaps the writers of The Simpsons wanted to demonstrate that the root of Homer’s rage is his fond attachment to alcohol; this would seem to indicate that rage and alcohol are inextricably interconnected in the lives of many. Nevertheless, Homer seeks to explain and justify his random, intense fits of rage in understandable terms to people unaware and ignorant of the addictive nature of rage. Because many people understand and comprehend the addictive and destructive properties of alcohol, Homer is able to articulate his unexplainable, insatiable addiction to rage and anger.