authoritah

English

Etymology

Alteration of authority. Originated from a catchphrase—"Respect my authoritah!"—of Eric Cartman in the American animated sitcom South Park. First used in the episode "Chickenlover" (S2E4), which aired on May 27, 1998.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈθɔɹətɑː/

Noun

authoritah (countable and uncountable, plural authoritahs)

1. (humorous, slang, US) Authority (the power to enforce rules or give orders).
   • 1998, South Park, "Chickenlover" (season 2, episode 4):

     Cartman: Ey! I am a cop, and you will respect my authoritah!

   • 2010 February 10, “Re: Do economics and morals have anything in common?”, in alt.politics.libertarian‎^[1] (Usenet), retrieved 2021-11-29:

     They may "defend" themselves individually, like trying to sabotage an acquaintance who is doing better financially, socially, etc. Or they may appeal to gubmint authoriTAH.

   • 2013, Tony Sclafani, “Acknowledgments”, in The Grateful Dead FAQ, unnumbered page:

     And thanks to Backbeat Books and the Hal Leonard Group for allowing me to indulge professionally in the type of thinking and topics that earned me disapproval from guidance counselors and other figures of "authoritah."

   • 2018, Russ Linton, Ashes (Crimson Son)‎^[2], volume 3, →ISBN, page unnummbered:

     My normal reaction to authoritah is to bristle, but arguments can wait.

See also

• autorità (-ità, -ity)