Etymology:
I first heard the word "merp" in April 1984 when I started a new job. A fellow named Irwin Arnstein, one of the more unique computer programmers on the team, used it instead of "Hi. How you doing?" the very first time I passed him in the hallway, I stopped and asked what he meant and he explained it was a word he used when he passed someone, wanted to be polite and acknowledge their presence but didn't actually want to engage in a conversation about how their day or life was going. I got the impression from Irwin and other people in the office that he had made up the word some time earlier,
A few years later a short section of concrete sidewalk was poured near my office. Late that night I was one of the last people to leave the office and saw the cement was still curing. On impulse I knelt down and wrote "Merp!" and added a smiley face in the wet cement. Last time I looked (1993) it was still there. I'm curious if it's still there today. The address is 222 Municipal Drive, Richardson, Texas. The company is long gone now, but the building is still there (at least on Google Streetview). The cement in question was about halfway between the main doors facing South and the SW corner of the building if someone wants to go look. :)
I first heard the word "merp" in April 1984 when I started a new job. A fellow named Irwin Arnstein, one of the more unique computer programmers on the team, used it instead of "Hi. How you doing?" the very first time I passed him in the hallway, I stopped and asked what he meant and he explained it was a word he used when he passed someone, wanted to be polite and acknowledge their presence but didn't actually want to engage in a conversation about how their day or life was going. I got the impression from Irwin and other people in the office that he had made up the word some time earlier,
A few years later a short section of concrete sidewalk was poured near my office. Late that night I was one of the last people to leave the office and saw the cement was still curing. On impulse I knelt down and wrote "Merp!" and added a smiley face in the wet cement. Last time I looked (1993) it was still there. I'm curious if it's still there today. The address is 222 Municipal Drive, Richardson, Texas. The company is long gone now, but the building is still there (at least on Google Streetview). The cement in question was about halfway between the main doors facing South and the SW corner of the building if someone wants to go look. :)
by Kazrak January 3, 2017
Get the merp mug.merp is a term used in any situation where u don’t know what to say. it can express sadness, happiness, excitement but it mostly used is awkward situations. the outbreak of the word merp at mhs (moncton high school) was started by the one and only Emma-Jane Tilly Ward queen of merp herself
merp!
merp:/
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merp
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merp
by bbmerpjr July 24, 2019
Get the merp mug.by Iwantlemonpepperwings August 9, 2021
Get the Merped mug.Verb. When frustration boils over into an explosive, unhinged rage fit, often with flailing, yelling, or dramatic storming off. Coined in family lore for those moments when logic checks out and pure chaos moves in.
Example: "The WiFi crapped out mid-stream, and I straight-up merped out—threw my controller like it owed me money."
Alternative: "Don't merp out over spilled coffee; it's just Tuesday."
Alternative: "Don't merp out over spilled coffee; it's just Tuesday."
by Bmiramon September 18, 2025
Get the Merp out mug.When you drop something or mess something up you can say this word. It is a better replacement for oop.
by Beth Rodgers April 9, 2020
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