Blërg An exclamation uttered by Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) when things go pear-shaped, like when GE CEO Don Geiss (Rip Torn) passes away on her watch. In other words, she is not “Lizzing.” Inspired by her difficult-to-assemble IKEA furniture of the same name, the word was recently deployed by Anne Hathaway in her Golden Globes acceptance speech.

Lizzing A way to describe the phenomenon of when you laugh so hard that you “pee a little” (i.e., laughing and “whizzing”). This might happen when, say, Lutz gets his tie caught in the shredder.

Before we tearfully bid adieu to “30 Rock” Thursday, we thought we’d round up a few of the many phrases, concepts, and songs that Tina Fey’s brilliant sitcom inserted into the pop culture lexicon. Over the course of more than 130 episodes, it’s impossible to list them all, but here are some favorites.


Nerds In a similar neighborhood to “blërg,” but more explicitly one of Liz’s many G-rated means of cursing. See also: “whuck?” and “what the what?”

The Bubble A special cone of protection for the very attractive members of society, which provides perks like meter maids ripping up parking tickets and Calvin Klein offering modeling jobs. Liz Lemon’s handsome doctor boyfriend, Drew Baird (“Mad Men”’s Jon Hamm), lives in “the bubble.”

EGOT The ultimate goal of any performer: to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. Showbiz lore has it that “Miami Vice” actor Philip Michael Thomas actually coined this acronym, but “30 Rock” certainly popularized it. Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) scored his “O” for “Hard to Watch: Based on the Book ‘Stone Cold Bummer’ by Manipulate.”

“I want to go to there” A way to express one’s desire to go to something, either a real place (like Outback Steakhouse) or a conceptual one (like when Baird apologized for smelling like frosting, thus entrancing Liz). This one, coined by Fey’s toddler daughter, Alice, became widespread enough that NBC actually sells a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase in its online store.


Astronaut Mike Dexter Can be a euphemism for a fantasy partner but refers specifically to Liz’s long-held fantasy boyfriend who is, obviously, an astronaut. He also enjoys kissing and TV dance competitions.

Unwindulax A directive to unwind and relax. The phrase is used by Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) and her followers the “crabcatchers” after she becomes a surprise Jimmy Buffett-like star when her hit song, “Catching Crabs in Paradise,” catches on.

Second Location A place one should never go with a hippie, something Liz learned the hard way from tagging along with her unhinged idol, Rosemary (Carrie Fisher.)

“Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” A novelty party song for which Tracy earned a gold record. Sample lyric: “Then my teeth turned into fangs and my nails into claws /And I nearly dropped the Torah when my hands turned into paws.”

Sarah Rodman can be reached at srodman@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeRodman.