Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a tiny baby in an aristocratic voice, outraged that the world has interrupted him, and the posh old-fashioned 'deuce' makes it funnier than any swear word. Seth MacFarlane modelled the accent on Rex Harrison. Fans use it to mean 'what on earth is going on here', and the show has repeated it for more than twenty years, as Stewie's own hallmark.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Family GuyShow the scene
Stewie's all-purpose exclamation of outrage turns up in the very first episode, 'Death Has a Shadow' (season 1, episode 1, 31 January 1999). At a dinner table where Peter has just announced he lost his job, Lois is startled when a blue laser shoots through her side. Every head turns to Stewie, who is holding a sandwich with a nozzle poking out between the slices, and he snaps 'What the deuce are you staring at?' before insisting it is only tuna fish. He has been using the phrase ever since, and the show itself has joked about it: in 'The Simpsons Guy' Stewie asks whether 'Eat my shorts' is a popular expression like it.
Sources (4)
- Death Has a Shadow - Family Guy Wiki (Fandom)Episode info and plotReference checked
- Death Has a Shadow/Quotes - Family Guy WikiDinner scene exchangeReference checked
- The Simpsons Guy/Quotes - Family Guy WikiStewie and Brian on 'Eat my shorts'Reference checked
- Stewie Griffin - WikipediaDevelopmentReference checked
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