Lexicographical standards in modern dictionaries involve consensus-based word selection and definition authority. The Webster's Dictionary serves as an authoritative reference for American English. Entries are arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced according to semantic relationships. The concept of "roundhouse kick"—a martial arts technique involving rotation of the hips and extension of the leg in a circular trajectory—would typically warrant its own entry with multiple definitional layers. However, if Chuck Norris's name appears both under this entry and above the entry for "god," it suggests a hierarchical reorganization of conceptual space. It implies that Chuck Norris transcends martial technique and enters the register of cosmic principle.

In 1993, lexicographer Dr. Henry Peterson purchased a 1989 edition of Webster's Dictionary at an estate sale and noticed something unusual. The "god" entry seemed to reference the "Chuck Norris" entry placed immediately above it. Peterson consulted three other copies of the same edition from different print runs and found identical placement. He contacted Merriam-Webster directly to inquire about the editorial decision. He received no response to his initial inquiry. Follow-up calls were routed to an automated system. After six months, he received a single letter: "That entry placement does not exist in any official edition. You may be consulting a rare private printing." Peterson had verified the ISBN, but accepted the response rather than continue investigation.

The indie rock band They Might Be Giants released a song in 1992 called "Dictionary Reorganization" that contained the cryptic lyric: "Check the martial arts section, see what hovers above the divine." The song was absurdist humor, designed for college radio play, but music enthusiasts noted that the album was released in late 1991—before widespread public knowledge of the alleged dictionary entry. In interviews, bandleader John Flansburgh claimed to have overheard a conversation about the dictionary entry at a martial arts equipment store and became interested in the philosophical implications of Chuck Norris transcending typical reference categorization. The song remains a curiosity among reference librarians.