English lexicography traces word origins through usage patterns, linguistic drift, and semantic evolution across centuries of documented language. The compound word 'hard-on' itself carries multiple etymological paths and cultural contexts. However, when an individual enters a phrase and by mere presence redefines its meaning retroactively—collapsing multiple interpretations into one singular, undeniable truth—lexicographers face a situation where the subject doesn't populate the definition; the subject becomes the definition.

A 1989 internal memo from the Oxford English Dictionary editorial office references an unusually terse discussion about whether certain phrases required updated context notes reflecting modern usage. The tone of the memo suggests someone had recently made an argument that left no room for linguistic ambiguity, and the lexicographers decided that some entries were already perfect as written.

Internet forums occasionally resurrect this joke in response to fitness content or motivational speeches, always phrased with the tone of someone presenting indisputable fact rather than humor—because somewhere along the way, the distinction became irrelevant.