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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Things That Make You Say Geek

Things That Make You Say Geek

by John Cole|  October 15, 20078:36 am| 156 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Last night, while trying to fall asleep, I was thinking of a list of things that when I hear someone say them/reference them/joke about them, I immediately know I am dealing with a geek (not that there is anything wrong with that). So far:

1.) “These aren’t the droids you are looking for.”
2.) All your base are belong to us.
3.) Han Shot First.

Let’s expand this list. Consider this an open thread.

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Reader Interactions

156Comments

  1. 1.

    Zifnab

    October 15, 2007 at 8:39 am

    4.) Critical Hit!
    5.) Zug Zug
    6.) Frost Shock!

  2. 2.

    Mary

    October 15, 2007 at 8:45 am

    Using the following words and phrases when you aren’t talking about math, literature or coding:

    1) “Canonical” (example)

    2) “For certain values of [term]” (example)

  3. 3.

    chopper

    October 15, 2007 at 8:55 am

    “pro tip”

  4. 4.

    Chubbs

    October 15, 2007 at 8:56 am

    “I like boobies”

  5. 5.

    Tempest

    October 15, 2007 at 8:59 am

    From the game Team Fortress 2: “I’m a black Scottish cyclops!” or “I fix practical problems”

    From Firefly/Serenity: “Shiny”

  6. 6.

    foxhunter

    October 15, 2007 at 8:59 am

    7) I am in your base killing your d00ds!

  7. 7.

    Third Eye Open

    October 15, 2007 at 9:05 am

    “…So I was like, This nation cannot handle another FU worth of this war, The JAM is laying low, while Al Quds is setting up base to run interference, knowing that we are SOL since our assets are stretched so thin…So, do you read Balloon-Juice?…Do you want to come see my external cooling system?…Can I buy you another drink?”

  8. 8.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 9:05 am

    In my work environment (computer science department) the default assumption is “geek”, but I’ll take a shot anyway:

    “Windows registry”
    “SCA” (without expansion of the acronym)
    “intractable” (when used to describe a computer problem)

  9. 9.

    Face

    October 15, 2007 at 9:08 am

    “Me fail English? That’s unpossible”

  10. 10.

    libarbarian

    October 15, 2007 at 9:09 am

    “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.”
    “Engage.”

  11. 11.

    jenniebee

    October 15, 2007 at 9:09 am

    Natural 20.
    There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand binary and those who don’t.
    Resistance is Futile

    This one was actually used on me once – curiously enough, I’m still friends with the guy:

    “I get the phone numbers of everybody I know who beat me on the SAT. Basically, that’s your number. Can I have it?”

  12. 12.

    Pb

    October 15, 2007 at 9:13 am

    Live long and prosper.

    LUNIX!!

    Linux.

    Whatever that funny phrase was we were mocking last week.

  13. 13.

    scarshapedstar

    October 15, 2007 at 9:14 am

    8) Never whistle while you’re pissing…
    9) (other geek responds) …and don’t ask questions while you’re getting blown.

  14. 14.

    Third Eye Open

    October 15, 2007 at 9:17 am

    Oh, yeah…

    “STAR POWER!”
    or
    “Berserker, Berserker”

  15. 15.

    Tim F.

    October 15, 2007 at 9:19 am

    “First, assume a spherical cow.”

  16. 16.

    James

    October 15, 2007 at 9:22 am

    “Do or do not. There is no try.”

    Any use of “foo” and “bar” while talking or in writing.

  17. 17.

    dan

    October 15, 2007 at 9:23 am

    Y’know, “These aren’t the droids you are looking for” was an early Queens of the Stone Age song.

    I think the sheer amount of drugs and ROCK prevents them from being labeled as geeks.

  18. 18.

    canuckistani

    October 15, 2007 at 9:30 am

    “One.. two..five!””Three, sir”
    “Cardboard box? You were lucky. We used to live in a lake”
    Among astronomers (who are by definition geeks to begin with)
    “That’s no moon. That’s a space station”.
    Also, if they tell you they’re late because there was no break command on the shampoo bottle.

  19. 19.

    knobboy

    October 15, 2007 at 9:33 am

    “Scheme is a statically scoped and properly tail-recursive dialect of the Lisp programming language…”.

    In an orthogonally asynchronous sort of way. Deterministically speaking of course.

  20. 20.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 9:35 am

    “Trekkie” and “Trekker” used in the same sentence, with a distinction between them.

  21. 21.

    chopper

    October 15, 2007 at 9:35 am

    1) any quote from achewood. any at all.

  22. 22.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 9:38 am

    Holy crap, knobboy, a fellow Lisp aficionado in Balloon Juice. I’ll raise you “dynamic versus lexical scoping” and throw in “method dispatch”.

  23. 23.

    Ned Raggett

    October 15, 2007 at 9:39 am

    Ain’t THAT the truth (re: Achewood — I’ve had a slew of people try to convince me this past week that among other things it’s the most clever dialogue in the English language this century. I pray for them.)

  24. 24.

    Cyrus

    October 15, 2007 at 9:41 am

    RSA Says:
    “Trekkie” and “Trekker” used in the same sentence, with a distinction between them.

    I’d say using “Trekker” at all is evidence of geekery. Ditto for “SF” and other variations on “sci-fi.”

  25. 25.

    Johno

    October 15, 2007 at 9:44 am

    – “Resistance is useless/futile”
    – sub-indicators to above: if the respondent follows up with a quotation from Doctor Who, ST:TNG, or Hitchhiker’s Guide, or for full points, all three.
    – Usage of the abbreviation ST:TNG with no additional explanation
    – Any reference to a “rudimentary lathe”
    – “…and a shrubbery”
    – To refer to the act of checking in or chatting with someone as “pinging” them.
    – “Imagine a beowulf cluster of those!”
    – any reference to “saving throws” such as, “Looks like someone failed their saving throw!” said of a fallen, vomiting, or otherwise embarassed colleague.”
    – “Lighting bolt! Lighting bolt! Lighting bolt!”
    – “I have a cunning plan”

  26. 26.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 9:47 am

    Ditto for “SF” and other variations on “sci-fi.”

    Including objecting to the expression “sci-fi” as being unserious or derogatory, of course.

  27. 27.

    rachel

    October 15, 2007 at 9:48 am

    “Imagine a beowulf cluster of those!” –

    Even more geeky: having a Beowulf cluster of anything.

  28. 28.

    Brian

    October 15, 2007 at 9:48 am

    “Elf needs food badly.”

    “Damnit Jim, I’m a doctor, not a ________”

    “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

    “Soylent Green is people!”

  29. 29.

    Blue Jean

    October 15, 2007 at 9:52 am

    $%#@! Pb beat me to the “Live long and prosper.” All I can say is “He’s dead, Jim. Game over, man! Game over!”

  30. 30.

    Punchy

    October 15, 2007 at 9:55 am

    “perhydrocyclopentanophenanthrene ring nucleus”

    “proteoglycan”

    “booyah”

  31. 31.

    Brian

    October 15, 2007 at 9:55 am

    Oh yea… one more:

    “It’s a cookbook!!!”

  32. 32.

    Tim F.

    October 15, 2007 at 9:56 am

    I have to dissent on the Star Wars quotes. If even the buried corpse of Terri Schiavo gets the reference then it’s not dorkery.

  33. 33.

    canuckistani

    October 15, 2007 at 9:56 am

    If you ask them who their favourite captain is, and they have an answer.

  34. 34.

    jrg

    October 15, 2007 at 9:58 am

    “Thanks for all the fish”

  35. 35.

    chopper

    October 15, 2007 at 10:02 am

    Ain’t THAT the truth (re: Achewood—I’ve had a slew of people try to convince me this past week that among other things it’s the most clever dialogue in the English language this century. I pray for them.)

    don’t get me wrong, i love achewood to death. but when i hear someone refer to a motorcycle as a “sex bicycle” i think ‘nerd all over’.

  36. 36.

    Tim F.

    October 15, 2007 at 10:02 am

    Level 1 dorkery: “They’ve gone plaid!”

    Level 2: There are 10 kinds of people in the world…

    Advanced: whatever the hell knobboy said.

  37. 37.

    rachel

    October 15, 2007 at 10:07 am

    “Scheme is a statically scoped and properly tail-recursive dialect of the Lisp programming language…”.

    Open-Sourcers can’t seem to resist recursion. More WINE, anyone?

  38. 38.

    celcus

    October 15, 2007 at 10:07 am

    Saving throw

    There can be only one!

    We are the Knights who say…

    Not now mom, I have friends over!

  39. 39.

    Dennis-SGMM

    October 15, 2007 at 10:09 am

    “box” instead of workstation or server

  40. 40.

    Cyrus

    October 15, 2007 at 10:13 am

    Tim F. Says:
    I have to dissent on the Star Wars quotes. If even the buried corpse of Terri Schiavo gets the reference then it’s not dorkery.

    I dunno about that. Sure, you don’t have to be a geek to recognize all Star Wars references, like John’s #1. (Although there are plenty that you do have to be a geek to recognize. John’s #3, for example. Plenty of non-geeks have seen A New Hope, but how many cared about and remembered that difference between the original and edited version?) To make pretty much any Star Wars references, though, you probably do have to be a geek.

  41. 41.

    Pb

    October 15, 2007 at 10:15 am

    Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn

    Klaatu barada nikto

    Bah Weep Grah Nah Weep Ni Ni Bong

    Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

    Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam

  42. 42.

    Bill Arnold

    October 15, 2007 at 10:15 am

    “it would be bad” (ghostbusters)

  43. 43.

    Teak111

    October 15, 2007 at 10:19 am

    HAL, open the pod bay door, HAL.
    I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave.
    Its just a flesh would, now come on.–oops thats a nerd quote, sorry.

  44. 44.

    Brad

    October 15, 2007 at 10:20 am

    -42
    -Anyone who even knows that Serenity/Firefly exists(ed)
    -Dammit Jim, I’m only a doctor.
    -Froody
    -Dirk Gently
    -Ham radio!

  45. 45.

    protected static

    October 15, 2007 at 10:21 am

    Any variation on crushing your enemies, driving them before you, and hearing the lamentations of their women…

  46. 46.

    Brad

    October 15, 2007 at 10:21 am

    I would like it remembered that mine was the 42nd response.

  47. 47.

    chopper

    October 15, 2007 at 10:24 am

    fnord.

  48. 48.

    Billy K

    October 15, 2007 at 10:24 am

    If you ask them who their favourite captain is, and they have an answer.

    Ha. If you ask who their favorite DOCTOR is, and they have an answer (esp. other than Tom Baker).

    P.S. I have to agree with Tim – a lot of this stuff is pretty mainstream. Star Wars? Ghostbusters? Come on nerds!

  49. 49.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 10:24 am

    “box” instead of workstation or server

    I think the latter two expressions also have a whiff of geekiness; most normal people say “computer”. (I confess to using “Windows machine” and “Unix [or Linux] box” as well as other bits of operating system jargon: such and such an application runs on “XP” or “OS X”. Macintosh geeks can be identified by their use of the terms “Carbon” and various feline names (Jaguar, Leopard, Tiger) for operating system versions.)

    And a few more computer geek-speak terms: “parens” for parentheses, “bang” for !, and “RTFM” for “that’s not hard to find out on your own.”

  50. 50.

    wasabi gasp

    October 15, 2007 at 10:26 am

    p4wn3d

  51. 51.

    zzyzx

    October 15, 2007 at 10:27 am

    Anyone who tells you, “Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead,” when you walk by a statue.

  52. 52.

    jenniebee

    October 15, 2007 at 10:37 am

    If you ask them who their favourite captain is, and they have an answer.

    Ditto for favorite Doctor, and add “EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!”

    And thanks to Brian for “Elf needs food, badly” – zomg, my husband said that on like our second date! He got this kind of sheepish look and started to explain what it meant and I stopped him by saying “Warrior is about to die.” True love, baby. True love.

    More:
    “Heisenberg may have slept here”
    “grok”
    “Red Snappah. Very Tasty!”
    “Spatula City – for all your spatula needs!”

  53. 53.

    Kermit

    October 15, 2007 at 10:43 am

    “Game over man!!”
    “Renew! Renew!”
    “Bunch of savages in this town”
    “Kneel before Zod”
    Enterprise followed by a letter
    “nuclear wessels”
    “Kaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnn!”

  54. 54.

    Blake

    October 15, 2007 at 10:47 am

    “These go to eleven.”

  55. 55.

    Third Eye Open

    October 15, 2007 at 10:51 am

    Protected Static,

    When did Conan become a “geek” thing?

    Krom is going to be very dissapointed.

  56. 56.

    Kermit

    October 15, 2007 at 10:51 am

    “Otisberg?!?!?”
    “Australia!!”
    “what a lovely smell you’ve discovered”
    “one ring to blah blah blah”

  57. 57.

    Kermit

    October 15, 2007 at 10:56 am

    “don’t shoot food”
    “thank you Mario but the princess is in another castle”
    “I am not a number…”

  58. 58.

    Mike @ work

    October 15, 2007 at 10:56 am

    Leeeroy Jenkins

  59. 59.

    PaulW

    October 15, 2007 at 11:00 am

    All Monty Python & the Holy Grail:

    “It’s just a flesh wound.”
    “A moose once bit my sister.”
    “Ni!”
    “1,2, 5! Three, sir! 3!”

  60. 60.

    Decided FenceSitter

    October 15, 2007 at 11:05 am

    You’ll be eaten by a Grue.

    Anything Sluggy referenced.

  61. 61.

    Ivan Renko

    October 15, 2007 at 11:12 am

    That’s a slavering grue.

  62. 62.

    RedBeardJim

    October 15, 2007 at 11:16 am

    Any use of the word “frell”.

  63. 63.

    blackfrancis

    October 15, 2007 at 11:16 am

    canuckistani Says:

    If you ask them who their favourite captain is, and they have an answer.

    Jean Luc Picard, of course.

    oh. that makes me…

    (hides in mom’s basement)

  64. 64.

    blackfrancis

    October 15, 2007 at 11:18 am

    Mike @ work Says:

    Leeeroy Jenkins

    DAMMIT! there I thought, no one had mentioned it, until right near the end of the thread…

  65. 65.

    blackfrancis

    October 15, 2007 at 11:19 am

    aha! anyone who knows what YTMND actually means.

  66. 66.

    Sasha

    October 15, 2007 at 11:28 am

    “Inconceivable!”
    “Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.”
    “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.”

  67. 67.

    Andrew

    October 15, 2007 at 11:28 am

    “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra”
    and
    “Shaka, When the Walls Fell”

  68. 68.

    Sasha

    October 15, 2007 at 11:30 am

    Any use of the word “frell”.

    Or “frak”.

    Also include, “So say we all”, “By your command”, and “Who’s your daddy?”

  69. 69.

    BJ

    October 15, 2007 at 11:31 am

    Dated a bit, but;

    “Division is futile. Prepare to be approximated.”

    Also

    “Make it so”
    “By your command”

  70. 70.

    yet another jeff

    October 15, 2007 at 11:32 am

    “Fire bad, tree pretty”
    “PEBKAC”
    “that was an ID 10 T error”
    “You can’t have my shiny thing. I found it, it’s my shiny thing.”

  71. 71.

    protected static

    October 15, 2007 at 11:38 am

    Third Eye Open:

    When did Conan become a “geek” thing?

    I’m gonna guess… pretty much the day it opened.

    Krom is going to be very dissapointed.

    *shrug* You go to cons with the fen you have, not the fen you wish you had.

  72. 72.

    Jess

    October 15, 2007 at 11:40 am

    “These go to eleven.”

    What!?! That’s not geeky! Spinal Tap is teh coolest!

    Yeah, I have to go with any Monty Python reference, 99% of which are made by guys with bad haircuts according to my anthropological notations.

  73. 73.

    canuckistani

    October 15, 2007 at 11:53 am

    “Let’s go do some crimes. Let’s get sushi, and not pay”
    “Laugh while you can, monkey-boy”
    “Hail to the King, baby”

    If you actually carry a towel around with you.

  74. 74.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 11:53 am

    Pb Says:

    Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn

    Klaatu barada nikto

    Gotta love it.

  75. 75.

    Jay

    October 15, 2007 at 11:53 am

    “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (Or any other quotes from The Princess Bride.)

    Any quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. ANY.

    “Frak”; before the Battlestar Galactica revival, you had to be seriously geeky to use that.

    Talking about “grokking” anything or anyone.

  76. 76.

    EJ

    October 15, 2007 at 12:04 pm

    “It’s not a bug, it’s an undocumented feature.”

    Jay beat me on the Princess Bride – the geekiest quote, though, is “Never get involved in a land war in Asia.”

  77. 77.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 12:05 pm

    “I roll some dice to see if I am getting drunk”

    oh and pretty much anything in This.

  78. 78.

    Jon Karak

    October 15, 2007 at 12:12 pm

    Yea man, Bishop should go!

    Game over man… Game over!

  79. 79.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 12:13 pm

    Oh and some more:

    “I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!”

    “You’ll shoot your eye out kid”

    “Ok you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This… is my boomstick!”

    “Shop smart, shop S-Mart”

    “what are we gonna do tonight brain?”

    “NARF!”

    “Gimme some sugar, baby”

  80. 80.

    rawshark

    October 15, 2007 at 12:13 pm

    Inconcievable!!

  81. 81.

    Ned Raggett

    October 15, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    “Is this to be an empathy test?”

  82. 82.

    Ned Raggett

    October 15, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    “Frak”; before the Battlestar Galactica revival, you had to be seriously geeky to use that.

    I gotta be honest — it is surely STILL geeky to be using it even after the revival.

  83. 83.

    Phil

    October 15, 2007 at 12:18 pm

    Never fight a land war in Asia.

  84. 84.

    The Populist

    October 15, 2007 at 12:24 pm

    Live Long And Prosper

    My Young Padwan

    Anything said in a philosophical Yoda-esque question in a question

    I grok Spock

    Luke, I am your father

    Klaatu Barada Nikto

    To Serve Man…It’s a Cookbook!

    Soylent…Green is…People

    Damn you all to hell (in the most outrageous Chuck Heston overacting known to man)

    Get your hands off me, you damn dirty ape.

    Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

    I know what you’re thinking, ’cause right now I’m thinking the same thing. Actually, I’ve been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn’t I take the BLUE pill?

  85. 85.

    Jimmmmm

    October 15, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    “That’s not a bug, that’s a feature.”

  86. 86.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    “I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!”

    Or a “phased-plasma rifle in the forty watt range”.

    Speaking of “an AI” or “an artificial intelligence” in talking about a hypothetical program or robot.

  87. 87.

    Andrew

    October 15, 2007 at 12:56 pm

    “Laugh while you can, monkey-boy”

    Best 80’s geek movie, by FAR.

  88. 88.

    rawshark

    October 15, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    Luke, I am your father

    This line was never spoken. The line is, ‘No, I am your father.’

    Ned Raggett Says:

    “Is this to be an empathy test?”

    Blade Runner?

  89. 89.

    Billy K

    October 15, 2007 at 1:01 pm

    “Laugh while you can, monkey-boy”

    Best. Movie. Ever.

    And thanks to Brian for “Elf needs food, badly” – zomg, my husband said that on like our second date! He got this kind of sheepish look and started to explain what it meant and I stopped him by saying “Warrior is about to die.” True love, baby. True love.

    ZOMG! That is the lamest thing I’ve ever heard – but also the coolest and sweetest. Methinks you’re both very lucky.

    Oh – add to teh list, saying “methinks” without irony.

  90. 90.

    BrianM

    October 15, 2007 at 2:25 pm

    “Look at ’em. Ordinary fuckin’ people, I hate ’em.”

    “A Repo Man will harm no automobile nor, *through inaction*, cause any automobile to come to harm.”

    “A maze of twisty little passages, all alike.”

    Segmentation fault. Core dumped.

    Flip the bozo bit.

    “Hurm” (meditatively)

    Control-Shift-Meta-Cokebottle

    “Oh my god, it’s full of stars!”

  91. 91.

    tBone

    October 15, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    I’ll be in my bunk.

  92. 92.

    John's Minions

    October 15, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    “Welshy!”

    “War, War never changes.”

    “see you, space cowboy.”

    anything from the glory days of FASA. ie “Chummer”

  93. 93.

    jenniebee

    October 15, 2007 at 2:29 pm

    More:

    Ka-plach!
    I want my two dollars!
    It has raisins in it. You like raisins.

    and

    “I think the stereotypes in Galaxy Quest were totally unfair.”

  94. 94.

    Third Eye Open

    October 15, 2007 at 2:43 pm

    Where are all my Carrion Fields-Peeps?

  95. 95.

    protected static

    October 15, 2007 at 2:50 pm

    Parts! I’ve never done it with parts before…

    Dead or alive, you’re coming with me.

    I’d buy that for a dollar!

  96. 96.

    protected static

    October 15, 2007 at 2:52 pm

    rawshark: No, it’s to see if you’re a lesbian.

  97. 97.

    Doubter4444

    October 15, 2007 at 3:19 pm

    What’s the fequency, kenneth?
    When said to a person named kenneth, even better

  98. 98.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 3:22 pm

    “Johnny Five Alive!”

    “Are you telling me you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean? “

  99. 99.

    Vlad

    October 15, 2007 at 3:23 pm

    ————-
    |……d….|
    |.

  100. 100.

    just sayin

    October 15, 2007 at 3:23 pm

    Dyslexic Borg says “Prepare to have your ass laminated”

  101. 101.

    Vlad

    October 15, 2007 at 3:32 pm

    Well, crap, that didn’t display right. Let’s try again, with a few text examples:

    “Wow! This makes you feel great!
    A wisp of vapor escapes the fountain…”

    “Ooph! This tastes like liquid fire!”

    “You have a strange feeling for a moment, then it passes.”

  102. 102.

    knobboy

    October 15, 2007 at 3:34 pm

    RSA!!

    Ahh, but the parentheses. That’s where I had them!

    They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with geometric logic.

  103. 103.

    mere mortal

    October 15, 2007 at 3:34 pm

    Krunk!

  104. 104.

    GeekyOne

    October 15, 2007 at 3:36 pm

    pwnt, n00bz! ph34r my l33t skilz! (or any variation thereof)

  105. 105.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 3:38 pm

    Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right A, B, Select Start = The secret of immortality.

  106. 106.

    David Moisan

    October 15, 2007 at 3:42 pm

    “I can has …?” (“John has cat! Tunch can has cheezburger!”)
    “QSL?” (old ham radio geeks)
    “This behavior is by design” (If you’re in Microsoft IT)
    “for n-1 things”

  107. 107.

    The Other Steve

    October 15, 2007 at 3:44 pm

    Pwn3d!

    “Frak”; before the Battlestar Galactica revival, you had to be seriously geeky to use that.

    Only geeks watch Battlestar Galactica, or for that matter anything on the SciFi channel.

  108. 108.

    The Other Steve

    October 15, 2007 at 4:07 pm

    DASD

    ABEND

  109. 109.

    Caya

    October 15, 2007 at 4:16 pm

    If you aren’t willing to kill for it, how important can
    it be?

    I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master.

  110. 110.

    Luke

    October 15, 2007 at 4:36 pm

    anyone who uses the word “paladin”. I cannot think of any non-geeky context for that one.

    outside of a phish concert, any reference to TMWSIY (the man who stepped into yesterday)–and even phish concerts are geeky in their own way

  111. 111.

    Susan Kitchens

    October 15, 2007 at 4:43 pm

    The use of “trivial” when discussing problems/problem solving:

    “That’s trivial. What you really need to do is…”

  112. 112.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 4:57 pm

    “would you stop it with the fat lady, you’re obsessed with the fat lady.”

  113. 113.

    Dreggas

    October 15, 2007 at 4:58 pm

    “Do you like gladiator movies?”

  114. 114.

    Blue Jean

    October 15, 2007 at 5:30 pm

    “Stupid, stupid rat creatures!”

  115. 115.

    EJ

    October 15, 2007 at 5:44 pm

    “Let me tell you about my mother… BLAM!”

  116. 116.

    dwightkschrute

    October 15, 2007 at 5:51 pm

    Seriously, any time people talk about “space elevators”, a la a certain instantly putzy blogger.

  117. 117.

    KevinD

    October 15, 2007 at 6:07 pm

    “see you, space cowboy.”

    Gotta love Cowboy Bebop. (and Samurai Champloo)

  118. 118.

    RedBeardJim

    October 15, 2007 at 6:07 pm

    “For the Horde!!!”

  119. 119.

    zzyzx

    October 15, 2007 at 6:15 pm

    Inside a Phish show, TMWSIY is still pretty obscure…

  120. 120.

    KevinD

    October 15, 2007 at 6:16 pm

    “Get the Humanoid. Get the Intruder.”

  121. 121.

    KevinD

    October 15, 2007 at 6:27 pm

    Tetsuuuo!
    Kanedaaa!

  122. 122.

    Krista

    October 15, 2007 at 6:43 pm

    Only geeks watch Battlestar Galactica, or for that matter anything on the SciFi channel.

    Well, shit. And here I was thinking I’d escaped geekitude.

    Then again, I own three GPSs, and have models of a colonial fighter and cylon raider above my freaking BED, so who was I really kidding?

  123. 123.

    Krista

    October 15, 2007 at 6:44 pm

    Sorry, a colonial Viper, not fighter. No idea what the hell I was thinking, there.

    Sigh…

  124. 124.

    Billy K

    October 15, 2007 at 6:47 pm

    Sorry, a colonial Viper, not fighter. No idea what the hell I was thinking, there.

    Sigh…

    It’s OK. You just made all the geek boys’ hearts skip a beat anyway.

  125. 125.

    pfrets

    October 15, 2007 at 6:57 pm

    I’ll see your ‘grok’ and raise you.

    TANSTAAFL!!!

  126. 126.

    Jess

    October 15, 2007 at 7:07 pm

    Krista,

    I was feeling smug there for a bit myself until people began unleashing the Blade Runner quotes. C’mon–that’s not geeky, is it?

    But maybe any movie quote is geeky when you get right down to it…

  127. 127.

    grumpy realist

    October 15, 2007 at 7:21 pm

    Use of the term “cons” meaning “to join things”

    “I have a cunning plan….”

    “No Toad Sexing!”

    Use of the term “vaxen”

    “well, it’s a Phase-of-the-Moon error…” (if you simply say “POM” you are seriously geeky.)

    “Warning! Danger Will Robinson! Danger!”

    “Well, to within an order of magnitude….”

    Any mention of Weisskopf units.

    Crossing your h’s when you are writing (I did this for years…)

    Making a distinction between “hacking” and “cracking” of computers.

    Use of the term “modulo” in ordinary conversation

  128. 128.

    Jan

    October 15, 2007 at 7:26 pm

    “Set your pagers to stun.”

  129. 129.

    grumpy realist

    October 15, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    Some more serious geek movie quotes:

    “Lasers day one!”

    “Bring on the logic probe!”

    ….and (from books) probably any quote from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.

    And here’s my ultimate physics geek phrase (points to anyone who can place it:) “The polhode rolls without slipping on the herpelhode lying in the invariant plane.”

  130. 130.

    yet another jeff

    October 15, 2007 at 8:15 pm

    “The real folk blues
    I only want to know what true sadness is
    Sitting in muddy water
    Isn’t such a bad life
    It ends after the first time”

  131. 131.

    yet another jeff

    October 15, 2007 at 8:16 pm

    uggghhh…IF it ends after the first time.

  132. 132.

    David Schraub

    October 15, 2007 at 8:45 pm

    “BOOM! Head shot!”

    “I find your lack of [anything], disturbing.”

  133. 133.

    The Disgruntled Chemist

    October 15, 2007 at 9:10 pm

    I can’t believe nobody’s said mine yet:

    “Last night, while trying to fall asleep, I was thinking of a list of things that when I hear someone say them/reference them/joke about them, I immediately know I am dealing with a geek”

    My actual geek indicator to contribute: people who say a problem is trivial. That one screams “physicist”, and they’re almost all major-league geeks.

  134. 134.

    protected static

    October 15, 2007 at 9:29 pm

    anyone who uses the word “paladin”. I cannot think of any non-geeky context for that one.

    [coughs]
    Fire for effect.

  135. 135.

    borehole

    October 15, 2007 at 9:31 pm

    “Nuke it from orbit. Only way to be sure.”

    This one comes in handy for all sorts of houshold chores.

  136. 136.

    Chris Johnson

    October 15, 2007 at 9:50 pm

    Wow. Specifically ‘geek’, huh? I’m going to have to go with
    “shiny!” Only Joss could introduce a meme like that. Only geeks picked up on it.
    X is “trivial”. Not because I’ve ever heard anybody say it, but because if I did, I would know that person was a geek. Or possibly an uber-nerd.
    “PROTIP”. I bet I know where you are from, Chopper!
    In the same spirit, anything that “xxors”. Haxors, roxxors, etc.
    OVER 9000
    What’s that game again? “Battletoads”
    The first rule of X is…
    Using metasyntactic variables for ANYTHING. Foo, bar, and baz. Knowing the additional ones is grounds for geekdom black hole implosion.

    NOTE, NO STAR WARS ANYTHING. The only geeky star wars thing is insisting Han shot first. Everything else is pop culture.

  137. 137.

    RSA

    October 15, 2007 at 10:06 pm

    Use of the term “cons” meaning “to join things”

    And never end a question with “-P”.

    Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right

    A Unix geek would write this more concisely: kkjjl;l;

    X is “trivial”. Not because I’ve ever heard anybody say it, but because if I did, I would know that person was a geek.

    I used “X is trivial” once when writing a test for an introduction to computers for non-computer science majors. Unfortunately, many students got the question wrong, because they apparently didn’t know that “trivial” is supposed to mean easy. Experience perhaps with Trivial Pursuit has given a lot of people the impression that trivial means hard. Weird.

  138. 138.

    Chris Johnson

    October 15, 2007 at 10:23 pm

    Oh, forgot a super recent but super relevant to current events one:

    “brb, church”

  139. 139.

    Off Colfax

    October 15, 2007 at 10:50 pm

    Anything involving the words “Ono-Sendai”

    “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”

    Cat mother

    “The Truth Is Out There”

    BSOD

    Nerf warlocks!

    And then she said, “Well, my cupholder doesn’t work any more.”

    And any use of the phrase “Hit me.” when not in relation to a card game.

  140. 140.

    Nick

    October 15, 2007 at 11:22 pm

    Do not want

  141. 141.

    Off Colfax

    October 15, 2007 at 11:25 pm

    Can’t believe I forgot this one…

    “IT’S A SERIES OF TUBES!”

  142. 142.

    Fruitbat

    October 16, 2007 at 12:05 am

    I’ll reluctantly submit these:

    “I don’t want the world. I just want your half.”

    “Why is there a watermelon there?”
    “I’ll tell you later.”

    (To be used when gathering up things for a trip or something) “All I need is X and Y. And this paddle game.”

    “You’ve got red on you.”

    And I predict the following will become part of some geek lexicon someday:

    “I am McLovin.”
    “It’s like a division sign”
    …and several others I’m reluctant to type out here. But I’ll say them in the right company.

  143. 143.

    Llelldorin

    October 16, 2007 at 12:25 am

    Screaming “BA, not AB!!!!!” after reading Dreggas’s comment above.

    Detecting a sure sign that I wear my underpants on my head after reading the last sentence.

    Reading every frakking comment in this frelling thread.

    Preferring Roger Delgado to John Simm.

  144. 144.

    Llelldorin

    October 16, 2007 at 12:27 am

    Wow–who knew? The comments engine here has an underpants-on-head-suppressant!!!!! No matter how grotesque the exclamation pointism, you get two exclamation points!!!!!

  145. 145.

    John's Minions

    October 16, 2007 at 1:08 am

    While Off Colfax hit the proto-geek, let’s not forget his progeny..

    “The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed sub-category. He’s got esprit up to here.”

  146. 146.

    TenguPhule

    October 16, 2007 at 2:08 am

    Nuclear Strike Detected.

    Reach out and Touch Someone.

    We can’t hope to achieve victory through force of arms.

    There is always hope.

    Don’t follow the lights.

    Get off the ground!

    Broke into the wrong goddamn Rec Room didn’t you!

    Any phrase employing the term ‘Meatbags’

    Now you see me. Now you’re dead.

    For King and Country.

    “Oops.” “What do you mean Oops?!”

    There is a very small chance that we’ll survive.

    I have a very cunning plan.

    Form Blazing Sword!

  147. 147.

    Michael

    October 16, 2007 at 6:23 am

    I hear you are having problems with your TPS reports.

    If only we had a holocaust cloak.

  148. 148.

    SGEW

    October 16, 2007 at 7:48 am

    Aaaargh! I recognize far, far too many references on this thread! My geek quotient has been quantified, to my detriment. Might as well contribute.

    (Geeky under any circumstance):

    “Noooo! They be stealin’ my [anything]!”

    “Tanj!” or “Finagle!” used as an expletive.

    “The computer is your friend.”

    (Only truly geeky if sung properly):

    “Rene Descarte was a drunken fart: I drink therefore I am.”

    “Daisy . . . daisy . . . .”

    “Life’s a piece of shit, when you look at it . . . .”

  149. 149.

    Ivan Renko

    October 16, 2007 at 9:10 am

    Interesting thread, but I’m moved to say…what a load of felgercarb.

    Renko

  150. 150.

    Billy K

    October 16, 2007 at 9:17 am

    “PROTIP”. I bet I know where you are from, Chopper!
    OVER 9000
    What’s that game again? “Battletoads”

    I know exactly where you’re from, Johnson. I’ve always suspected there were a few on this blog.

  151. 151.

    Pb

    October 16, 2007 at 10:34 am

    “The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed sub-category. He’s got esprit up to here.”

    The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

  152. 152.

    grumpy realist

    October 16, 2007 at 10:53 am

    “The enemy is at 30 microns, and closing!”

    (Recognizing this quote is serious, serious geekdom. Used in the very first Battlestar Galactica episode way back in…1979? All of us in our hall were in the lounge watching, cracked up, and someone quipped “yes, the battle took place in a petri dish.”)

  153. 153.

    uh_clem

    October 16, 2007 at 11:40 am

    “I see no [item] here.” (old geeks only)

    “My hovercraft is full of eels.”

    “An ID ten T problem.”

    “The problem appears to be between the seat and the keyboard.”

    Use of the word “grep” as a synonym for “look for”.

    BTW, movie quotes, especially from box office blockbusters, do not admit one to the geekhood. But I’ll allow this one:

    “Vote for Pedro.”

  154. 154.

    AWJ

    October 16, 2007 at 8:48 pm

    I’ve always suspected there were a few on this blog.

    Oh snap, I’ve been found out! At this rate, I may just have to become an hero…

    (Actually, I’m quite sure that the sarcastic use of PROTIP long predates “that site”. I remember hearing it–and using it myself–in the infancy of my geekdom, as far back as the late nineties…)

  155. 155.

    tmetze

    October 16, 2007 at 10:53 pm

    I’d have to add-

    “There are four lights”

    “Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01”

    “They’re all dead Dave”

    and if you know who Lister’s father is, you’re really geeky.

  156. 156.

    John Spragge

    October 17, 2007 at 3:03 am

    My ‘Cyborg Manifesto’ t-shirt
    My cell phone answering message:
    You have made contact with the borg collective. Resistance is futile. The message from your archaic telecommunication device will be assimilated at the tone.(beep)

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