Death rays - wired, tired, or expired?

[The Controvert]

Let's rate our favorite SDMB cliches. When I see a "death rays" reference, I think "expired" (to borrow a Wired magazine convention).

similarly,

"Hi Opal" - tired
"marianas trench" - tired
"airplane on treadmill" - expired

Is anything still considered "wired"?

[JRDelirious]

The "wired/tired/expired" ranking: tired.

[Suburban Plankton]

I don't know about "tired" or "expired", but I do know that any time there is a mention of anything even vaguely sheep-related, there's going to be a joke at Hal Briston's expense within the next three posts. And that is getting a bit tiring.

[AskNott]

The Death Ray was allegedly 1920s-style, so it was definitely wired. Hardly anything was wireless in those days. ;)

[levdrakon]

"marianas trench" - tiredThis one doesn't ring a bell with me. What was that all about?

[AskNott]

This one doesn't ring a bell with me. What was that all about?
Folks were charmed by the syntax. The Challenger Deep was visited once, for twenty minutes, in 1960.

[bbs2k]

Folks were charmed by the syntax. The Challenger Deep was visited once, for twenty minutes, in 1960.
Why oh why am I still chuckling? Personally I love them. As much as I long charming and intelligent discussion on the board, inside jokes are something that really warm the place up at times. And it makes semi-newbies like myself feel semi-embraced when I finally am clued into them (in unison the crowd "awwww's").

I'm sorry OP, I know this really only goes against your intentions with the thread, but for reference sake why doesn't someone give a list of links to the referred mentions. I know some of them are too old to be linkable, but I would finally like to be subscribed to a thread where I can easily grab them.

PS: someone reminded me recently of a minor one that's slightly Hal-like, having to do with sexual organs ensuing.

[Ephemera]

They're all pretty much expired to me. A small percentage were genuinely amusing but they have been repeated so often that any trace of original humor long since evaporated and while I generally just ignore them, I actually find myself rolling my eyes at some of the more egregious cases, like the aforementioned sheep meme.

And it makes semi-newbies like myself feel semi-embraced when I finally am clued into them
Semi-newbie? You've been a member here for almost five and a half years, now. What, to you, constitutes an old-timer?

[Shagnasty]

I think about the original "Burning your dog rant (Rock in a box)" and it still cracks me up even though I was there the first time.

Wired - see for yourself

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=203185

[bbs2k]

Semi-newbie? You've been a member here for almost five and a half years, now. What, to you, constitutes an old-timer?

I registered over five years ago, pretty much to only ask and help answer questions in GQ. Then my membership went to "guest" for many years until I somehow wandered into back to this site and then onto other forums. I bought back my membership somewhere in the summer and have been having fun here ever since. Declaring myself semi-new was probably overly bold, but somehow I still find myself learning about old references and sometime cliches weekly.

So you're correct to wonder why I say this after being a member for so long, but my join date is misleading.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

DEATH RAYS!
DEATH RAYS!
RAH!
RAH!
RAH!

America needs more Death Rays! (http://www.brotron.com/Gallery/images/elux2.jpg)

Hundreds of satisfied customers! (http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/mgi/gif/x-ray.gif)
Get yours today!
Limited Time Offer!
Not available in all areas.
Act now!

[wolf_meister]

I think none of those "in-jokes" are worn out.
One that seems to have expired is:
___________ 2 or

___________ II - Electric Boogaloo

I think this deserves a revival.

[Diceman]

Not only are they expired, but grass has started to grow on their graves.

You forgot "Worst. (Something). Ever." Which is similarly cadaverous.

[Monstera deliciosa]

As someone who really is a newbie, IMO, these thing fall into two categories

Expired with extreme prejudice:

Hi Opal
Hal Briston sheep references.
1920's Style Death Rays
The Master Wang-Ka Jehovah's witness incident (The OP itself is funny, bringing it up every time someone has trouble with unwanted folk on their doorstep isn't)

A bit tired, but can still be funny if used in a more clever than usual context:

Marianas Trench
How you doin'
Band name!
I burning your dog
I'm intrigued....subscribe to your newsletter.

Those are the one's I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are several I've forgotten.

[Spoons]

Two I recall that I haven't seen much lately, nor have I seen any variations on them recently:

-- All your base are belong to us. (I remember this being all over the boards in 2000/2001--thankfully, no longer.)

-- When come back, bring pie. (IIRC, this one is more recent, but has also fallen out of use.)

As for a classification, since they're no longer in popular use, I guess "expired" would be the one to use.

[JThunder]

Expired with extreme prejudice:

...
Hal Briston sheep references.Bah.

[The Controvert]

To those who would say "Good day, sir" is wired, I say:

"Good day, sir!"

"But..."

"ISaidGoodDay!"

[CanvasShoes]

"marianas trench" - tired
I've never seen this one, except in posts like yours where it's being bemoaned as "too old, cut it out already". Where is it from?

[CanvasShoes]

Folks were charmed by the syntax. The Challenger Deep was visited once, for twenty minutes, in 1960.
I must be drastically poetically challenged. I still don't understand what all the fuss is (was) about.

Please speak slowly, I'm naturally blonde. :)

[wolf_meister]

CanvasShoes
You asked, so here is a link to that infamous thread:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283407

Admittedly, I did make a few postings to it myself.

[Oakminster]

I, for one, welcome our Wired, Tired, or Expired Overlords.

[Ice Wolf]

I, for one, welcome our Wired, Tired, or Expired Overlords.Somebody had to say it. I'd give it a wired. :D

[fluiddruid]

You can wrest my "I burning your dog" from my cold, dead hands.

That whole thread just makes me giggle uncontrollably. I don't know why. It's like David Chapelle and his "Rosie O'Donnell's underwear is full of dick holes" joke. It's so stupid, but you can't stop laughing at it and bringing it up. I'm sitting my quiet office making little suppressed-laugh squeaking noises just reading that thread again.

[Anaamika]

The only one that really irritates me is the Hal Briston sheep thing. Maybe because it's referring to a specific person who has taken all the ribbing with perfectly good grace. It was funny for a couple of days, now it's just horrible.

Most of the rest I can ignore or read when I want to. The Hi Opal thing should also be Terminated with Extreme Prejudice, though. I make it a point to make my third item in a list have nothing to do with Opal whatsoever. Eventually we'll kill it.

[brewha]

<snip>David Chapelle and his "Rosie O'Donnell's underwear is full of dick holes" joke. <snip>

I've never heard that one - but for some reason it's got me cracking up. Is there more to it than that?

[Wee Bairn]

One that will always be funny and never grow tiresome- In Soviet Russia _____ ______'s you!

[dwc1970]

I'd like to see "Og" take a long rest. That one reached the "tired" status with me a loooooooooong time ago.

[Lamar Mundane]

"Monkey Butlers" doesn't get used nearly as much as it should these days.

[Silence of the clams]

Let's rate our favorite SDMB cliches. When I see a "death rays" reference, I think "expired" (to borrow a Wired magazine convention).

similarly,

"Hi Opal" - tired
"marianas trench" - tired
"airplane on treadmill" - expired

Is anything still considered "wired"?


To me they are like furniture; you might see the same sofa in you livingroom every day, but by Og (another piece of furniture) it is good to sit down and feel at home!

Kotick

[JThunder]

Bat-jokes never grow old.

[Infovore]

I'd like to see "Og" take a long rest. That one reached the "tired" status with me a loooooooooong time ago.

Yeah, I'll second that one. And the "Hi, Opal" one as well. Definitely tired.

[Hal Briston]

Bat-jokes never grow old.Unless you're not prepared for them.

[Oakminster]

Unless you're not prepared for them.

Kinda like the Inquisition, which is rarely expected.

[astro]

It's amusing when someone is brave enough to do a "grapist" post, mainly because it drives the mods batshit.

[CanvasShoes]

CanvasShoes
You asked, so here is a link to that infamous thread:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283407

Admittedly, I did make a few postings to it myself.Umm, thank you (I think). Interesting......

Strange.....

Okay dokay...:D