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”?
The “wired/tired/expired” ranking: tired.
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.
The Death Ray was allegedly 1920s-style, so it was definitely wired. Hardly anything was wireless in those days. 
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.
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.
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.
Semi-newbie? You’ve been a member here for almost five and a half years, now. What, to you, constitutes an old-timer?
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
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.
DEATH RAYS!
DEATH RAYS!
RAH!
RAH!
RAH!
America needs more Death Rays!
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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.
Not only are they expired, but grass has started to grow on their graves.
You forgot “Worst. (Something). Ever.” Which is similarly cadaverous.
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.
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.
Bah.
To those who would say “Good day, sir” is wired, I say:
“Good day, sir!”
“But…”
“ISaidGoodDay!”
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?
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. 
CanvasShoes
You asked, so here is a link to that infamous thread:
Admittedly, I did make a few postings to it myself.
