# Death rays - wired, tired, or expired? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056 "2007-01-07T16:36:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/1 "2007-01-07T16:36:42Z")
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”? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/2 "2007-01-07T16:55:57Z")
The “wired/tired/expired” ranking: tired. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/3 "2007-01-07T19:37:42Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/4 "2007-01-07T21:59:25Z")
The Death Ray was allegedly 1920s-style, so it was definitely wired. Hardly anything was wireless in those days. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/5 "2007-01-07T22:23:31Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] “marianas trench” - tired [/QUOTE] This one doesn’t ring a bell with me. What was that all about? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/6 "2007-01-07T22:29:01Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] This one doesn’t ring a bell with me. What was that all about? [/QUOTE] Folks were charmed by the syntax. The Challenger Deep was visited once, for twenty minutes, in 1960. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/7 "2007-01-07T22:49:26Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Folks were charmed by the syntax. The Challenger Deep was visited once, for twenty minutes, in 1960. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/8 "2007-01-08T00:14:29Z")
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. [QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] And it makes semi-newbies like myself feel semi-embraced when I finally am clued into them [/QUOTE] Semi-newbie? You’ve been a member here for almost five and a half years, now. What, to you, constitutes an old-timer? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/9 "2007-01-08T00:39:31Z")
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 > **[The rock in the box: I burning your dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=203185)** > > If there is one person I could mercilessly kill… without being a war… a bar fight… or “the right situation”, It would have to be the inventor of the rock in the box. What THE fuck were you thinking? -Or in this case, what were you supposed to be... ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/10 "2007-01-08T10:25:37Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron] Semi-newbie? You’ve been a member here for almost five and a half years, now. What, to you, constitutes an old-timer? [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/11 "2007-01-08T13:50:42Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/12 "2007-01-08T15:48:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/13 "2007-01-08T17:47:50Z")
Not only are they expired, but grass has started to grow on their graves. You forgot “Worst. (Something). Ever.” Which is similarly cadaverous. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/14 "2007-01-08T18:25:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/15 "2007-01-08T18:55:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/16 "2007-01-08T18:58:44Z")
[QUOTE=KayElCee] Expired with extreme prejudice: … Hal Briston sheep references. [/QUOTE] Bah. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/17 "2007-01-08T21:57:07Z")
To those who would say “Good day, sir” is wired, I say: “Good day, sir!” “But…” “ISaidGoodDay!” ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/18 "2007-01-09T06:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] “marianas trench” - tired [/QUOTE] 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? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/19 "2007-01-09T06:07:28Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Folks were charmed by the syntax. The Challenger Deep was visited once, for twenty minutes, in 1960. [/QUOTE] 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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056/20 "2007-01-09T06:29:01Z")
**CanvasShoes** You asked, so here is a link to that infamous thread: > **[Not many people know that...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283407)** > > If the salt in the sea could be removed and spread evenly over the Earth’s land surface it would form a layer more than 500 feet thick, about the height of a 40 story office building. Man has landed on the moon six times and spent almost 300 hours... Admittedly, I did make a few postings to it myself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-rays-wired-tired-or-expired/387056.md?page=2)