# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 53
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1041 "2026-04-07T21:53:45Z")
We had a a designated outdoors smoking area, on a sloping bit of ground in between the main school building and the smaller building which served as our music and band hall. The smoking area was nicknamed by everyone (including the teachers) as “Butt Hill.”
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### Author:  [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1042 "2026-04-07T21:59:27Z")
I don’t know whether we were allowed to leave for lunch, or whether nobody ever stopped us, but those who could drive (and their passengers) did.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1043 "2026-04-07T22:12:13Z")
The only school trip we took was in 9th grade (Washington DC natch, met our congressman, Charles E. Bennett). You could leave campus–if you were a junior or senior IIRC. Smoking area was out back, on the lawn overseeing the river, and I did know some overachievers who did skip a semester or maybe even two during senior year-in some cases tho they took college-level courses for credit. Never got or was even offered a phone line (my sister was 4 years younger).
New poll coming up for high school cliques…
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1044 "2026-04-07T22:24:41Z")
The Nerds and Brains is probably closest. There wasn’t really a “Gamers” clique in my high school 40+ years ago, but if there had been, I would have been in that.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1045 "2026-04-07T22:26:11Z")
Nerds/brains/gamers/stoners. I’m not sure anyone else was playing D&D at our high school (or junior high), so it was especially weird.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1046 "2026-04-07T23:03:34Z")
I was in a backpacking/rock climbing clique.
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### Author:  [@VanillaHazelnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaHazelnut)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1047 "2026-04-08T01:15:19Z")
At both of my schools (family moved), you automatically failed if you had too many absences from any class, regardless of whether you needed the credits. You could fail a class that you didn’t need and still graduate, as long as you attended.
There was a work program which allowed seniors to leave at lunch time (if their morning classes met graduation requirements) and go to a part-time job. But I think only twenty or so people were allowed to do it.
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### Author:  [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1048 "2026-04-08T02:00:18Z")
I was in the hippie clique (not an option in the poll but which was made up of the theater, music and art kids). A lot of them smoked pot (I didn’t at the time) but it was a separate group from the stoners, who were more the “bad” kids. Somehow my senior year (72), the hippies and jock/cheerleaders flipped places and we became the popular kids, which upset the order of how at least our high school had always been. We held the class offices and ran things. This was sometimes contentious because the jocks really resented their loss in status. Seems not a lot has changed after 50 years.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1049 "2026-04-08T02:09:26Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#):
>
> None of the options in the high school question were generally true for me, though some of it might be due to differences in time and location. Not his could affect the results as I and anyone else in my situation does not vote and therefore the percentages might be overestimate
Yeah, I’m a none of the above.
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### Author:  [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1050 "2026-04-08T02:21:59Z")
To me, it greatly depends on what being a member of a clique means. Like, I was an active participant in high school theatre for years. Is that all I need to be part of the corresponding clique? If not, what else?
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1051 "2026-04-08T08:16:00Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> For the abortion question I voted I wouldn’t under any circumstance. You could probably what if some set of circumstances where I would encourage it but the closest answer is that it’s a personal choice that I have no business getting involved in. Once they make their decision I can support them to the best of my ability. Pushing them one way or another may come back and bite you in the ass.
Yeah, I chose the same option. I would ask if they’d considered it (which is not the same thing as suggesting they should do it) but it is their choice.
> [@Leaper](#):
>
> “Eight weeks old”… my god, what an autocomplete to not notice until it’s too late. _sob_
It is, however, hilarious. And the father doesn’t know!
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### Author:  [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1052 "2026-04-08T09:23:33Z")
Thank you for extending my humiliation.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1053 "2026-04-08T10:45:20Z")
My pleasure.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1054 "2026-04-08T11:21:39Z")
By “designated smoking area”, are we talking about it being _officially_ designated?
Because there was a tree across the street from the school where everyone went to smoke, but there was no Smoking Area sign posted.
mmm
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### Author:  [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1055 "2026-04-08T11:29:44Z")
In my high school, there were essentially only 2 super-cliques, that were both comprised of the sub-groups in the poll list. What they were each called depended on which group you were in. The Groovies were the in-crowd and the Burnouts was everyone else by default. If you were a Groovy, you called yourselves the Brew Ha Has and the Burnouts were Mallers/Maulers (a double entendre reflecting the tendency to hang out at the mall and also the preponderance of metalhead girls among the Burnouts. Referring back to an earlier poll, we did have a smoking area, and hanging out there automatically put you in the Burnouts. Stoners, band kids, theater kids, weird kids were all lumped together. The Groovies gathered on the other side of the school where you would find the jocks, the rich kids, and the social climbers. Interestingly the only sub-group that was equally represented in both cliques was the nerds. The Groovies had the social standing in town, but the Burnouts had the numbers. Looking back on it, it was really just a reflection of how well-off your family was. Planning for my class’ 40 year reunion has begun and the people who plan on attending are almost exclusively Groovies. Shocking.
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### Author:  [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1056 "2026-04-08T11:32:25Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#):
>
> are we talking about it being _officially_ designated?
Ours was _officially_ designated, complete with a sign and a set of bleachers. There was also a steel drum trash can that inevitably got set on fire in the winter, and it was also where you would go if you wanted to play hacky-sack or try your luck pitching quarters for lunch money.
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### Author:  [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1057 "2026-04-08T12:33:35Z")
We had several designated smoking areas for students. Teachers sometimes used them, but they usually stuck to the teachers lounge where students weren’t allowed.
A lot of the listed cliques didn’t, or couldn’t, exist when I was in High School in the '70s.
For instance- we had ‘comic book nerds’ but but not specifically Japanese comics. Except for _Astro Boy_ cartoons, did they even exist outside Japan back then? I don’t think anyone knew the words _anime_ or _manga_.
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### Author:  [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1058 "2026-04-08T14:48:56Z")
> [@Bayaker](#):
>
> did they even exist outside Japan back then? I don’t think anyone knew the words _anime_ or _manga_.
_Speed Racer_, _Battle of the Planets_, and _G-Force_ were all very popular when I was a kid in the 70s - they all derived from anime and manga, even though we didn’t know those words at the time.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1059 "2026-04-08T14:53:39Z")
> [@Thumper668](#):
>
> _Speed Racer_, _Battle of the Planets_, and _G-Force_ were all very popular when I was a kid in the 70s - they all derived from anime and manga, even though we didn’t know those words at the time.
_Star Blazers_ too (adapted from _Space Battleship Yamato_).
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### Author:  [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/1060 "2026-04-08T14:55:28Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> _Star Blazers_ too (adapted from _Space Battleship Yamato_).
I was just about to edit my post. _G-Force_ and _Battle of the Planets_ were the same series. I was conflating _Battle of the Planets_ with _Star Blazers_
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