# Geek Factor of Crowds **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926 "2004-11-15T20:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/1 "2004-11-15T20:59:11Z")
Some crowds of people are geekier than others; in this context, I mean they’re hipper to the pop culture references, especially Simpsons quotes and scifi references, things like that. Do you have any good examples of things you’d say only if reasonably certain that the ‘Geek Factor’ of the crowd around you is sufficiently high? For example, I just realized that, no matter what the context, I must follow the phrase “…and now (blank) know(s)” with “And knowing is half the battle.” Thinking more on it, I realized that if the audience didn’t have a bit of geek in them, this would sound pretty strange. I might resist the impulse under those circumstances. Of course, for _really_ geeky crowds, one might throw on the “G.I. Joooooe!” at the end. But I digress. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/2 "2004-11-15T21:10:38Z")
I dunno, but something funny I like to do is if I’m in a crowd and someone hollers, “where is \?” I like to jump forward and shout, “I’M SPARTICUS!” and if enough other people in the crowd get the joke, they’ll jump forward and say “I’m Sparticus” “I’m Sparticus!” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/3 "2004-11-15T21:13:12Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > For example, I just realized that, no matter what the context, I must follow the phrase “…and now (blank) know(s)” with “And knowing is half the battle.” > Of course, for _really_ geeky crowds, one might throw on the “G.I. Joooooe!” at the end. But I digress. I do this all the time with my boyfriend. \*We \* do it all the time. it’s gotten to the point where sometimes we say it together. And yes, there are a lot of things I would only say in the right context. Luckily, my boyfriend and I share almost every interest. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/4 "2004-11-15T21:32:09Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > I dunno, but something funny I like to do is if I’m in a crowd and someone hollers, “where is \?” I like to jump forward and shout, “I’M SPARTICUS!” and if enough other people in the crowd get the joke, they’ll jump forward and say “I’m Sparticus” “I’m Sparticus!” > > 😛 Heh heh. I like that. Of course, I prefer, in similar situations, the occasional “I’m Brian, and so is my wife!” ---
**Author:** ![Fanny\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3be4f8/32.png) [@Fanny\_May](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fanny_May)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/5 "2004-11-15T21:51:41Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > …For example, I just realized that, no matter what the context, I must follow the phrase “…and now (blank) know(s)” with “And knowing is half the battle.” … Fine, I’m a square, so I don’t get it. Enlighten me. What is this about? Are you quoting a movie or TV show or something? Can you give me a real example (replace “blank” with a real word)? ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/6 "2004-11-16T00:29:02Z")
I’d say it in almost any crowd, and not really worry if anyone got it or not. It’s already well-known that I’m the weird one, so my personal status wouldn’t change much. I’m trying to phase out all life situations in which I am not surrounded by geeks anyway. If only I could find a different job… ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/7 "2004-11-16T01:22:11Z")
> [@Fanny May](#): > > Fine, I’m a square, so I don’t get it. > Enlighten me. What is this about? Are you quoting a movie or TV show or something? > Can you give me a real example (replace “blank” with a real word)? Sure. “So she told him about the buried gold, and now he knows.” “And knowing is half the battle.” It’s a reference to the Public Service Announcements that often followed episodes of the GI Joe cartoon series. The kids would invariably finish up with “…and now I know!” … which was followed by “And knowing is half the battle.” ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/8 "2004-11-16T03:17:05Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > It’s a reference to the Public Service Announcements that often followed episodes of the GI Joe cartoon series. The kids would invariably finish up with “…and now I know!” … which was followed by “And knowing is half the battle.” I don’t really remember them, but I have the feeling that the PSAs were often really, really bad. I mean, worse than those “the more you know” things on NBC. Something like, “it’s good for us to kill terrorists, but you should never hit anyone.” ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geek-factor-of-crowds/274926/9 "2004-11-16T03:22:57Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > I don’t really remember them, but I have the feeling that the PSAs were often really, really bad. I mean, worse than those “the more you know” things on NBC. Something like, “it’s good for us to kill terrorists, but you should never hit anyone.” Scary, I was just having this conversation with myself this morning (yes) - that it was a little bit amusing that GI Joe was all preachy about healthy foods and not petting strange dogs… And now back to the violence!