# Has an entire forum ever been locked? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 25, 2006, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519 "2006-01-25T05:34:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/21 "2006-01-27T00:43:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, what’s a stalagtite? Is it something that starts at the floor of the cave, and then goes down from there? Or does it start at the ceiling and point up? 'Tites go down, 'Mites go up. Just like the stem of the “T” goes down, and the “peaks” of the “M” go up. But chocolate in any case. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/22 "2006-01-27T01:36:17Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 'Tites go down, 'Mites go up. Just like the stem of the “T” goes down, and the “peaks” of the “M” go up. > > But chocolate in any case. I always remembered it by tites have to hold on tight 'cause they’re on the ceiling. But your way is cooler. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/23 "2006-01-27T01:50:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, what’s a stalagtite? Is it something that starts at the floor of the cave, and then goes down from there? Or does it start at the ceiling and point up? Heheh, I hadn’t heard those mnemonics before. But I had thought that **Chronos** ’ point here was being amused by the mixed spelling - “stalgtite” being something of a mongrel word. Stalagmites - from ground up Stalactites - from the “roof” of the cave down. My version of the primary school mnemonic was that the stalaGmites went up from the Ground, and the stalaCtites went down from the Ceiling. And that would be good to know, if, perhaps, they were things I encountered on a daily basis. Otherwise, well, who cares which, as long as chocolate is involved. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/24 "2006-01-30T17:26:34Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > My version of the primary school mnemonic was that the stalaGmites went up from the Ground, and the stalaCtites went down from the Ceiling. And that would be good to know, if, perhaps, they were things I encountered on a daily basis. Otherwise, well, who cares which, as long as chocolate is involved. 🙂 I employ a useful mnemonic I first heard on a Mammoth Cave tour about 30 years ago. Stalc **tite** is the name of the formations hanging from the ceiling because they must be held **tight** in order to stay up there. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/25 "2006-01-30T17:42:37Z")
It was my understanding that when they meet, they have a stalac-fight, but I am not a geologist. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/26 "2006-01-30T18:00:27Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > … but I am not a geologist. For which we are all glad. (When a stalactite meets a stalagmite, they form a pillar, IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/27 "2006-01-30T18:10:22Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > I employ a useful mnemonic I first heard on a Mammoth Cave tour about 30 years ago. Stalc **tite** is the name of the formations hanging from the ceiling because they must be held **tight** in order to stay up there. I use: c = ‘ceiling’ in stalactite, and g = ‘ground’ in stalagmite. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/28 "2006-01-31T03:22:33Z")
And to finish the mnemnonics, “mite” is like “mountain”. They’re both raised up from the ground to a point on top. **Celyn** has a really good point about the chocolate, though. ---
**Author:** ![socal57chevy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@socal57chevy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/socal57chevy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519/29 "2006-01-31T07:07:24Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Heheh, I hadn’t heard those mnemonics before. > > But I had thought that **Chronos** ’ point here was being amused by the mixed spelling - “stalgtite” being something of a mongrel word. > > Stalagmites - from ground up > > Stalactites - from the “roof” of the cave down. > > My version of the primary school mnemonic was that the stalaGmites went up from the Ground, and the stalaCtites went down from the Ceiling. And that would be good to know, if, perhaps, they were things I encountered on a daily basis. Otherwise, well, who cares which, as long as chocolate is involved. 🙂 That is rather “catchy” but it requires being able to spell. If you make up your own words that doesn’t work. Chocolate is my favorite food group. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-an-entire-forum-ever-been-locked/341519.md?page=1)