# How to tell them apart (a public service) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497 "2004-08-05T19:16:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/1 "2004-08-05T19:16:48Z")
**Robby the Robot vs. Robot (from Lost In Space):** Robby had a dome and two moving antennas on his head – one horizontal, one vertical. Robot has a flattened circle, and both antennas are vertical. In addition, Robby has three fingers on each hand; the Robot has two pincers. **NY Mets “NY” vs. NY Yankees "NY"** The Mets’ “NY” is orange (or blue with orange highlights); Yankees is white. The “Y” on the Mets logo has its arms sticking out the top of the “N”; the Yankee’s “Y” has the arms sticking out the side of the “N.” Now add your own, so we can reduce confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/2 "2004-08-05T19:27:09Z")
**Kathy** : adores the minuet, the Ballet Russe and crepes Suzette **Patty** : loves to rock and roll; a hot dog makes her lose control What a wild duet! ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/3 "2004-08-05T19:42:22Z")
Selma parts her hair in the middle, while Patty does not. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/4 "2004-08-06T02:25:53Z")
Betty’s blonde, Veronica’s got black hair. Merry goes with Gandalf to Minas Tirith, while Pippin stays in Rohan and helps kill the Lord of the Nazgul. Or… no, wait, Pippin goes with Gandalf to… No, wait… ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/5 "2004-08-06T02:31:21Z")
Susan plays guitar, Sharon plays piano. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/6 "2004-08-06T02:36:39Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > a hot dog makes her lose control …and I’ve always wanted to know why. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/7 "2004-08-06T02:39:52Z")
**Nigeria:** Has a coastline and much money that needs to be taken overseas. **Niger:** Doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/8 "2004-08-06T03:40:25Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Nigeria:** Has a coastline and much money that needs to be taken overseas. > > **Niger:** Doesn’t. Niagara: Has a big waterfall. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/9 "2004-08-06T03:56:51Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Niagara: Has a big waterfall. Niagra: goes down. Viagra: goes up. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/10 "2004-08-06T06:32:20Z")
Chip: Has a chocolate chip colored nose Dale: Doesn’t ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/11 "2004-08-06T06:42:08Z")
Vancouver: is a city on the mainland Vancouver Island: is an island with a city (Victoria) on it Victoria Island: is an island in the high Arctic, no cities ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/12 "2004-08-06T06:59:53Z")
_A karate punch is like an iron bar – whack! A Gung Fu punch is like an iron chain with an iron ball attached to the end and it goes WANG! And it hurts inside._ –Bruce Lee (laughing as he said the last bit) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/13 "2004-08-06T12:32:41Z")
**Russians vs. Germans** (when I was about 6 years old at the end of the '60’s, I got them confused all the time - they were both bad guys, right?) Germans - were in the old WW2 movies, with helmets and stuff - oh, and they said “Schnell!” Russians - were in the newer movies with those furry hats and said “Nyet!” ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/14 "2004-08-06T12:36:16Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Chip: Has a chocolate chip colored nose > Dale: Doesn’t I can’t believe I got beat to this one. Did an waiter at Disney World tell you that too? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/15 "2004-08-06T12:41:39Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Vancouver: is a city on the mainland > Vancouver Island: is an island with a city (Victoria) on it > Victoria Island: is an island in the high Arctic, no cities That’s messed up! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/16 "2004-08-06T12:50:22Z")
stalactites: hang down from the ceiling stalagmites: point up from the floor (like the letter ‘M’) [nedflanders] If it’s clear and yellow, that’s juice there fellow! If it’s cloudy and brown, you’re in cider town! [/nedflanders] ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/17 "2004-08-06T13:13:57Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The “Y” on the Mets logo has its arms sticking out the top of the “N”; the Yankee’s “Y” has the arms sticking out the side of the “N.” I think you’ve got that backwards. The Mets’ logo is the spittin’ image of the old New York Giants logo. (That’s the NY Giants baseball team that moved to San Francisco, **not** the NY Giants football team that’s still in New York.) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/18 "2004-08-06T13:22:33Z")
Oh … and an obligatory Public Service message, courtesy of Ogden Nash: _The one-L lama, he’s a priest. The two-L llama, he’s a beast. And I will bet a silk pajama There isn’t any three-L lllama._\* \*) The author’s attention has been drawn to the kind of conflagration known as a “three-alarmer.” Pooh. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/19 "2004-08-06T13:50:56Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > stalactites: hang down from the ceiling > stalagmites: point up from the floor (like the letter ‘M’) The version I heard was: - stala **c** tites stick tight (tite) to the **ceiling** - stala **g** mites stick up from the **ground** ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/20 "2004-08-06T13:57:15Z")
Vulcans: Logical Romulans: Warriors [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497.md?page=2)