# I really hate big paper clips **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563 "2004-10-27T23:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/1 "2004-10-27T23:33:49Z")
I like little paper clips. I hate, hate, _hate_ big paper clips. The big ones are like an inch and a half long. That’s just too big for a paper clip! If you need to hold that many papers together, get one of those fold-down clip thingies. They work way better and they aren’t goddamn big paper clips. I especially hate the big paper clips with the ridges. Those are just awful. But what I really hate, more than any other paper clip, are the paper clips that are covered in that colored plasticy latexy coating. I _despise_ the plasticy latexy coating! Whenever I get one of those I just throw it away. That’s how horrible they are. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/2 "2004-10-27T23:39:23Z")
Fuck you, pal. I like the big paper clips. Wanna take it outside? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/3 "2004-10-27T23:42:47Z")
I agree with **Otto** those big clips have an amazing ability of latching in to other pieces of paper and causing problems. Any lone piece of paper in a pile containing large clipped sets of papers will soon migrate into joining that set without any manual intervention. I guess it’s peer pressure, but bulldog clips don’t get this problem, so I vote for bulldog clips. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Yorklebees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a5b964/32.png) [@New\_Yorklebees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Yorklebees)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/4 "2004-10-28T00:51:40Z")
My mother was a big paper clip, you twat. _brawl_ ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/5 "2004-10-28T01:19:42Z")
Bet you drive and big ol’ SUV too…to make up for what’s lacking in the old “paper clip” department. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/6 "2004-10-28T01:23:17Z")
I love big paper clips. Especially the anodized, colored kind! ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/7 "2004-10-28T01:26:23Z")
I hate paper clips in general. If it’s a short stack, staple it. If it’s large, bind it. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/8 "2004-10-28T01:38:26Z")
Ridges fucking suck. But give me one of those black real clips any day, though. ---
**Author:** ![WaryEri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea666f/32.png) [@WaryEri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WaryEri)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/9 "2004-10-28T01:54:23Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > But give me one of those black real clips any day, though. Sure, until you slip and one grabs you by the little piece of skin between your forefinger and thumb. Fuckers _bite_. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/10 "2004-10-28T02:20:00Z")
Another vote here in _favor_ of the big paper clips. How about I give you all my little paper clips (I hate them, they come off so easily) and you can give me all your big paper clips? ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/11 "2004-10-28T02:23:12Z")
Ridges. I had the ridges. Sometimes you need the big clip. You know the binder clips? The really little ones are okay, but the next size up you need to be Mr. Atlas to squeeze them open. I can’t use them at all. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/12 "2004-10-28T02:24:37Z")
NONONONONONO!!! I did not have the ridges. I hate the ridges! :wally ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/13 "2004-10-28T02:28:26Z")
I am the clip master! ---
**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:** [October 28, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/14 "2004-10-28T03:07:26Z")
I love big paper clips. They’re the perfect tool. Mind you, I never actually use them to clip paper. To me, they’re just an extremely short coil of very rigid wire. Almost as versatile as duct tape. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/15 "2004-10-28T04:25:37Z")
Sorry, you’re just so completely wrong here there’s no way to measure it. Little paper clips suck. They are not strong (or big) enough to actually keep papers together for more than five seconds. And if you have more than one piece of paper, they get all bent out of shape because they’re _wimpy_. Jumbo paperclips are the only way to go. Smooth, not ridged - ridged is the devil’s paperclip. I also heart binder clips. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/16 "2004-10-28T08:16:22Z")
Wow, the OP could have been written by my boss, who also has a completely irrational aversion to big paper clips. When I first started my job, the office manager said not to use big paper clips, but to use those stupid black thingies, because the boss was “afraid” of big paper clips. No other explanation was given; just the nonsensical statement that he was “afraid” of them. The office manager seemed rather upset when I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/17 "2004-10-28T12:10:53Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > Sorry, you’re just so completely wrong here there’s no way to measure it. Little paper clips suck. They are not strong (or big) enough to actually keep papers together for more than five seconds. And if you have more than one piece of paper, they get all bent out of shape because they’re _wimpy_. > > Jumbo paperclips are the only way to go. Smooth, not ridged - ridged is the devil’s paperclip. > > I also heart binder clips. Ditto. Except the ridged part. Now we must duel. ---
**Author:** ![hildea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ebca7d/32.png) [@hildea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hildea)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/18 "2004-10-28T12:33:24Z")
Why do you hate [Norway](http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/paperclip.htm)? :mad: ---
**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:** [October 28, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/19 "2004-10-28T13:51:08Z")
> [@LaurAnge](#): > > Ridges fucking suck. Ruffles has them. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563/20 "2004-10-28T14:05:35Z")
AT LAST! Someone has the moral fortitude … the sheer _gumption_ … to bring this matter out into the open. This has been a taboo subject for too long. **Otto** I salute you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-hate-big-paper-clips/271563.md?page=2)