# IIRC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2000, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733 "2000-05-17T06:26:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lexicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lexicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lexicon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/1 "2000-05-17T06:26:19Z")
??? ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/2 "2000-05-17T06:34:49Z")
If I Remember Correctly ---
**Author:** ![Lexicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lexicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lexicon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/3 "2000-05-17T06:37:58Z")
SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH of relief. You have no idea how long that has been bugging me! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/4 "2000-05-17T06:40:18Z")
That bugged me for 8 months before I got up the courage to ask! _L_ BTW… its “if I RECALL correctly” 🙂 at least in MY mind it is… hehe ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/5 "2000-05-17T06:41:54Z")
Wow. You have nooooooo idea how long I’ve been waiting to fight some kind of ignorance on this board. Looks like my job is done here. I’ll miss you all. ---
**Author:** ![DAYIUZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DAYIUZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAYIUZ)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/6 "2000-05-17T09:12:59Z")
Sweet Jesus, Mary Mother of God!!! I have been confused beyond belief by what those four letters could possibly mean. Thank you soooo much for finally tell us. JJJEEESSSSUSSSS!!! ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/7 "2000-05-17T12:48:12Z")
Now to _really_ confuse people, how about ISTR and OTGH? ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/8 "2000-05-17T15:32:20Z")
OK, I’ll bite Akat, what do _those_ mean? ---
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/9 "2000-05-17T15:44:43Z")
ISTR = I Seem To Recall ??? ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/10 "2000-05-17T15:55:48Z")
And “OTGH”, of course, is “On The Gripping Hand”. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/11 "2000-05-17T16:11:45Z")
re: OTGH I always thought this was Old Tired Grizzled Horse, variation on the deceased equine. Whaddya know. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/12 "2000-05-17T16:28:53Z")
And what the hell does “on the gripping hand” mean? Still confused… ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/13 "2000-05-17T16:34:09Z")
**on the gripping hand** – In the progression that starts “On the one hand…” and continues “On the other hand…” mainstream English may add “on the third hand…” even though most people don’t have three hands. Among hackers, it is just as likely to be “on the gripping hand”. This metaphor supplied the title of Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle’s 1993 SF novel “The Gripping Hand” which involved a species of hostile aliens with three arms (the same species, in fact, referenced in juggling eggs). As with TANSTAAFL and con, this usage is a naturalized import from SF fandom. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iirc/19733/14 "2000-05-17T17:45:58Z")
LSHMSOMNAISMP!!