# I'm so pretentious that... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682 "2001-05-17T03:06:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2001, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/41 "2001-05-18T12:06:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Gee, was it that bad? šŸ™‚ > \*\* Nah, but that doesnā€™t stop me from using it as an excuse of pretentiousness. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/42 "2001-05-18T12:52:10Z")
Iā€™m so pretentious, I expect you all to already know all of the great things Iā€™ve done. [sub]Like driving a NASCAR, being 2/3 of the way to being a Divemaster, being a United States Marine, being an Industrial _and_ Systems Engineer, the fact that Iā€™m personally and solely responsible for testing the software UPS uses to balance their planes and the demonstrable fact that I give incredible massages. But you knew all this, right?[/sub] Iā€™m also pretentious enough to list a few, in case your memory is hazy, though I might take umbrage. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/43 "2001-05-19T02:46:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Creaky \* > \*\*[hijack] Katishaā€¦I knew you had to be familiar with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan when I saw that line about the _Frogs_ chorus! I love the Patter songs. Those songs really do stick in your head, donā€™t they?[/hiack] \*\* You mean my handle wasnā€™t a dead giveaway? šŸ˜‰ And yeah, G&S songs are positively infectious! I canā€™t understand why the rest of my family hates themā€¦ šŸ˜• šŸ˜‰ (I also donā€™t understand why UMGASS had to pick the year _after_ I graduate to stage my favorite show, but thatā€™s another matter entirely.) And, in order to have something on topic: I was appalled when I happened upon an edition of _The Faerie Queene_ with modernized spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/44 "2001-05-19T03:01:08Z")
I used to be pretentious, but now Iā€™m perfect. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/45 "2001-05-19T05:43:14Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Katisha \* \*\* You mean my handle wasnā€™t a dead giveaway? \*\* Yeah, I knowā€¦ :eek: especially since my Uncle Paul played Koko in a _very_ local community theater-type production of ā€œThe Mikadoā€ when I was nine. That was something, seeing him like that. Wow. Like something out of an Anna Russell routine. \*\* > [@](#): > > And, in order to have something on topic: I was appalled when I happened upon an edition of _The Faerie Queene_ with modernized spelling. \*\* My _God_. Those utter philistines. šŸ˜‰ (Use of the word ā€œphilistinesā€ in this context, to me, qualifies as fairly pretentiousā€¦ didnā€™t want to go too far away from the OPā€¦!) ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/46 "2001-05-19T05:57:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Katisha \* > \*\*Also, when someone mentions that an unusual word was used (or coined) by Shakespeare, I make a point of supplying the quote in which it appears without looking it up. \*\* :eek: šŸ˜ƒ Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? šŸ˜› [sub]And one of these days, Iā€™m gonna stump you on some obscure Shakespeare quote if itā€™s the last thing I do![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/47 "2001-05-19T14:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DRY \* > \*\*ā€œPretentious? Moi?ā€ > > [sub]Old Fawlty Towers reference. God that was a great show![/sub] \*\* I thought that was Miss Piggy??? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/48 "2001-05-19T16:32:10Z")
Iā€™m so pretentious that when I go ā€œpowder my noseā€ I have the houseboy wipe my butt with hundred dollar bills. [sub]The above pretentiousness was provided by my son who, because of my very real pretentions, still does not have the ability to post to this message board.[/sub] ---
**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:** [May 19, 2001, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/49 "2001-05-19T16:38:04Z")
Mi estas tiom afekcia, ke mi ofte parolas Esperante, ech kun ne-esperantistojā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/50 "2001-05-19T16:56:52Z")
> [@](#): > > ## quote: > > Originally posted by DRY > ā€œPretentious? Moi?ā€ > > ## Old Fawlty Towers reference. God that was a great show! > > I thought that was Miss Piggy??? Well \*\* \* actually \*\*\* it came from the Peanuts cartoon strip. Lucie walks up to Schroeder who is busy playing his piano and completely ignores her. She sits there for a couple of frames before becoming exasperated and tells him that he is pretentious. The last frame Lucie has walked off and Schroeder looks up from his piano for the first time and saysā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/51 "2001-05-19T18:29:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Creaky \* > My _God_. Those utter philistines. šŸ˜‰ (Use of the word ā€œphilistinesā€ in this context, to me, qualifies as fairly pretentiousā€¦ didnā€™t want to go too far away from the OPā€¦!) [sub][sup] **AHEM** [/sup][/sub] **,** We all know philistines arenā€™t pretentious. But _one_ of them is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![moggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@moggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moggy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/52 "2001-05-19T18:35:10Z")
Iā€™m so pretentious that I usually know any aria thatā€™s used in any t.v. commercial (the name of the aria, opera & composer as well). Iā€™m also a self-confessed musical snob, which I guess is pretentiousā€¦it annoys me when music from the wrong time period is played in movies, for example, at the end of the movie Elizabeth, a piece from Mozartā€™s Requiem is playing. Iā€™m also a ā€œpuristā€ in that I think music should not be ā€œupdatedā€. There was an album that came out a few years ago of the music of Hildegard von Bingen (a 12th century abbess who wrote plainchant) SET TO SYNTHESIZERS!! I just about puked into my libretti. I also hate this ā€œCelticā€ music which is nothing more than a bunch of dopes with synthesizers playing ā€œDanny Boyā€ and other ilk.(Usually available at nature stores). Give me uillean pipes and a bodhran any day! Donā€™t get me wrong, I like synthesizers, Iā€™m a big fan of 80s music, but they just do not belong with music like Gregorian chant \. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/53 "2001-05-19T18:48:24Z")
Iā€™ve got you all beat. Last night I ate my pizza off of a paper plate instead of directly from the box. ---
**Author:** ![OoklaTheMok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@OoklaTheMok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OoklaTheMok)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/54 "2001-05-19T19:59:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Mi estas tiom afekcia, ke mi ofte parolas Esperante, ech kun ne-esperantistojā€¦ Cxu vere? Mi trovas gxin nekredebla. Ke vi tajpas Esperante, jes, sed cxu vi tie parolas ofte? (Pli ol maldirajxoj.) ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/55 "2001-05-19T20:11:11Z")
**Philistine** ā€¦ That cracked me upā€¦ posting that comment right beneath your name! And how _about_ those pretentious folks with the gall to post in ā€”is it??ā€” Esperanto? Excellent! ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/56 "2001-05-19T22:57:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OoklaTheMok \* > \*\*Cxu vere? Mi trovas gxin nekredebla. Ke vi tajpas Esperante, jes, sed cxu vi tie parolas ofte? (Pli ol maldirajxoj.) \*\* Well, I know SOME people who are so pretentious that they ride unicycles across college campuses (campi?) and call themselves after obscure cartoon characters. The nerve! Whenever I go into the rubber stamp section of a craft store, I always check to make sure that all the Chinese character stamps are right-side up. ---
**Author:** ![OoklaTheMok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@OoklaTheMok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OoklaTheMok)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/57 "2001-05-20T00:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, I know SOME people who are so pretentious that they ride unicycles across college campuses (campi?) and call themselves after obscure cartoon characters. Hm, I think itā€™s even more pretentious to have graduation pictures taken on said unicycle on said campus. Dunno if riding said unicycle 70 miles in one day counts as pretentious thoughā€¦ (I have ridden it on only 2 campuses AFAIK.) And Iā€™m named after an obsure band named after an obscure cartoon character, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Kaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaz)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/58 "2001-05-20T01:06:42Z")
My only flaw is my perfection. Iā€™m also so pretentious that I believe that the aforementioned is all I really need to say. ---
**Author:** ![labradorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@labradorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labradorian)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/59 "2001-05-20T01:13:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Elenfair \* > \*\*Un instant sā€™il vous plaĆ®t! > > Elenfair, a pretentious francophone from OrlĆ©ans, Canada. \*\* Putting the accent in ā€œOrleeensā€. Now THATā€™S pretentious! šŸ™‚ Salut, ici Nouveau-Edimbourg. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682/60 "2001-05-20T05:42:14Z")
I fear some of us are mixing real accomplishments, like good grades, doing well at work, and actually being able to speak a foreign language, with _pretentiousness,_ which is filled with implications that your actual abilities do not match your claimed abilities. Carrying on a French conversation with a waiter is not inherently pretentious. It is only when he goes back to the kitchen and laughs with the cook about your grammar and pronunciation that it becomes pretentious. Not even speaking Esperanto is pretentious, automatically. If you harbor the genuine delusion that the only thing standing between Man and universal peace and understanding is his Babel of languages, and that a manufactured language can cut through that and bring forth a new Eden, then you are not pretentious. Crazy, yes, but not pretentious. šŸ˜‰ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-pretentious-that/65682.md?page=4)