# Invisible Idiots **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968 "2003-03-21T02:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/21 "2003-03-21T04:52:00Z")
Bonus points if you can guess and sweep the Category: damage the surface, barely passing grade; sound a mean dog makes, sound a patient makes Harrison played him, necklace baubles; “That Touch of Mink” actress Murderous computer, french water, “Pure Guava” band Another guy Harrison played, freshly created, sound a crow makes ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/22 "2003-03-21T04:58:48Z")
slang for joint ; double pirate exclamation; road usage payment, relative J.R.R. Tolkien ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/23 "2003-03-21T05:01:15Z")
I don’t know the others, but: damage the surface, barely passing grade; sound a mean dog makes, sound a patient makes Mardi Gras ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/24 "2003-03-21T05:02:06Z")
damage the surface, barely passing grade; sound a mean dog makes, sound a patient makes Mardi Gras? Murderous computer, french water, “Pure Guava” band Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/25 "2003-03-21T05:02:59Z")
- kilted Celt ; sum up, retainers of resevoirs Scott Adams - slang for joint ; double pirate exclamation; road usage payment, relative ? - electric ear (short), propel a canoe, mushy; breeze, bucks’ mates Microsoft Windows (You don’t, BTW, propel a canoe by rowing–you paddle. Yes, there’s a difference, and we canoe freaks won’t let you forget it. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/26 "2003-03-21T05:05:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chef Troy \* > \*\*Bonus points if you can guess and sweep the Category: > > damage the surface, barely passing grade; sound a mean dog makes, sound a patient makes > > Harrison played him, necklace baubles; “That Touch of Mink” actress > > Murderous computer, french water, “Pure Guava” band > > Another guy Harrison played, freshly created, sound a crow makes \*\* 1 - Mardi Gras. 3 - Halloween. Grrr…crap on the rest. Need to sleep on them. ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/27 "2003-03-21T05:13:56Z")
**Q.E.D.** Yep **Kat** You got it (told you I was a geek) **Balance** yep on Adams, and sorry about the canoe. That occured to me after hitting submit ☹ As for Chef Troy’s challenge: Holidays: 1. Mar-D, Grr-ah (Mardi Gras) 2. Indy-pendants Day (Independence day) 3. Hal-Aux-Ween (Halloween, and I’m sure my french is mispelled) 4. Han-new-caw (Hannukah) And one more (part is slightly morphing pronunciation): –not less, male ; credit at a bar, vase, 2/5ths of a bit ; river with a bridge over it, like um. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/28 "2003-03-21T05:21:08Z")
Mormon Tabernacle Choir ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/29 "2003-03-21T05:21:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lightingtool \* > \*\*2nd one’s Cafe Latte!! Yippeeeeee. \*\* Wait… that’s seems like it must be right but something’s wrong. The fourth note is “fa” not “la”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/30 "2003-03-21T05:21:57Z")
Wow. You get the hat trick plus one, **sciguy**! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/31 "2003-03-21T05:26:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by davidm \* > \*\*Wait… that’s seems like it must be right but something’s wrong. The fourth note is “fa” not “la”. \*\* Yeah, I goofed there. I _did_ want “La”, which is the fifth note, not the fourth. _Mea culpa_\*. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/32 "2003-03-21T05:34:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sciguy \* > \*\ ***Q.E.D.** Yep > **Kat** You got it (told you I was a geek) > **Balance** yep on Adams, and sorry about the canoe. That occured to me after hitting submit ☹ > > As for Chef Troy’s challenge: > > Holidays: > > 1. Mar-D, Grr-ah (Mardi Gras) > 2. Indy-pendants Day (Independence day) > 3. Hal-Aux-Ween (Halloween, and I’m sure my french is mispelled) > 4. Han-new-caw (Hannukah) > > And one more (part is slightly morphing pronunciation): > –not less, male ; credit at a bar, vase, 2/5ths of a bit ; river with a bridge over it, like um. \*\* Very good! And I appreciate your taking the time to write out the answers in “invisible idiot” format before translating them - I was going to ask people to start doing that. My only quibble is that “french water” is _eau_, not _aux_ - but they’re pronounced the same so I can see how you made that mistake. I got yours but I see someone else already posted it. Here’s a few more and another category: view, window ledge; commercial, verbal hesitations vertical drop; sticky dirt, auto ID number little filly’s mom, sick, bed & breakfast; imitation; ointment, relative ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/33 "2003-03-21T05:35:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Yeah, I goofed there. I _did_ want “La”, which is the fifth note, not the fourth. _Mea culpa_. \*\* _so_ is the fifth note; _la_ is the sixth. Oh, and I fixed your coding on _mea culpa_ so no one has to know. _wink_ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/34 "2003-03-21T05:46:28Z")
Probably too easy: ocean, window part, proboscis, leather punch ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/35 "2003-03-21T05:47:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chef Troy \* > \*\*_so_ is the fifth note; _la_ is the sixth. Oh, and I fixed your coding on _mea culpa_ so no one has to know. _wink_ \*\* Damn, now I have that _The Sound of Music_ song stuck in my head. And thanks for the coding fix. Damn hamsters. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/36 "2003-03-21T05:51:01Z")
view, window ledge; commercial, verbal hesitations See sill ad ums -\> Cecil Adams (I swear I didn’t see your post before I posted!) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/37 "2003-03-21T05:53:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chef Troy \* > \*\*Very good! And I appreciate your taking the time to write out the answers in “invisible idiot” format before translating them - I was going to ask people to start doing that. My only quibble is that “french water” is _eau_, not _aux_ - but they’re pronounced the same so I can see how you made that mistake. > > I got yours but I see someone else already posted it. Here’s a few more and another category: > > view, window ledge; commercial, verbal hesitations > > vertical drop; sticky dirt, auto ID number > > little filly’s mom, sick, bed & breakfast; imitation; ointment, relative \*\* Cecil Adams. Aw, hell yours are hard: p ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/38 "2003-03-21T06:15:16Z")
Thank’s **Q.E.D.** , my brain scares me sometimes (can’t believe I got “pendents”) On preview: Holy cow, more posts! Guess I spent a bit more time on these then I thought. Whee, can answer them too! Category: People who know a lot of pointless things 🙂 **vertical drop; sticky dirt, auto ID number** Cliff Clay-VIN (Cliff Clavin) **little filly’s mom, sick, bed & breakfast; imitation; ointment, relative** Mare-ill-inn faux(?) salve-aunt (Marilyn vos Savant). I wasn’t sure on the last one, because I’ve always pronounced the ‘s’. And away I go again. I’ll try to make these harder just for **Chef Troy** 🙂 [Category] 1. School period , with the popular crowd , dined , choice word 2. Communist ; estrus 3. Last name you never even called me, station a post , Bambi’s mom 4. carry (or bag for carrying) , everything ; Zeus’s wife , phone 5. Aural organ , one who speeds for a living 6. Clan , Scottish dagger , painting , Roman X ; flatfoot ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/39 "2003-03-21T06:15:20Z")
\>ocean, window part, proboscis, leather punch sea-sill nose-awl = Cecil knows all \>vertical drop; sticky dirt, auto ID number ? ? VIN How about these: social grace, library sound Chicago train, compared to; price, convey, sneaky bread, intellectual’s game; chest apparatus, weekday abbreviations 70s TV exclamation; espy; 80s guitarist; “What’s Happening” character; Bolivian affirmative Santa’s marker, rent Hint: stone; hotel; tumble; walkway; from; renown ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/40 "2003-03-21T06:25:25Z")
[Category] 1. School period , with the popular crowd , dined , choice word 2. Communist ; estrus 3. Last name you never even called me, station a post , Bambi’s mom 4. carry (or bag for carrying) , everything ; Zeus’s wife , phone 5. Aural organ , one who speeds for a living 6. Clan , Scottish dagger , painting , Roman X ; flatfoot [spoiler] Ah-nuld movies 1. term-in-ate-or = Terminator 2. red heat = Red Heat (I think :)) 3. come?-man-doe = Commando 4. tote-all-Hera?-call = Total Recall 5. ear-racer = Eraser 6. kin-dirk-art-ten cop = Kindergarten Cop And his best work: she, pool stick, meadows; fair ball; current; original Darrin 🙂 [/spoiler] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968.md?page=3)