# It's official: I'm an idiot
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 10, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433 "2007-04-10T02:56:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/1 "2007-04-10T02:56:32Z")
Yep. Noticed my “p” key was sticking, so I thought I’d do what I’ve always done, pop it off and clean out whatever gunk/food/cat hair was causing it to stick. Except this keyboard is nothing like any of my previous keyboards, and now I can’t get it back on.
:smack:
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/2 "2007-04-10T03:19:50Z")
You’re an idiot? I tripped over a cord and accidentally spilled chicken soup on my laptop. Now if you press a key, it types multiple letters even though you only pressed the key once. Sob.
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### Author:  [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/3 "2007-04-10T03:24:42Z")
You are an idiot? I went to the eyedoctor today. On the way out, they gave me those nifty sunglasses. Thinks I to myself, “I’ll just wait until I get in the car to get these unwrapped and on my head.”
If only I could FIND the car in the bright, blinding light. Totally stuck in the doorway for about two minutes!
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/4 "2007-04-10T03:33:37Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe]
Yep. Noticed my “p” key was sticking, so I thought I’d do what I’ve always done, pop it off and clean out whatever gunk/food/cat hair was causing it to stick. Except this keyboard is nothing like any of my previous keyboards, and now I can’t get it back on.
:smack:
[/QUOTE]
How are you typing p, then?
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/5 "2007-04-10T03:47:16Z")
My guess is pressing down on that little thing in the middle of the key that usually gets pushed down by the cap.
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### Author:  [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/6 "2007-04-10T04:01:13Z")
Nah, that would be too easy. My guess is that she’s holding down ALT and typing 117 on the numeric keypad.
Of course, if she was _really_ cool, she’d do _all_ her typing with those ALT-number combos.
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### Author:  [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/7 "2007-04-10T04:28:26Z")
Am I even more of an idiot for trying the ALT thing and not being able to do it?
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/8 "2007-04-10T04:35:27Z")
Dunno. Alt+117 puts a weird character that does not look like a p in my post and then changes the page to my homepage.
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### Author:  [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/9 "2007-04-10T05:05:56Z")
Dunno where I got 117 from, but 112 is more correct.
It seems to work for me. Make sure number lock is on and maybe try typing it with an initial 0 (ALT+0112).
Don’t worry too much if you still can’t get it. It’s not exactly the most exciting or useful technique ever invented.
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/10 "2007-04-10T09:14:13Z")
You’re not an idiot - you’re a risk-taker! 🙂
You don’t stand idly by when problems rear their ugly head - you take action! 🆒
Remember that if brute force doesn’t work, you’re not using enough… 😕
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/11 "2007-04-10T09:22:50Z")
Too bad you don’t have a Mac. I have 3 (4?) extra keyboards. And mice, you’d think we owned a snake!
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### Author:  [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/12 "2007-04-10T09:34:25Z")
I’m too hardcore for pansy keyboards that can’t take a little de-keying and re-keying. I use a steel-spring keyboard that makes a sound like a cannon firing every time you press a key. Each of which could, itself, intimidate a cannon rather easily. I’ve rearranged “Alt”, “Caps Lock” and “Ctrl” just to confuse the intruders who I keep at bay with the mere audio output of the typing process.
All Maddox-channeling aside, it’s all true except for the “I’ve” and the intruders part.
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### Author:  [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/13 "2007-04-10T13:20:15Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug]
How are you typing p, then?
[/QUOTE]
Turn the keyboard around and type ‘d’. Try to avoid the capital.
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### Author:  [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/14 "2007-04-10T13:36:28Z")
You want idiot? I fell asleep on the couch reading yesterday, apparently taking off my glasses in the process. Then I got up and mashed them quite nicely. I think they are repairable, but I can only make it to the glasses store tomorrow. :smack:
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### Author:  [@Brandon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandon)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/15 "2007-04-10T13:53:27Z")
You think you’re an idiot? I broke my big toe doing an Irish Jig on a metal locker room bench before a hockey game.
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### Author:  [@DustyButt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DustyButt)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/16 "2007-04-10T14:10:35Z")
HA!.. You think you’re an idiot!?
My girlfriend asked me if I thought she was fat… I said no but you could stand to gain a few 'alt+0112’ounds. All of a sudden she’s like, "Oh so you think I’m skinn…
Hey! What happend to my ‘alt+0112’ key!!??? You’ve got to be kidding me!
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/17 "2007-04-10T14:19:21Z")
[QUOTE=DustyButt]
HA!.. You think you’re an idiot!?
My girlfriend asked me if I thought she was fat… I said no but you could stand to gain a few 'alt+0112’ounds. All of a sudden she’s like, "Oh so you think I’m skinn…
Hey! What happend to my ‘alt+0112’ key!!??? You’ve got to be kidding me!
[/QUOTE]
I would just like to register my appreciation for your name, Mr. DustyButt. I’ve been snorting for five straight minutes. 😃
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### Author:  [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/18 "2007-04-10T14:52:48Z")
112 1122 !!! I’m very intrigued by this alt+112 thing. Any idea how to do it on a Mac? I’ve tried Apple + 112 (discovered a neat way to manipulate my browser tabs), option +112, and cntrl+112. Nothing as exciting as a ‘p’. I assume these must be ASCII numbers or something.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/19 "2007-04-10T15:54:39Z")
You think you’re an idiot?
I mashed my thumb in my friend’s car door on Friday and now everyone thinks I’m wearing blue-grey nail 'alt+0112’olish!
:: sob ::
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### Author:  [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-im-an-idiot/399433/20 "2007-04-10T16:28:03Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher]
112 1122 !!! I’m very intrigued by this alt+112 thing. Any idea how to do it on a Mac? I’ve tried Apple + 112 (discovered a neat way to manipulate my browser tabs), option +112, and cntrl+112. Nothing as exciting as a ‘p’. I assume these must be ASCII numbers or something.
[/QUOTE]
[This isn’t exactly what you wanted and not exactly what I was looking for but thought it was cool nonetheless.](http://macbiblioblog.blogspot.com/2005/05/special-key-symbols.html)
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