# Knock off threads and talking about yourself in the third person **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 29, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394 "2002-05-29T17:34:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/1 "2002-05-29T17:34:25Z")
Argh, it is getting to be an epidemic of knock off threads lately. If a thread gets popular you can be sure that someone will change the OP just slightly and start another thread. Jeesh are you that needy for attention that you have to rip off someone else’s idea for a thread? Cafe Society and MPSIMS have been overrun with these damn things. In the last 2 weeks there has been plenty of evidence of this offense- take a look and see. So let’s stop cribbing off of your neighbor and come up with your own ideas people. :mad: Ok, pointless rant #2. Stop talking about yourself in the third person. Do you realize how stupid you sound? How pompous? Are you Royalty? George Constanza? A professional athlete? No? Then do not do this, especially in the subject line. :rolleyes: Ok, I feel much better. You may now return to a more important rant about the post-office or idiot co-workers. Or feel free to heckle me for such a mild rant (no cursing or accusations of canial-rectal inversion). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/2 "2002-05-29T17:50:54Z")
1. You do realize, of course, that practically everyone who responds to this thread will refer to themselves in the third person, don’t you? Ferrous can assure you that they will. 2. I don’t get why some people feel the need to tell others what kinds of threads to start. The board is remarkably self-regulating that way. If people like the threads, they are popular. (Hmm…that’s quite a tautology, or something…) If people don’t like them, they won’t respond, and the thread dies. :shrug: 3. I prefer the phrase “anal-cranial inversion.” ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/3 "2002-05-29T17:54:22Z")
Oh, just for the record, please mentally add a 😉 to that last post. Just some off-the-cuff comments—I got no beef with ya, **elfie**. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/4 "2002-05-29T18:14:40Z")
bella thinks Ferrous is lying. bella thinks he’s got a BIG ol’ helping of beef for elfie. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/5 "2002-05-29T18:18:06Z")
We are so amused - big time. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/6 "2002-05-29T18:29:17Z")
Ferrous would have some beef for bella, if he didn’t know she already had a sweetie, and didn’t live so far away…but for elfie, no. No beef for elfie. Elfie, as far as Ferrous knows, has too few X chromosomes for Ferrous’ tastes. (insert random smilie here) ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/7 "2002-05-29T19:08:03Z")
**Ferrous** , elf6c can never condone the use of the third person, although the thread title was a red flag to the bull’s of the Pit to come into the thread and “third person” it but good. While elf6c would never tell someone what they could or could not say- but elf6c reserves the right to make fun of the copycats a bit. Hey **belladonna** , I think **Ferrous** is right-- too few X chromosomes for some of that hot steamy free beef donation. Oh well. . . . 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/8 "2002-05-29T19:12:19Z")
In case the dear reader missed it on the first pass, **Homebrew** is pleased to present **Libertarian** ’s [Ask The Royal We](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107265) thread. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/9 "2002-05-29T19:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by elf6c_ > Hey belladonna, I think Ferrous is right-- too few X chromosomes for some of that hot steamy free beef donation. Oh well. . . . Oh _sure_ guys, just go ahead and ruin a perfectly good fantasy for me. bella–poutingly ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/10 "2002-05-29T20:43:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Are you Royalty? Some of us are. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/11 "2002-05-29T20:48:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Are you Royalty? We were, but then I abdicated. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/12 "2002-05-29T22:55:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elf6c \* > Ok, pointless rant #2. Stop talking about yourself in the third person. Do you realize how stupid you sound? How pompous? Are you Royalty? George Constanza? A professional athlete? No? Then do not do this, especially in the subject line. :rolleyes: Are you complaining about people who talk about themselves in the third person (e.g. Kat is confused. She wonders if you are actually complaining about people who talk about themselves in the third person) or about people who use the first person plural (aka the “Royal We”, e.g. We are confused. We wonder…). Royalty, as far as I know, do not refer to themselves in the third person, but in the first person plural. Not that you can’t dislike both, but I needed to make this post longer than one line. My actual question: Kat doesn’t recall George Costanza referring to himself in the third person. When did he do that? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/13 "2002-05-29T23:50:58Z")
**Guin** smacks **elf6c** with her stuffed chameleon. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/14 "2002-05-30T00:15:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elf6c \* > \*\*Ok, pointless rant #2. Stop talking about yourself in the third person. Do you realize how stupid you sound? How pompous? Are you Royalty? George Constanza? A professional athlete? No? Then do not do this, especially in the subject line. :rolleyes: > \*\* [Unca Fenris weeps](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=117717). He has offended. :: stumbles off, sobbing, looking for seppuku knives. :: Unca Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/15 "2002-05-30T00:18:42Z")
You much prefer posting in the second person. ---
**Author:** ![Journeyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@Journeyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Journeyman)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/16 "2002-05-30T02:23:24Z")
Journeyman certainly does, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Earthworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dirty\_Earthworm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Earthworm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/17 "2002-05-30T05:07:23Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Kat_\*\* > My actual question: Kat doesn’t recall George Costanza referring to himself in the third person. When did he do that?\*\* It was the episode where he met some guy at the gym wo referred to himself in the third person constantly, in an attempt to be cool. George developed a “man-crush” on this guy and started emulating his behavior. I don’t recall much else about the episode, but I remember laughing out loud a few times. (which was par for the course with _Seinfeld._) -Dirty ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/18 "2002-05-30T05:08:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > \*\*My actual question: Kat doesn’t recall George Costanza referring to himself in the third person. When did he do that? \*\* George is getting angry! There was an episode where Susan started hanging out with Jerry and Elaine, and George was upset about “Independent George” and “Relationship George” merging. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/19 "2002-05-30T12:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\ ***Guin** smacks **elf6c** with her stuffed chameleon. \*\* **elf6c** offers a hot apple pie to **Guin** in a shameless attempt to curry favor. **elf6c** noting the sobbing **Fenris** , offers a complete dispensation for any prior offenses and a Dove bar to cheer him up. Makes mental note to lock the knife drawer next time . . And, indeed, “George is getting angry!” was a classic line. One I still use to this day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394/20 "2002-05-30T13:36:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dirty Earthworm \* > It was the episode where he met some guy at the gym wo referred to himself in the third person constantly, in an attempt to be cool. George developed a “man-crush” on this guy and started emulating his behavior. You’re correct up to the man-crush part. George actually had the “non-sexual crush” on the pretty boy Elaine was dating for a while. They went rock-climbing with Kramer and pretty boy wound up getting uglified. The episode with Jimmy (“Jimmy’s gettin’ angry!!”) is one of those non-sequitur episodes where the cause and the effect have no real connection. George just starts saying things in the 3rd person for no discernable reason other than making it possible to have the “Why would George steal from the Yankees?” scene with Big Stein. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knock-off-threads-and-talking-about-yourself-in-the-third-person/111394.md?page=2)