# Most Useless Thing Memorized? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244 "2003-11-25T20:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/141 "2003-12-01T03:57:25Z")
Anything remotely related to algebra or geometry. ---
**Author:** ![Zanco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ee7513/32.png) [@Zanco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanco)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/142 "2003-12-01T04:03:13Z")
What a cute little bird um frog are. He ain’t got no tail almost hardly. And when him walks him doesn’t walk him hops. And when him, sits him sits on his he ain’t got almost hardly. Ain’t it awful? Anybody know where that originated? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/143 "2003-12-01T05:11:00Z")
I’m sure this has been said already as I’m too lazy to read all the post but I’ve memorized the alphabet _backwards_. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/144 "2003-12-01T07:55:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cowgirl \* > \*\*The first eighteen lines (I think) of _Caunterbury Tales_ in Olde English. > high school english class. Get it out of my head ! > \*\* Whan that Aprille, with his shoures sote The droghte of March hath perc’d to the rote …" - that bit? I remember the first four lines too! Lewis Carroll’s _Jabberwocky_ , which I have to admit did get me laid once. Don’t ask. The entirety of about twenty Strong Bad e-mails, complete with fairly accurate voices. If you don’t get it, go [here](http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail.html) and you’ll understand. The URL above, since its in my bookmarks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/145 "2003-12-01T08:03:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lisa-go-Blind \* > \*\*sum es est sumus estus sunt > I do not now, nor ever have, taken Latin. \*\* You may take some heart in the fact that you memorized it incorrectly- the 2nd person plural of esse is _estis_ , not _estus_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/146 "2003-12-01T15:38:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Queen Tonya \* > \*\*\*\*L\*\*igaments connect muscle to muscle. ( **l** ike) > \*\* bone to bone, no? (still “like”, though) ---
**Author:** ![PbZep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58f4c7/32.png) [@PbZep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PbZep)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/147 "2003-12-01T16:58:35Z")
LET A=6 FOR… NEXT “Ya vas lubile…” (start to Russian poem) GGATCC (Bam HI restriction enzyme recongition site) I before E except after C (with Snoopy on Mouth Harp…this along with most grammar _rules_ which bat about .500) qui quae quod cuius cuius cuius semper ubi sub ubi xyzzy _ad nauseum_ ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/148 "2003-12-01T20:09:57Z")
Not entirely useless, but I doubt there are very many people familiar with it. “Does Sam Play Football” Data, Segment, Packet, Frame, Bit (It came in handy when I was taking a course in Cisco Netowkring) ---
**Author:** ![InquisitiveIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3ec8ea/32.png) [@InquisitiveIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InquisitiveIdiot)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/149 "2003-12-01T22:01:07Z")
pause, option, 6, 1+3, B, A, 9, A, 9, A, \*, option, 6, #, \*, \*, option, 2, option. If done correctly, you should hear the Predator laugh. From the game _Aliens vs. Predator._ On the Atari Jaguar. Even more useless than Doom codes, as there isn’t even anyone here to remember it with me. ---
**Author:** ![Boggette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Boggette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boggette)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/150 "2003-12-02T00:17:09Z")
The square root of -1 = i ---
**Author:** ![Empress\_Jolrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Empress\_Jolrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Empress_Jolrael)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/151 "2003-12-02T03:47:22Z")
Caecilius est pater. Metella est mater. Quintus est filius. Cereberus est canis. Eight weeks of Latin, seventh grade. 3.141592654 Useless because I’m a _French_ major. ---
**Author:** ![pippi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@pippi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pippi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/152 "2003-12-02T05:16:14Z")
From high school German: der die das die des der des der dem der dem den den die das die These are the definite articles for nouns of different cases (nomanative, genetive, accusative, dative) and different genders. I also still know the “aus ausser bei mit nach…” lists mentioned earlier. Since then, I’ve taken four other languages and only used two of them. I once won a free cup of coffee by being able to translate what the baristas had written on the daily special board (in French, Spanish, and German). All of those years of schooling, for a buck fifty’s worth of coffee…! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![pippi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@pippi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pippi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/153 "2003-12-02T05:18:34Z")
Oy. That’s “nominative” and “genitive” (I’m home with the flu, cut me some slack…) ---
**Author:** ![Kent4mmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/34f0e0/32.png) [@Kent4mmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent4mmy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/154 "2003-12-02T16:40:00Z")
Rapper’s Delight Sugarhill Gang i said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you dont stop the rock it to the bang bang boogie, say up jumped the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat I purposely memorized Rappers Delight, but I can’t remember why. I can still recite the entire thing from memory. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/155 "2003-12-02T18:53:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DesertGeezer \* > \*\*Do you mean “Friends, Romans, countrymen” or “O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers.”? \*\* Argghh! Thanks for putting that back in my head. Yeah, both. It would have helped if the teacher had at least explained what the “Lupercal” was and what “coffers” were and why it was important that they were filled. Another totally useless piece of information: Maynard G. Krebs middle name. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/156 "2003-12-02T20:55:28Z")
Utor, fruor, fungor, potior, and vescor. The 5 verbs in Latin that “take” the ablative (i.e., their object is in the ablative case). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/157 "2003-12-02T21:50:48Z")
[sub]I apologize if this has been done in this thread before. I didn’t feel like searching through four pages.[/sub] _This copyrighted telecast is presented by the authority of the Chicago National League Ball Club, which has the right of approval of the announcers and is intended solely for the private, non-commercial use of our audience. Any publication, reproduction, re-transmission or other use of the pictures, descriptions and accounts of this game, without the express written consent of the Chicago National League Ball Club, is prohibited._ Useless because they use a totally different warning now. ---
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/158 "2003-12-03T00:46:25Z")
_chuckles_ Well, after reading this thread I must say I feel a bit dismayed that I was taught: Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November All the rest have 31, except for February; which stands alone… not nearly as catchy as the one mentioned earlier. And, to chime in with a Kingdom, Phyllum, … story; I just now am trying to decide if I should be offended that some eighteen years ago the mnemonic we were taught was “King Phillip Can Order Five Good Slaves” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_the_CC)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/159 "2003-12-03T02:29:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Call me Frank \* > \*\ ***badmana** , if that is the code to get 50 lives in Contra for NES, I thought it was: up up, down down, left right, left right, B A, B A, select, start \*\* Nope, he had it right. I’ve never used it but I know that. The Konami code it’s called and it is a vital piece of video game history. They make shirts that have the Konami code written on them. Whoever “They” are. Freakin’ weirdos. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244/160 "2003-12-03T05:11:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chastain86 \* > > I still remember my locker combination from my freshman year of high school. I am now 28. I still remember my locker combination from my freshman year of high school. I am now 42. 17-27-5 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kakofonous \* > > I had to learn the alphabet backwards at the beginning of 4th grade. It had to be recited at such a speed that it was memorizing it backwards - not just thinking through it. It was a really great teacher that year, too. I’m curious what the lesson was in that exercise. I opened this thread specifically to post that the most useless thing I ever memorized was the alphabet backwards (but not by force, by boredom in a college lecture hall). The only time I’ve ever used it is to prove to people who don’t believe that I can really do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-thing-memorized/215244.md?page=9)