# Nerdy, Geeky Jokes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 25, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532 "2022-11-25T15:23:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/81 "2022-11-29T05:10:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > > > I once saw a license plate that read PANDNH4. Learning some rudimentary chemistry at Nuke School helped a lot with that. > > I haven’t taught Chemistry in forever, so that one took a second. My first translation was “pee & ammonia.” 😛 That’s what I assumed it was. What’s the real answer? . _As mentioned above, Art Teacher. Small words (or better yet, doodles) please._ ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/82 "2022-11-29T05:14:32Z")
Anybody got a geeky joke? Sorry to hijack 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/83 "2022-11-29T05:53:59Z")
NH4 is ammonium. So, pandemonium. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/84 "2022-11-29T10:20:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Moonrise](#): > > > > From the world of linguistics : > > > > - [-Roman]–\>[+Roman] / [+Rome] \_\_\_ [+Rome] > > OK, I think this is the first one I don’t get. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > That one beat me like a red-headed stepchild too. The rest of the thread I got. It’s based on the concept of [distinctive features](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinctive_feature) and how to transcribe [sound change laws](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_change#Formal_notation). In short, [+X] indicates that a sound has feature “X” and [-X] that it lacks it. For example, [p] and [b] are both [+biliabial] and [+plosive] but the former is [-voice] and the latter is [+voice]. Furthermore, –\> means “becomes” and / \_\_\_ “in the environment of” When applied to the above line it reads : "a unit lacking the feature _Roman_ acquires the feature _Roman_ when it is surrounded by two units having the _Rome_ feature. In other words, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/85 "2022-11-29T10:38:48Z")
> [@Moonrise](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > > [@Moonrise](#): > > > > > > From the world of linguistics : > > > > > > - [-Roman]–\>[+Roman] / [+Rome] \_\_\_ [+Rome] > > > > OK, I think this is the first one I don’t get. > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > That one beat me like a red-headed stepchild too. The rest of the thread I got. > > It’s based on the concept of [distinctive features](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinctive_feature) and how to transcribe [sound change laws](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_change#Formal_notation). > > In short, [+X] indicates that a sound has feature “X” and [-X] that it lacks it. For example, [p] and [b] are both [+biliabial] and [+plosive] but the former is [-voice] and the latter is [+voice]. Furthermore, –\> means “becomes” and / \_\_\_ “in the environment of” > > When applied to the above line it reads : "a unit lacking the feature _Roman_ acquires the feature _Roman_ when it is surrounded by two units having the _Rome_ feature. > > In other words, " **When in Rome, do as the Romans do"** - That was my first thought. Though after reading the whole explanation, I’m still don’t understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/86 "2022-11-29T10:45:20Z")
Well, the extrapolation from “phonology” to “proverb” is not perfect but perhaps my explanation isn’t as clear as I thought. Let’s try again : [-Roman] **not Roman** –\> **becomes** [+Roman] **Roman** / [+Rome] \_\_\_ [+Rome] **when it is in the “Rome” environment** ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/87 "2022-11-29T12:52:37Z")
Thank you for both explanations. A pretty good joke really. I simply had no clue about the notation and was more focused on trying to suss that out versus starting from the better clues of “Rome” and “Romans” and trying to free-associate that into the proverb. Which was dumb of me. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/88 "2022-11-29T13:21:49Z")
Why did the chicken cross the Möbius strip? To get to the same side. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/89 "2022-11-29T14:33:35Z")
_Little Johnny took a drink_ _And then he was no more_ _For what he thought was H2O_ _Was H2SO4_ ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/90 "2022-11-29T14:53:32Z")
_99 little bugs in the code._ _99 little bugs._ _Take one down, patch it around._ _101 little bugs in the code._ ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/91 "2022-11-29T16:11:17Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > Awesome thread. > > If you don’t mind the slight hijack, I would be curious to know the background of the people here and how many of these jokes they understand. AB in English Literature, and I work in retail customer service. But I’ve read enough popular science to get about 70% of the jokes in the thread so far. I’ve actually told the Mandelbrot joke on my company’s internal channel, twice; nobody’s gotten it. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/92 "2022-11-29T16:17:17Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > I’ve actually told the Mandelbrot joke on my company’s internal channel, twice; nobody’s gotten it. I’ve told the Mandelbrot joke in our siblings WhatsApp group. Both my math major siblings did not get it, while the middle school science teacher did. Admittedly college was at least 30 years ago for all of us. My background is Finance and Statistics, I think I got all the jokes here except the linguistics notation one. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/93 "2022-11-29T18:11:16Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > If you don’t mind the slight hijack, I would be curious to know the background of the people here and how many of these jokes they understand. BA in “Liberal Studies.” Been teaching high school in California for 36 years. Credentialed to teach Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences and English. I’ve been getting the jokes about 75% of the time. Maybe not the depth of the joke, but I can at least see where the humor is coming from. The ones that sail over my head usually involve serious math or linguistics. I thought the IPA joke was hilarious but impossible to share over an IPA. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/94 "2022-11-29T18:23:36Z")
### The truth is out there. Anybody got the URL? ### The Internet: where men are men, women are men, and children are FBI agents. ### Some things Man was never meant to know. For everything else, there’s Google. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/95 "2022-11-29T19:11:22Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > _99 little bugs in the code._ > _99 little bugs._ > _Take one down, patch it around._ > _101 little bugs in the code._ HEY! I resemble this ditty! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/96 "2022-11-29T19:21:56Z")
I used to work with someone who’s license plate was ALEPH 0. Can you guess the make _and model_ of the car? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/97 "2022-11-29T19:44:23Z")
Make is easy: > **spoiler so others can play** > > Infiniti Model is a stumper, at least for me. A couple years ago I saw a car whose personalized plate said “NOT INNI” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/98 "2022-11-29T19:47:46Z")
Q45. It was their first model (i.e. aleph null - the “first” infinity) ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/99 "2022-11-29T20:07:11Z")
Yo Mama’s so fat, they have to let out a notch in the Van Allen belt Yo Mama’s so fat, it takes 2 Borg Cubes to assimilate her. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532/100 "2022-11-29T21:20:33Z")
Years ago, I was reading a column on _Slate_ that mentioned a neurological disease that caused people to laugh uncontrollably, and asked what the title would be when Oliver Sacks wrote a book about it. I commented that that it would be “The Man Who Mistook His Wife. Please.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-geeky-jokes/975532.md?page=6)