# Nerdy Things You Admit to Doing **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878 "2003-09-01T00:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/1 "2003-09-01T00:10:06Z")
It’s o.k. You’re among friends and this is a safe place. I do force pulls. When no one is looking and a door is automatically closing behind me, I extend my hand and use the force to pull it closed. No, I’m not proud and acknowledge that this is an indication of something not right. alright, Who’s next? ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/2 "2003-09-01T00:17:31Z")
I just read a book about math… for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/3 "2003-09-01T00:27:28Z")
I do something similar, **minlokwat** , except I turn our microwave on using the power of my mind…there is a slight delay after you push the on button before it starts, so I use that time to point at it as if I am turning it on mentally. I must have a million more such quirks. Let me think… ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/4 "2003-09-01T00:46:51Z")
I had a nerd friend who admitted to having this conversation in a restaurant: "Would you like fries with that? “What’s the default?” As for myself … I play Bach on the piano. That good enough? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bibliophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophile)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/5 "2003-09-01T00:54:22Z")
If I forget to write something down on my endless collection of lists, but I remember to do it anyway, I write it down just for the pleasure of scratching it out. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/6 "2003-09-01T00:58:06Z")
I am amused by simple math. I mean, endlessly amused. It’s pathetic. Here’s an example: I was born in 1986. That was 17 years ago, and I’m 17 years old! How awesome is _that_? I also try to make change in my head before it pops up on the register. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/7 "2003-09-01T01:09:08Z")
I swing my hair brush around gripping the handle with both hands and pretend it’s a lightsaber. ---
**Author:** ![Cahyay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Cahyay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cahyay)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/8 "2003-09-01T01:14:13Z")
I practice saying the alphabet backwards just in case I get pulled over. Otherwise, sober or not, I worry I couldn’t do it. I re-write notes I make for myself until I’m please with how my handwriting looks. ---
**Author:** ![Spellbound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@Spellbound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spellbound)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/9 "2003-09-01T01:16:37Z")
When I can’t sleep, I picture a keyboard in my head and type out the words to different songs with my feet.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Cahyay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Cahyay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cahyay)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/10 "2003-09-01T01:40:34Z")
This is one that I’ve started doing quite a bit: Instead of getting up and walking about 20 feet into another part of my house to talk to someone, I send them an ICQ/AIM message or an email. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/11 "2003-09-01T03:08:48Z")
I collect 70s era toys. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/12 "2003-09-01T03:15:15Z")
I play with a math program, now and again, to graph and play with sin functions. (Among other nerdy things…) ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/13 "2003-09-01T03:21:05Z")
Look for my last few posts in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/14 "2003-09-01T04:36:53Z")
Not that I still do it, but I used to go [fox-hunting\*](http://www.caughtatwork.net/ratings/hobbies3.html) and I enjoyed it. - It’s not quite what you think. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/15 "2003-09-01T04:43:55Z")
I give enough dimes, nickels and/or pennies so that I only get quarters back for change. “That’ll be $4.87.” “Here’s $5.12 for ya” Confused look…punches it into the machine…eyes light up. “Twenty-five cents is your change, thank you come again” ---
**Author:** ![Shemem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Shemem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shemem)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/16 "2003-09-01T05:01:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minlokwat \* > \*\*It’s o.k. You’re among friends and this is a safe place. > > I do force pulls. > > When no one is looking and a door is automatically closing behind me, I extend my hand and use the force to pull it closed. > \*\* That’s very interesting. I use magic to _open_ automatic doors. It’s especially fun to do when I’m with someone who might be embarrassed by this display of my powers. This is possibly why I’m still single. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/17 "2003-09-01T05:06:41Z")
I am planning a TV resolution demonstration for my coworkers. Included will be clips from the movie _Terminator II_ in four defferent resolutons: VHS tape DVD Extreme Edition DVD digitally remastered\* High Definition (Extreme Edition DVD through Windows Media Player 9) If I could arrange to do this at a time that the movie is broadcast locally, we could compare 5 resolutions. \*Though technically the resolution is the same as the standard DVD, the compression algorythm and some other technology improvements do make for some visible picture improvements. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/18 "2003-09-01T05:27:43Z")
I do the cash register things, calculate the change before they do, and making it come out like **USCDiver**. And they do get disconcerted. And I work puzzles in those Dell puzzle books. “Math Puzzles and Logic Problems” is the most nerdish. And, **if6was9** , my brother had to program a notification Beep into an application, so he combined it with a sine wave, so it went B…B…B…B…B.B.BBB.B.B…B…B…B…B…B…B.B.BBB.B and so on. Faster and slower with the sine wave. They hated it. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_persuasion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@blue\_persuasion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_persuasion)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/19 "2003-09-01T05:31:47Z")
I play tetris in my head when I am bored. You would think I would win all the time … But I don’t. :\ ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/20 "2003-09-01T06:17:31Z")
I try to Use the Force (like Silent Bob in “Mallrats”). My girlfriend, who lives with me, and may only get as far away as the bathroom, and I routinely exchange emails and ICQs, even though we’re about arm’s length apart. We also have had numerous running arguments about dorky things, including an epic battle about the color of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. These are the biggest fights we have. I do an “Open Sesame” gesture when the subway doors are just about to open. Thet gets me a few looks. When I’m hungry, I’m known to shout “Red/Blue/Whatever \ needs food BADLY” in my best Gauntlet voice (and since we bought Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, this hasn’t improved). I take exquisite delight in watching bad movies. After I finished the goodness of “Platoon”, I was delighted to watch the last 15 minutes of “The Cowboy Way”. I’ve had an optical mouse die at 11pm on New Year’s Eve and went out to buy a new one. It became an Epic Quest. I call long, painful shopping expeditions “Epic Quests”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878.md?page=2)