# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Mystery\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Mystery\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mystery_Dog)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/81 "2003-09-03T18:44:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by happylittlevegemite \* > \*\* > I am disappointed that neither my apartment no. nor my street no. is a prime number or in the Fibonnaci sequence. > \*\* Reading this reminded me that I once checked a bunch of my old phone numbers to see if they were prime, and I was inordinately happy to discover that one of them was indeed a prime number. This thought made me realize that I had never checked the new phone number I got when I moved a few months ago. Sure enough, my new phone number is a prime. The fact that this discovery has been the high point of my day so far should tell you something about my level of nerdiness. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/82 "2003-09-03T19:11:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Capt B. Phart \* > \*\*After playing Quake addictively for a couple of days, I remember standing in a shopping center thinking “damn, I can’t just zoom in on something - I actually have to walk up to stuff to see it!” \*\* I was driving my car, and was all set to run over a pedestrian before I realized what I was about to do and stopped. I had been playing Grand Theft Auto almost nonstop for several days. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/83 "2003-09-03T19:25:49Z")
I’ve actually modeled molecules in Hyperchem, have it run the vibration modeling, and sit there and watch it vibrate in different modes. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/84 "2003-09-03T21:55:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angel Heart \* > \*\*I still have my old Commodore 64 from the 80s…and would find a way to use it if I had the cables. > \*\* If you can get it up and running, you can even get an new [GUI OS](http://www.dunkels.com/adam/contiki/) for it, now. Complete with [working web browser.](http://dunkels.com/adam/contiki/apps/webbrowser.html) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/85 "2003-09-03T22:01:45Z")
Holy crap, I am a nerd. I found the last link useful. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/86 "2003-09-03T23:07:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*Complete with [working web browser.](http://dunkels.com/adam/contiki/apps/webbrowser.html) \*\* Holy crap indeed. That’s really, really cool. We need a smiley with tape on the glasses. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/87 "2003-09-03T23:52:31Z")
**flayven**! ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/88 "2003-09-04T00:18:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > Oh, and I don’t use my magical Force powers on doors: I do it to traffic lights. When I’m sitting at a red, I’ll notice the crosswise street go from green to yellow, then to red, and I wiggle my fingers at my own red light to make it change to green. I’ve memorized which intersections in my neighborhood go to both left-turn green arrows for the facing center lanes, and which go to a single arrow along with forward greens for the lanes alongside while making oncoming traffic wait, so I can get my finger-wiggling timing correct. I also do this, if the light is close enough to changing. If it’s going to be red for a while, I use the Traffic Light Incantation (courtesy of Mercedes Lackey’s Diana Tregarde): "By the seven rings of Zsa Zsa Gabor And the rock of Elizabeth Taylor, I command thee. By the six wives of Eddie Fisher and the words of Karnak the Great, I compel thee. Light, _change_!" The nice thing about this approach is that you can adjust the timing to match the cycle for the light, so you can often make it come out right even if you’re not sure how long the light lasts. Like **dwc1970** , I count on my fingers in binary. I also do the “[color] [class] needs food badly!” thing–I usually refer to myself as “red wizard”, because that’s what I always played. I retcon things compulsively, with an aim toward deniable plausibility. I have a perfectly good explanation for why ST:TOS Klingons had smooth heads, and all later Klingons had bumpy ones. It even explains why the Klingons don’t want to talk about it. I killed **smiling\_bandit** ’s thread about [the science of magic in Harry Potter](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148022) with my speculations on the origin and nature of magic wands. I won’t even go into my computer/electronics/gaming nerdiness. Suffice it to say that I recently travelled hundreds of miles to wear a gi and a bamboo hat while fighting the overlords of Hell (in the dark) and the minions of Tiamat. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/89 "2003-09-04T00:57:01Z")
I worry compulsively about whether **Balance** intends to kill this thread. ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/90 "2003-09-04T02:41:31Z")
Every time I take chicken out of the microwave, I say, “GOOD cheek-an. Chee-kan good.” Like Leeloo in The Fifth Element. I use Buffy quotes in conversation so often that it’s become the way I talk. My father caught himself using Buffy-speak in a research presentation. ---
**Author:** ![Mdm.President](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@Mdm.President](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdm.President)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/91 "2003-09-04T03:00:05Z")
I translate Elvish into Klingon. I also quote Age of Empires in public, though I don’t speak Gaelic. It comes out something like ‘thees vaga’ for this way and ‘rob wee-yah’ for ok, I’ll get right on it. I’m sure I would be compulsive about math if I weren’t dyslexic. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/92 "2003-09-04T03:07:33Z")
I hum the final fantasy victory tune every time I merge successfully, get a project done at work, win an arguement, etc etc. I also keep two action figures at my desk… a Quake Marine and the Metaluna Mutant. Sometimes I have them engaged in a severe battle scene, other times I hit the mutant in the head with my pen and say, “_thud_ OW! There go the piano lessons! _thud_ AAAH! I can’t remember my dad!” ---
**Author:** ![look\_hergo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@look\_hergo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_hergo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/93 "2003-09-04T04:33:40Z")
I do the newspaper crossword at my local coffeeshop, but so as not to ruin it for others, I graph out the puzzle matrix in my notebook. I’m another one who retrieves things with my toes. I have a Hogwarts school uniform hanging in my closet, complete with a wand my husband made that lights up at the tip when I say “lumos”. And yes, I have used it in lieu of a flashlight. ---
**Author:** ![CharlesW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CharlesW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharlesW)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/94 "2003-09-04T04:37:13Z")
I quote the following books, and movies daily: \*Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Monty Python StarGate SG1 \* If someone asks a question, and I don’t know the answer, or sometimes even if I do I will answer with “42” I have read technical manuals for light reading. Some sample titles - _ATM Theory and Application_, and _Netware and TCP/IP: installation, and configuration_ The last one I even found an error in their description of subnetting. Emailed the author, and got a “yes we know, it will be fixed” reply. My brother and I will argue technical problems in the show Stargate SG1. If either of us is about to lose the arguement we quote MST3K opening “Remember its just a show, and relax” I can use keyboard commands, and the mouse at the same time. Example would be press the start key while moving the mouse to where the 'Programs" option will pop up. I have bought stuff from [www.thinkgeek.com](http://www.thinkgeek.com). I used to keep a personal hosts file with IPs for sites I regularly visited just in case my ISPs DNS servers went down. I can still remember web addresses for sites that went down years ago. When looking at numbers I try to find a way to get them to equal 42. I memorize license plate numbers. Not just specialty plates but all license plate numbers. Freaks out co workers when they happen to mention their car, and I say “Oh, you mean the red whatever with license plate yada-yada-yada”. I have a T-Key on my keyring. T-Key is used to open payphones. Not sure if this counts towards geekiness or not, but when driving I always take the best line around corners. Even if I am in trafic doing 5MPH I still “follow the line”. Practice makes perfect, I was able to take a sharp S turn today at 55MPH in a 8000lb 4x4 truck. OK thats enough for now, safe to say I am a nerd. ---
**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 4, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/95 "2003-09-04T04:37:21Z")
What, does nobody say “Mellon” to open the garage door using the garage door opener? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/96 "2003-09-04T04:40:01Z")
I celebrate my 400th post and answer my [300th](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3924461#post3924461). Announced the 300th in this very thread. Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/97 "2003-09-04T04:45:06Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by look@hergo!_ > I do the newspaper crossword at my local coffeeshop, but so as not to ruin it for others, I graph out the puzzle matrix in my notebook. Now that’s about the nicest nerdly thing I’ve heard of in a long time! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/98 "2003-09-04T05:40:09Z")
Nerd nitpick: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CharlesW \* > **My brother and I will argue technical problems in the show Stargate SG1. If either of us is about to lose the arguement we quote MST3K opening "Remember its just a show, and relax"** The actual quote is, “Repeat to yourself, it’s just a show, you should really just relax.” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/99 "2003-09-04T05:43:48Z")
Crap, I screwed up my nitpick. The quote should end, “…_I_ should really just relax.” ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878/100 "2003-09-04T05:45:09Z")
Sorry, **Cervaise** , “If you’re wondering how he eats and breathes, and other science facts,” lalala “You should repeat to yourself ‘it’s just a show,’ so maybe (baby?) just relax.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nerdy-things-you-admit-to-doing/198878.md?page=6)