# post obscure facts about your profession! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859 "2010-01-21T16:51:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/1 "2010-01-21T16:51:46Z")
I’ll start: I’m a Maryland lawyer. Judges on our Court of Appeals (the highest court in the state) wear cranberry robes. See: [http://www.courts.state.md.us/coappeals/coajudges.html](http://www.courts.state.md.us/coappeals/coajudges.html) Striking, eh? I don’t know of any other states that do that. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/2 "2010-01-21T16:58:05Z")
Doesn’t that stain the benches red? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/3 "2010-01-21T16:58:43Z")
I guess they save money on uniforms if they become a ranking member of a dark lord’s cabal too. ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/4 "2010-01-21T17:05:15Z")
Bought them at a rummage sale at a local Episcopal church. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Booker\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@Happy\_Booker\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Booker_1)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/5 "2010-01-21T18:53:53Z")
Casanova was a librarian ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/6 "2010-01-21T19:49:58Z")
No. I have not seen the movie, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector. Nor will I. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/7 "2010-01-21T19:59:01Z")
> [@Happy\_Booker](#): > > Casanova was a librarian And it is from this that we get the expression to “check out” a member of the opposite sex. OK, I just made that up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/8 "2010-01-21T22:15:37Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I guess they save money on uniforms if they become a ranking member of a dark lord’s cabal too. No, but they do get discounted ABA section memberships. (I kid, your honors, I kid!) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/9 "2010-01-21T23:28:54Z")
Seriously though. I’m a pharmacy technician and even though I’m in charge of filling drug orders and knowing what drugs are for what I’m not legally allowed to say so: you have to be a pharmacist to do that. Example: If someone says “where is the ibuprofen” I can say “aisle seven” but if they say “What is the difference between 200mg and 400mg?” I am literally not allowed, by law, to say “The 400mg is twice as strong.” (BTW - 200mg is an over the counter strength, but 400 is a PRESCRIPTION strength. I once said AT WORK “wow my arm really hurts from my H1N1 shot…can I take anything?” The pharmacist on duty said “You can take two 200mg ibuprofen.” I said “Why not one 400mg?” and he said “You need a prescription for that.”) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/10 "2010-01-22T04:16:18Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > Seriously though. I’m a pharmacy technician and even though I’m in charge of filling drug orders and knowing what drugs are for what I’m not legally allowed to say so: you have to be a pharmacist to do that. Example: If someone says “where is the ibuprofen” I can say “aisle seven” but if they say “What is the difference between 200mg and 400mg?” I am literally not allowed, by law, to say “The 400mg is twice as strong.” (BTW - 200mg is an over the counter strength, but 400 is a PRESCRIPTION strength. I once said AT WORK “wow my arm really hurts from my H1N1 shot…can I take anything?” The pharmacist on duty said “You can take two 200mg ibuprofen.” I said “Why not one 400mg?” and he said “You need a prescription for that.”) I find that odd as everyone I know takes at least 600mg, just for normal pain. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/11 "2010-01-22T11:11:01Z")
I’ve worked in various call centers for a decade. I can tell you with great authority we use the mute button quite liberally at times. And we mock you. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/12 "2010-01-22T13:49:13Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > (BTW - 200mg is an over the counter strength, but 400 is a PRESCRIPTION strength. I once said AT WORK “wow my arm really hurts from my H1N1 shot…can I take anything?” The pharmacist on duty said “You can take two 200mg ibuprofen.” I said “Why not one 400mg?” and he said “You need a prescription for that.”) I always wondered about that. My dentist once prescribed me 800 mg ibuprofen, and I wondered why I couldn’t just buy a bottle of 200 mg ibuprofen and take four at a time. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/13 "2010-01-23T01:25:23Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > I always wondered about that. My dentist once prescribed me 800 mg ibuprofen, and I wondered why I couldn’t just buy a bottle of 200 mg ibuprofen and take four at a time. **voguevixen** is not allowed to answer this question. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/14 "2010-01-23T01:44:29Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I’ve worked in various call centers for a decade. I can tell you with great authority we use the mute button quite liberally at times. And we mock you. ha, I used to do that when I worked for a phone company. Until the one day I sat at the cube with the broken mute button. That you couldn’t tell was broken. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/15 "2010-01-23T01:57:28Z")
Chemical Engineer here I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only could [Dolph Lundgren](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolph_lundgren) kick my ass (he played Ivan Drago in Rocky IV) he has his Master’s degree in Chem. Eng. Go Dolph! ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/16 "2010-01-23T01:59:49Z")
I am in the US Navy. Onboard ships they ring bells every half hour. Noon gets 8 bells. 1230 is 1 bell. 1300 is 2 bells. Up to 8 bells for 1600 (4 P.M.) Then it starts again. They do this from revellie (sp?) (0600) to Taps (2200 or 10 P.M). Every half hour. On the half hour. All day. They also ring bells for visiting officers and dignitaries. I was on a ship one time that was hosting a gala for a bunch of Ambassadors. Each one got 8 bells. As they got on and off the ship. 8 On, 8 Off. There were about 30 ambassadors. Thats 480 @#%%! bells, plus the half hour ones too. And there are whistles too, and stingers, which is one bell after the regular 8 bells. Lets just say, I retire in 2 years, and bells will be banned from my house. When you touch my doorbell, there will be a voice, or dogs, or anything but Bells! ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/17 "2010-01-23T02:19:37Z")
Video games often feature egregious, even nonsensical translation errors, because the translator is only given a bulk list of every bit of text in the game, without any clue as to context, or in the case of dialogues, who’s speaking. The information is also highly disjointed, because it’s organized by how the game files are themselves structured, rather than “what makes sense”. One might for instance get a file with a list of item names, and a second file with a list of item descriptions - but not in the same order. For dialogues, you might get a file with every sentence uttered by character A, and another for every sentence uttered by character B. Or an alphabetical list of every sentence of every character in the game. Joy. The same is true for voice acting/dubbing : the voice actors will usually not play out their dialogues together, rather Voice Actor A will record every phrase of character A, then on the next day it’s B’s turn in the recording booth for character B etc…, hence the common weird, flat or over-the-top intonations. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/18 "2010-01-23T05:22:56Z")
[Hans Albert Einstein](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Albert_Einstein), a professor of hydraulic engineering and noted research scholar in the field of sedimentation, was the son of Albert Einstein. Maybe that’s not so weird. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/19 "2010-01-23T05:30:17Z")
I sometimes work in my underwear? ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859/20 "2010-01-23T05:52:53Z")
Customs inspector. It is illegal to import a switchblade knife into the United States _ **unless** _you are a member of the military or if you only have one hand. I’m pretty sure that the military are allowed to bring it in because of the improbable assumption that they may someday be hanging from a tree in a parachute harness with one broken arm and need to get themselves loose. The folks with one hand can import a switchblade because the law was passed before knife makers made knives with the button on the blade which made it able to be opened with a thumb. Switchblade knife blades should be shorter than 3 inches. Jon [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-obscure-facts-about-your-profession/525859.md?page=2)