# Recurring stuff I don't get.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [September 17, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077 "2006-09-17T16:13:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/1 "2006-09-17T16:13:56Z")
I’ve been lurking on this board for a while, and posting for some weeks, and there are some recurring expressions I just don’t get.
So, what is the meaning of:
1. Get of my lawn.
2. Hi, Opal.
Please share any others too, if you want.
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### Author:  [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/2 "2006-09-17T16:24:51Z")
[Hi, Opal!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=388456)
“Get off my lawn” isn’t SDMB specific, it’s a way to indicate (sarcastically) that the speaker is a cranky old man type, i.e. “Hey you kids, get off my lawn!”
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/3 "2006-09-17T16:25:08Z")
> [@Septima](#):
>
> I’ve been lurking on this board for a while, and posting for some weeks, and there are some recurring expressions I just don’t get.
>
> So, what is the meaning of:
>
> 1. Get of my lawn.
> 2. Hi, Opal.
>
> Please share any others too, if you want.
Of course that should be:
1. Get off my lawn.
2. Hi Opal!
3. Hi Opal!
And I think I may love you for setting that up.
AFAIK, “get off my lawn” is the stereotypical “cranky old man yelling at kids” mem. As for “Hi Opal!”, Doper **OpalCat** once postulated that a list must consist of at least three items. This led to people, when posting a list of two items, making the third item “Hi Opal!”. This has mutated somewhat recently so that any third list item becomes “Hi Opal” regardless of the number of items in the list. haven’t actually seen a Hi Opal for a while, so maybe it’s dying off a bit.
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### Author:  [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/4 "2006-09-17T16:50:17Z")
Will somebody please tell me where “asshat” comes from? Or am I being one by asking?
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/5 "2006-09-17T16:55:42Z")
Here’s a blog explosing the etymology of [asshat](http://www.mtannoyances.com/?p=341). It literally means someone with his head up his ass. I’ve heard it originated in Sweden.
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### Author:  [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/6 "2006-09-17T17:11:04Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#):
>
> Here’s a blog explosing the etymology of [asshat](http://www.mtannoyances.com/?p=341). It literally means someone with his head up his ass. I’ve heard it originated in Sweden.
Thanks! I’ve only ever heard it here on SDMB so I figured someone here had coined it.
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### Author:  [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/7 "2006-09-17T17:36:01Z")
> [@Otto](#):
>
> And I think I may love you for setting that up.
You’re welcome 😃
Gonna have to try this.
1. Thank you for the explanations
2. And the links.
3. Hi, Opal.
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### Author:  [@naotalbah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naotalbah)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/8 "2006-09-17T17:37:37Z")
[Behold the get of my lawn.](http://static.flickr.com/1/220465_ff553b9881_m.jpg)
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### Author:  [@2lazy2pee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2lazy2pee)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/9 "2006-09-18T02:59:46Z")
I love this! A foundation to combat asshattery!
[National R-CIS Foundation Of America](http://www.r-cis.netfirms.com/index.htm)
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### Author:  [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recurring-stuff-i-dont-get/373077/10 "2006-09-18T06:19:54Z")
When I used to work on fighter jets, the kind that have ejector seats, for the air force, we used to exhort certain individuals to pull their alternate release and eject the heads out of their asses.
Now, as an RN we speak of impaired rectal cranial clearance.
The more things change…