# Should Weird Earl's Be Restored? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709 "2014-12-20T00:15:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/41 "2014-12-22T03:49:39Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This is another JIFF vs GIF situation. Old out of touch people say “Earl.” Everyone under 40 says U-R-L. > > Which makes it the perfect pun for the SD homepage actually. 😛 I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I’m 38 and know plenty of people older than me who say U-R-L. I never heard Earl until “Weird Earl”. And it took me a bit to figure out who Earl was. And GIF is supposed to be pronounced JIFF according to t he guy who created the format. But I always called it GIF, have always heard it called GIF, and probably will never switch to JIFF out laziness and habit. And “Linux” should be pronounced “linnix” if you ask Torvalds, apparently. But I’ve never asked him, so I can’t corroborate that. I always called it “linnix” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/42 "2014-12-22T06:01:29Z")
I was on the “keep it” bandwagon but after reading the thread, I’m in the No/No Opinion camp. While I knew what Weird Earl’s was, I have never clicked on a link since I arrived (technically) in 2000. There’s plenty of other places to find weird “Earls” so a twitter feed is fine with me. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/43 "2014-12-22T08:12:44Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I’m 38 and know plenty of people older than me who say U-R-L. That’s what I said. People older can use “U-R-L” (and many do), but the only people who use “Earl” are over 40. ---
**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:** [December 22, 2014, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/44 "2014-12-22T08:28:24Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > That’s what I said. People older can use “U-R-L” (and many do), but the only people who use “Earl” are over 40. That’s silly. I know a ton of people who say U-R-L. Or, more precisely, Your-ell. I also notice that Google has 18,900,000 hits for “a url” but only 808,000 hits for “an url.” I associate saying “earl” with older people, as that was what people said back in the 90s. Hence the name here. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/45 "2014-12-22T14:55:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That’s silly. I know a ton of people who say U-R-L. Or, more precisely, Your-ell. Are you for real? I’ve said twice now that “U-R-L” is more common. You’re trying to pick a fight with me by using my own argument. OF COURSE I agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/46 "2014-12-22T16:10:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That’s silly. I know a ton of people who say U-R-L. Or, more precisely, Your-ell. That’s silly. I have literally never heard anyone in my life, including all the old people I know, call it “your ell”. I voted yes. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/47 "2014-12-22T16:13:19Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > That’s what I said. People older can use “U-R-L” (and many do), but the only people who use “Earl” are over 40. I’ve never heard anyone say Earl only U-R-L and I’m 47. But then again I don’t hang out with people talking about URLs. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/48 "2014-12-22T18:15:33Z")
Ok. Count me as another 40+ guy who has never heard it pronounced lke Earl. Maybe it’s only people who were on AOL in '99. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/49 "2014-12-22T18:22:09Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Ok. Count me as another 40+ guy who has never heard it pronounced lke Earl. Maybe it’s only people who were on AOL in '99. Lol. It’s definitely an IT nerd thing. The only people I’ve ever heard do it were college professors in the late 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/50 "2014-12-23T02:44:19Z")
Yes, please, bring back Earl! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/51 "2014-12-23T02:52:56Z")
Huh. I am mid-50s and have never heard URL pronounced Earl. This thread is the first indication for me that Weird Earl was supposed to be Weird URLs. I thought there was some real or fictional Earl out there somewhere way back when. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/52 "2014-12-23T03:02:40Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Are you for real? I’ve said twice now that “U-R-L” is more common. You’re trying to pick a fight with me by using my own argument. OF COURSE I agree with you. Maybe he just means pronounce it that way? (Accents and that) ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/53 "2014-12-23T03:15:27Z")
In Britain I have never in my life heard it ponderously pronounced U-R-L like slow-witted parents plodding out the letters of words their kids prolly already know, and will assuredly look up if they don’t. It seems rather cumbersome. The admins made a good pun. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/54 "2014-12-23T03:39:08Z")
I used to read it regularly back in the day, back in the days of dial-up modems. Hey, it was worth the wait. Nowadays there is no shortage of links to weird sites, and my desire is to waste less time on the internet. I haven’t looked at it but once or twice in the last 5 years, so I would not notice if it disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/55 "2014-12-23T04:14:40Z")
Not only has Threadspotting not been changed for more than a week now, the page is still asking for Weird Earl nominations. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/56 "2014-12-23T05:21:28Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > In Britain I have never in my life heard it ponderously pronounced U-R-L like slow-witted parents plodding out the letters of words their kids prolly already know, and will assuredly look up if they don’t. It seems rather cumbersome. Oh? It’s pronounced that way in the Uck? I didn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/57 "2014-12-23T06:04:49Z")
We don’t really call it the Yew Kay amongst ourselves. Nor do we glory in the name of Briton. It’s just the country names. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/58 "2014-12-23T06:36:23Z")
This is exactly the kind of discussion I walk away from in the pub, so goodnight. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/59 "2014-12-23T14:56:55Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Oh? It’s pronounced that way in the Uck? I didn’t know that. > [@Claverhouse](#): > > We don’t really call it the Yew Kay amongst ourselves. I thought it was pronounced “Yewk”? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![ejay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ejay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejay)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709/60 "2014-12-24T04:31:56Z")
Straight Dope is the first blog I read every morning. Cecil is the best explainer since Isaac Asimov. I love Weird Earl because since I retired nobody ever sends me any funny stuff. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-weird-earls-be-restored/707709.md?page=4)