# Soliciting ideas for a vanity plate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345 "2005-06-22T12:35:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/1 "2005-06-22T12:35:16Z")
I’m getting a new POS tomorrow, a '97 Mercury Sable station wagon, which my sister has dubbed the ‘Nerdmobile’. I have 3 ideas for plates for it. Virginia has specialties for the NASA Langley Research Center where I work, and another for Parrotheads. Both are limited to 6 characters, a plain Virginia plate is limited to 7. Under NASA, I’m considering: A G33K HIOPAL The Parrothead is a little more troubling, because all the obvious references to Jimmy Buffet music are taken. I did find one pick to an obscure song of his was available. CDLZRD (_Off to See The Lizard_) Any other suggestions? I want them to be funny, and inside jokes are welcome so long as I get them. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/2 "2005-06-22T13:26:28Z")
Gotta be HIOPAL. The polls are closed. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/3 "2005-06-22T13:38:40Z")
Sorry, **Bob** , I cannot in good conscience support you in this one. I think vanity plates are an evil in this state, and must be completely eradicated. Nothing bothers me more than seeing a plate on a car that I have no idea what it could mean. That said, if I had to pick, I’d vote with **twickster**. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/4 "2005-06-22T13:41:46Z")
I strenuously disagree with the other two votes. Please, anything _but_ HIOPAL. I also agree with Sean; please don’t get a vanity plate. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/5 "2005-06-22T14:04:52Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > I’m getting a new POS tomorrow, a '97 Mercury Sable station wagon, which my sister has dubbed the ‘Nerdmobile’. > > I have 3 ideas for plates for it. Virginia has specialties for the NASA Langley Research Center where I work, and another for Parrotheads. Both are limited to 6 characters, a plain Virginia plate is limited to 7. > > Under NASA, I’m considering: > > A G33K > HIOPAL > > The Parrothead is a little more troubling, because all the obvious references to Jimmy Buffet music are taken. I did find one pick to an obscure song of his was available. > > CDLZRD (_Off to See The Lizard_) > Any other suggestions? I want them to be funny, and inside jokes are welcome so long as I get them. Hey, I like the CDLZRD one though it might not be that obvious to most folks. G33K is a bad idea only because now that I see it, _I_ want it and if you take it, I can’t have it 😉 (I’m in Virginia also) Love “HIOPAL” and it’d serve as a way to meet fellow Dopers IRL 🙂 But of course you should have listed one other possibility before that one 😃 I disagree with others who say vanity plates are EVIL. Just don’t do something lame-o lilke “Bob’s Car”. I mean, what else would it be, Bob’s lawnmower? “Bob” is OK if unimaginative. “Bob’s Car” says you’re unimaginitive and you’re afraid that nobody will figure it out! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/6 "2005-06-22T14:09:30Z")
Re: the Parrothead thing – How 'bout “BWAAAK” ? ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/7 "2005-06-22T14:23:20Z")
Another vote for HIOPAL. Or BRNGPI. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/8 "2005-06-22T17:34:58Z")
One other idea I had, sort of the ultimate inside joke, was to get a set of randomly selected letters that made no sense whatsoever, and watch people go ‘huh?’ ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/9 "2005-06-22T17:39:46Z")
There’s always NRDMBL to appease your sister. 1920SDR, or 20S DR? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/10 "2005-06-22T17:43:17Z")
“CDLZRD” looks like it has something to do with our current Secretary of State. As for “BRNGPI”, I want to read the first 4 letters as “burning” not “bring”. Perhaps “BRGPIE”? I was about to suggest “1920DR” but maybe people would think you’re an 85-year old doctor. I think I like “HIOPAL” best. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/11 "2005-06-22T17:51:18Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > As for “BRNGPI”, I want to read the first 4 letters as “burning” not “bring”. Perhaps “BRGPIE”? BURNDOG? It would have to be one of the plain vanilla plates so I could get 7 letters on it… ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/12 "2005-06-22T17:55:43Z")
I’d avoid 1337 license plates. I saw a Mustang in the grocery store parking lot the other day with a plate that said “L33T” and had to excercise all the self-control available to me not to go over and use my key to scrawl “PWND!!11” on his hood. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/13 "2005-06-22T19:22:43Z")
NASA plates and get the title that all of us covet; SDSAB. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/14 "2005-06-22T19:23:08Z")
I’d be tempted to get a parrot plate with ARRRRR or R MATEY or AVAST just because I could. I know, it’s not a pirate plate, but still. For a NASA plate, how about T MINUS? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/15 "2005-06-23T02:14:52Z")
NASA: RKTSCI (rocket scientist) HOTGAS UNMNND (unmanned, if you’re into one of those projects) SLDRLZ (slide rules!) BOOSTR (booster rockets) LOXROX (liquid oxygen _rocks_) LIFSPT (life support systems) MRZRVR (Mars Rover) VOYAGR, GALLEO SKYWKR (sorry, couldn’t resist!) Jimmy Buffet: MRGTVL (Margaritaville) KEY WR (Key West-er) SCHMLZ (schmalz… just kidding!) MUZAK (still kidding!) LAME O 😃 [d&r] ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/16 "2005-06-23T02:20:26Z")
Anything but HIOPAL. MPSIMS GOTYAYA Personally though, I don’t like vanity plates. Best I’ve ever heard of was WANKER (no offence to the OP) ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/17 "2005-06-23T02:24:59Z")
> [@caveman](#): > > I’d avoid 1337 license plates. I saw a Mustang in the grocery store parking lot the other day with a plate that said “L33T” and had to excercise all the self-control available to me not to go over and use my key to scrawl “PWND!!11” on his hood. This is the funniest thing I’ve read all day. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/18 "2005-06-23T03:51:33Z")
Why the hate for personalized tags? I think they’re cool, when I notice them. Plus, I just ordered new ones on Monday. 😃 > [@VunderBob](#): > > Any other suggestions? I want them to be funny, and inside jokes are welcome so long as I get them. Sorry, everything I tried for the Parrothead tags was already taken (I tried for my favorite Buffet song, with combos like FINSLR, FINS2L, FNS2LR, etc.), and I was only able to think of “2INFNT” for the NASA plates … but if you’re not a _Toy Story_ fan, it’s stupid (heck, maybe it’s stupid even if you _are_ a _Toy Story_ fan :D). It’s available, though! 😉 I’m another Virginian, and am about to ditch my current personalized tags for new ones: something I like about the new ones is that unless you “get” the reference, you won’t even know that they’re personalized tags. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/19 "2005-06-23T11:58:13Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Virginia has specialties for the NASA Langley Research Center where I work, and another for Parrotheads. You too? Where? ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345/20 "2005-06-23T12:05:17Z")
I don’t usually care for personalized plates and thought I would never get one, but they are so bloody cheap I am tempted to go for: 12HIOPL No one but a doper would get it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soliciting-ideas-for-a-vanity-plate/309345.md?page=2)