# Symbol to indicate cultural or literary reference

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [August 29, 2023, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272 "2023-08-29T06:52:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/21 "2023-08-31T09:07:41Z")

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The revealing of non-obvious cultural or literary references is why the “ISWYDT” convention exists. The alert reference-spotter gets the fun of knowingly flagging it, and other readers who didn’t SWYDT get to do some ignorance-fighting by either googling what you wrote or simply asking for clarification.

You can self-flag your cultural and literary references with “(SWIDT?)” or similar, but it’s usually more fun with a teammate.

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/22 "2023-08-31T16:23:23Z")

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> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> You can self-flag your cultural and literary references with “(SWIDT?)” or similar, but it’s usually more fun with a teammate

Self-indication is the only reliable method, since there are whole swaths of references that only the poster will ever get. You can’t count on a teammate nudge-nudging it.

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**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/23 "2023-08-31T16:25:36Z")

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> [@gnoitall](#):
>
> You can’t count on a teammate nudge-nudging it.

Wink, wink, say no more.

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**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/24 "2023-08-31T16:36:08Z")

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I think I’m just going to start saying things that sound like references, but aren’t just to see how long it takes people to notice. Tally-ho with a gobsmack, geezers!

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/25 "2023-08-31T17:27:19Z")

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That’s from _The Unpleasantness at Blandings Castle_, by Dorothy S. Wodehouse.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/26 "2023-08-31T17:55:56Z")

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> [@Horatius](#):
>
> I think I’m just going to start saying things that sound like references, but aren’t just to see how long it takes people to notice. Tally-ho with a gobsmack, geezers!

That idea is replete with stinkiosity.

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-to-indicate-cultural-or-literary-reference/989272/27 "2023-08-31T23:37:22Z")

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I thought it was _The Goodies_, season 3, episode 5.

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