# What does this username mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996 "2023-07-13T17:41:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/1 "2023-07-13T17:41:57Z")
What does this username ([Crowbar of Irony +3](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazychop-crowbar-of-irony-3/522316)) mean? From [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazychop-crowbar-of-irony-3/522316) thread. [Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes) says, “I like your new name, even if it took me a few seconds to get it.” I don’t get it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/2 "2023-07-13T17:50:28Z")
I wondered if that was a reference to Openstack. I’ve heard that @Malleus_Incus_Stapes is an anatomical reference. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/3 "2023-07-13T17:54:47Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ve heard that @Malleus_Incus_Stapes is an anatomical reference. It is. > **[Ossicles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossicles)** > > The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bones in either middle ear that are among the smallest bones in the human body. They serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth (cochlea). The absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss. The term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone". Though the term may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers to the malleus, incus, and stapes (hammer, anvil, and stirru... But I’m coming up blank on “crowbar of irony”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/4 "2023-07-13T17:57:45Z")
Oh, so you’ve heard that too? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/5 "2023-07-13T17:58:33Z")
Nope, sorry, my ossicles are ossified and I heard nothing. (Not really, just wasn’t expecting a subtle pun.) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/6 "2023-07-13T18:06:24Z")
D&D reference, the +3 is a bonus for using a special weapon. Like a Sword of Lightning +3, it would add 3 to the roll of a dice when used, either for success or damage. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/7 "2023-07-13T18:17:57Z")
I know I don’t know. Here’s some thoughts in hopes they’ll trigger somebody else’s creativity. Crowbars are made of iron (steel really). “Ironic” was definitely one of the hot buzzwords of that era. Far beyond its proper dictionary meaning. Everything was ironic. Hipsters were ironic, disliking hipsters was ironic and it was ironic that disliking them was seen as an ironic attitude. So tiresome. But it was, ironically enough, real. So the obvious “crowbar of iron” as a tool for physical mayhem pretty easily slides cleverly into “crowbar of irony” as a tool for literary Dopertastic mayhem. We were a lot more verbally violent back then. I think the comment about “critical strike” is a key clue. But not one I can decipher. What then-current (= 2009) musical groups, hit songs, comics, or online games had a theme or a name or something about “critical strike”? Or had a crowbar as a key piece of game play. Maybe a tool often used in Grand Theft Auto? For that matter, was there a famous “[whatever] of iron” that was big right then? Kinda like Thor’s hammer was big a couple years ago when the movie came out and all sorts of hammer-themed metaphors and sayings got popular. If a “[whatever] of iron” was hot then, this username may be riffing on that. The “+3” may be a reference to some kind of musical group. “Leader plus 3” is/was certainly common enough back in Ye Olden Dayes of rock n roll. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/8 "2023-07-13T18:29:16Z")
I imagine it’s just ironic use of Crowbar and Irony. [Probably not this.](https://robhirschfeld.com/2014/12/09/openstack-ironic-crowbar/) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/9 "2023-07-13T18:38:48Z")
Could it be from Order of the Stick? That’s a satirical webcomic that centered on a D&D Campaign. > **[The Order of the Stick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Order_of_the_Stick)** > > The Order of the Stick (OOTS) is a comedic webcomic that satirizes tabletop role-playing games and medieval fantasy. The comic is written and drawn by Rich Burlew, who illustrates the comic in a stick figure style. > Taking place in a magical world that loosely operates by the rules of the 3.5 edition of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the comic follows the sometimes farcical exploits of six adventurers as they strive to save the world from an evil lich sorcerer. Much of the comic'... I guess it’s no longer available online? ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/10 "2023-07-13T18:49:51Z")
It’s still around! [https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots.html](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots.html) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/11 "2023-07-13T19:13:46Z")
Yay! I read at least half of that. It’s a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/12 "2023-07-13T20:02:14Z")
I think [this image](https://robhirschfeld.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/ironic-crowbar.png) should solve the mystery for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/13 "2023-07-13T21:57:23Z")
Clear as mud, ha ha How does “critical strike” factor into that? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/14 "2023-07-13T22:01:39Z")
A critical strike in D&D and other RPGs is an attack that does more damage than a standard attack. It is based on chance. Like “10% chance to critical hit.” This username is 100% an RPG reference, I’m just not sure if it’s an RPG reference in general or referring to a specific RPG or joke about RPGs. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/15 "2023-07-13T22:03:21Z")
Got it, thanks ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/16 "2023-07-13T22:08:49Z")
However… The “Crowbar of Irony” name change was reported in 2009, but OpenStack didn’t exist until 2010, so the OpenStack “ironic crowbar” could be a coincidental red herring, or both names/phrases could both refer to something even earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2023, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/17 "2023-07-13T22:24:57Z")
… the plot thickens… ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/18 "2023-07-14T03:53:40Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The “+3” may be a reference to some kind of musical group. “Leader plus 3” is/was certainly common enough back in Ye Olden Dayes of rock n roll. +3 is absolutely a D&D reference- it means you get +3 on attack and damage rolls with that weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/19 "2023-07-14T17:10:54Z")
It’s actually a really clever username. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996/20 "2023-07-14T17:28:00Z")
Agreed that it’s definitely a D&D reference: Many D&D magic items have the form \ of \, like Boots of Speed, Sword of Lightning, or Bracers of Protection. More specifically, it reminds me of notions like the “Clue by four”, a mythical piece of lumber which you can beat people over the head with to knock the stupidity out of them. Crowbars, likewise, are known for not being subtle when used to metaphorically smack someone on the head. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-username-mean/986996.md?page=2)