# What does {WE?} mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 12, 2024, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151 "2024-09-12T05:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/1 "2024-09-12T05:36:35Z")
I’ve noticed {WE?} at the tail end of some comments made by mods. Is that some sort of administrative code-speak? What does {WE?} mean? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/2 "2024-09-12T05:38:46Z")
From how I’ve seen it used, it’s means that the moderator @What_Exit has posted a note, fixed something up, or otherwise, done some moderator task. ---
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/3 "2024-09-12T05:40:43Z")
Ah, okay. I didn’t make the @What_Exit connection. Makes sense now. Thanks. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2024, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/4 "2024-09-12T05:44:10Z")
Not {YOU?}. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2024, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/5 "2024-09-12T10:12:32Z")
What\_Exit’s name had a ? at the end back when that was still an allowable character. So WE? is the way he abbreviates his name. Personally, I might consider W\_E ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/6 "2024-09-12T12:41:57Z")
Far harder to type on a phone. WE? is pretty easy. Besides my name is What Exit? and Discourse insists on displaying our database name which they call Username. Some DBA\* or probably lack of a DBA screwed this up for Discourse. I’m not an expert, but I did enough database design in my career to see the glaring mistake. Honestly, each user is usually assigned a number (like vBulletin had) and the display or username. In almost all tables just the USERID number would be used for linking and then the code would do a quick lookup on the user table for the display name. \* Database administrator ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/7 "2024-09-12T12:45:55Z")
You realize the original punch line was, “_Which_ exit?” And Happy Birthday! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/8 "2024-09-12T12:49:36Z")
As Adam Savage says, I reject your reality and substitute my own. BTW: he got it from an old Doctor Who episode in the 70s. And Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/9 "2024-09-12T12:57:52Z")
Just FYI: The version I knew was about that old (but it’s gotta be way older): Joe Piscopo on SNL, was a construction worker being interviewed when he said something about Jersey. The interviewer says _I live in Jersey_ and Joe fires back _Yeah? Which exit?_ Couldn’t stop laughing! ---
**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:** [September 12, 2024, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/10 "2024-09-12T12:58:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Far harder to type on a phone. Huh. It’s basically the same on mine, since both ? and \_ require me to press the symbols button. But hey, whatever’s easier for you. The way they index names is silly, but I think the main reason is actually the whole @-ing thing. If I type `@name?`, am I talking to a person with a ? at the end of their name, or am I asking a question to @name? Of course, they could have just made it work like StackExchange, where you just leave out non alpha-numeric characters when you @ someone. So I’m not saying it was the best choice. Hell, there you can even abbreviate people’s names—something I very much miss. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/11 "2024-09-12T13:01:09Z")
The joke is actually older than that. Maybe Piscopo screwed it up. Or more likely, it doesn’t really matter. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/12 "2024-09-12T13:03:36Z")
👍 and again, 👍 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/13 "2024-09-12T21:00:04Z")
It of course does not matter, but this The Dope man! Piscopo is given credit for it, attributes it to a woman who asked it sincerely, and it was apparently “What Exit?” > **[Joe Piscopo looks back on the origins of the immortal Jersey joke, 'What exit?'](https://www.nj.com/super-bowl/2014/01/joe_piscopo_looks_back_on_the_origins_of_the_immortal_jersey_catchphrase_what_exit.html)** > > Joe Piscopo talked about the origins of the "What exit" catchphrase during a recent interview at his Hunterdon County home. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/14 "2024-09-12T23:00:00Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > the moderator @What_Exit has posted a note Him, or Adam We? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LWXZhgj7v6k/hqdefault.jpg "Nobody Messes With Adam We") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWXZhgj7v6k) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/15 "2024-09-13T01:36:54Z")
I am properly humbled. Do I get partial credit? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/16 "2024-09-13T02:00:44Z")
I thought the punchline was “Elizabeth.” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/17 "2024-09-13T02:02:36Z")
When did you turn into a big, pink flower? ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/18 "2024-09-13T02:06:35Z")
I always figured it stood for whatever and @What_Exit was just a valleygirl. I jest, I jest! ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/19 "2024-09-13T02:28:04Z")
Given the way the New Jersey Turnpike cuts through the most populous parts of New Jersey, you can see how it would make a good shorthand, however ridiculous sounding. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/NewJerseyTurnpike.jpg/800px-NewJerseyTurnpike.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/NewJerseyTurnpike.jpg/800px-NewJerseyTurnpike.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151/20 "2024-09-13T02:33:25Z")
About a week ago. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-we-mean/1007151.md?page=2)