# What Line is Yours, Anyway?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 2, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740 "2003-07-02T08:21:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/21 "2004-03-13T04:33:58Z")

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I’m hard-pressed to say what I’m an _expert_ in, although I do specialize in a few things.

I have encyclopedic knowledge of The Beatles, their records (both released and the thousands of bootlegs) and how they were made, recognized enough by others who _do_ call themselves experts that I’ve been invited to contribute to several books and websites.

If you bring me a phonograph record of any kind, if it is in reasonably good shape, I can digitally restore it to pristine condition.

Something else I picked up along the way is radio production. I don’t understand quite why I have this innate sense of production values and how to apply them, but it has always worked. I can do Drake format powerhouse 60s AM style or NPR documentary style, or anything in between.

Of course, these things are only useful in a very narrow field of endeavor that doesn’t pay much and has no 401K. But I work in it anyway, because it’s what I know and like.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/22 "2004-03-13T05:12:41Z")

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Hmmph. I can speak knowledgeably in several areas, but I’ve met the experts, and I’m no expert. But I’m rarely wrong when I talk about:

Cosmetics, toiletries, and personal care products;  
Pharmaceuticals, the pharm. industry, sunscreens, and the FDA;  
Chemistry and physics; (with physics, it’s partly a matter of knowing my limits)  
English grammar and usage;

In the first two categories, I’ve often enough been the only person with the right answer.

I also have useful, but less thorough, knowledge about: law, biology, general science, Macintosh computers, and California.

I also have somewhat-informed opinions on almost everything.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/23 "2004-03-13T05:20:12Z")

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Again, guys, as noted in the OP, don’t feel like if you aren’t an _expert_ in any field you shouldn’t post. I just want to know what you think you know best, rather than what you think you know better than others.

There are only a couple of people, even on this board, whose word I take as Gospel: **Q.E.D.** (including the time he called me an asshole ;)), **Bricker** in certain areas of the law, and **GaryT** on the care and maintenance of automobiles.

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**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/24 "2004-03-13T05:45:24Z")

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Definitely video games. At least console games, PC gaming more or less lost me sometime around Quake (finally got a machine capable of handling Q3A, which I’ll admit is fun–even if I do keep getting my ass kicked)

Also, I’ll minor in unusual fetishes and sexual practices (I’ll take Axillism for 400, Alex).

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/25 "2004-03-13T06:09:13Z")

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1950s through 1980s Top 40 music.

I was a music disc jockey for 15 years.

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**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/26 "2004-03-13T06:21:55Z")

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Hm. I’m pretty good at movies, though not on par with some folks here. Whenever someone at the office wants to identify a movie with clues like ‘it was the one with that guy…’ , they come to me.

I’d call myself an expert on comic books… and roleplaying games.

Oy, I’m such a geek.

Hm. I’m really good at math. And computer programming, especially as it relates to logic.

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**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/27 "2004-03-13T06:30:41Z")

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Mexico

Computer games

Laconic answers

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**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/28 "2004-03-13T06:32:33Z")

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I’m an expert in both baseball and masturbation.

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/29 "2004-03-13T06:33:46Z")

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> [@spooje](#):
>
> I’m an expert in both baseball and masturbation.

Come on, **spooje** , don’t jack us around like that.

:eek:

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**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/30 "2004-03-13T14:07:50Z")

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> [@spooje](#):
>
> I’m an expert … masturbation.

But I am sure you are not as good at is as _I_ am.

😉

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/31 "2004-03-13T14:17:09Z")

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Like **PoorYorick** , I know a little about lots. However, the one subject in which I’m completely assured of expertise, it’s HTML (yawn).

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/32 "2004-03-13T14:29:34Z")

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I know a little German.

He lives next door! [musical sting]

Say Hi, Schultzie.

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**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/33 "2004-03-13T15:06:50Z")

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I like to think I have a pretty good knowledge of world football (soccer), mostly European though.

Despite my lack of education I am actually very well versed in the Icelandic language, and I daresay I am the SDMB’s definite article on that. I’ve never actually had reason to put said knowledge to any use here, but I’ve managed to squeeze it in sporadically in various threads - most probably to the annoyance of others.

It seems spooje and misstee will have to battle it out to crown the SDMB’s Chief Masturbator, who wants to oversee the contest and who will be judge?

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/34 "2004-03-13T17:27:34Z")

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> [@UselessGit](#):
>
> It seems spooje and misstee will have to battle it out to crown the SDMB’s Chief Masturbator, who wants to oversee the contest and who will be judge?

I’ve already got dibs on being **misstee** ’s trainer 😉

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**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/35 "2004-03-13T17:40:28Z")

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> [@Really Not All That Bright](#):
>
> I’ve already got dibs on being **misstee** ’s trainer 😉

Trainer? Do you think I need a trainer? How much is this going to cost me?

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/36 "2004-03-13T18:00:34Z")

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> [@misstee](#):
>
> Trainer? Do you think I need a trainer? How much is this going to cost me?

You _do_ want to win, don’t you?

I’m sure we can work out some kind of payment plan 😃

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**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/37 "2004-03-13T22:22:19Z")

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> [@NoClueBoy](#):
>
> Say Hi, Schultzie.

Hi, Schultzie!

::D&R::

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**Author:** ![DevilDan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@DevilDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DevilDan)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/38 "2004-03-14T01:46:39Z")

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My field of expertise: WAGs and BS.

Actually, I’m a fair hand at mythology.

Generally, I enjoy being a dilettante more than being an expert. I like variety. That’s the main reason why I couldn’t claim to be exceptionally knowledgeable about a specific area of literature, for example, despite being a voracious reader. For example, I’m currently reading H.H. Munro, Robert Bloch, and Sun Tzu.

Which is why I’m getting to really like this message board: a little bit of everything.

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**Author:** ![LtningBug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/73ab20/32.png) [@LtningBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LtningBug)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/39 "2004-03-14T07:36:25Z")

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My field: computer programming. Mostly C++/C. I wouldn’t consider myself expert yet, though.

I’m also somewhat knowledgeable about the Roman Catholic Church.

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**Author:** ![hanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb8c5e/32.png) [@hanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hanza)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-line-is-yours-anyway/185740/40 "2004-03-14T21:37:00Z")

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I have a better than average-doper knowledge of:

Hungarian language and history

International cricket in the last 10 years

Virginia Woolfe

William Blake

Somehow that doesn’t seem a lot for 25 years of living, with about 18 of them in full-time education. ( wanders off to read something improving…)

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