# What the heck are... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 30, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134 "2003-11-30T23:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/1 "2003-11-30T23:13:40Z")
Trolls and 1920’s Style death rays? As you all can tell, I’m pretty new here and these are two things I’ve seen in multiple threads and I still have no clue what they are. Please don’t be smartasses about the trolls. I’ve read Tolkein. I know what Trolls are. Actully, scratch that. Feel free to be smartasses.😃 But, what I really mean is what are message board trolls? I’m also apologizing in advance for those of you who seem to be annoyed by Death Ray references. I just can’t help thinking I’m missing some joke here. Thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/2 "2003-11-30T23:17:25Z")
[What is a troll?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mtroll.html) As for the death rays… no. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/3 "2003-11-30T23:33:43Z")
Thanks! I am now at least partially educated. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/4 "2003-11-30T23:36:52Z")
1920’s style death rays were referenced in an obtuse thread with an OP (that’s “original – or originating – post”) which made absolutely no sense. Because the phrase was funny – for about five minutes – people started dropping it here and there as a gag. It’s now fairly old, worn and tired, and the joke is just all used up. But you didn’t miss anything crucial in the board history by not being in on that particular joke, it was what it was and that’s about that. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/5 "2003-11-30T23:38:50Z")
Again, Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/6 "2003-12-01T00:31:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaElle \* > \*\* Because the phrase was funny – for about five minutes – \*\* Which was about 299 seconds longer than it should have been. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/7 "2003-12-01T01:12:33Z")
I must admit that I was befuddled the first couple of times I saw it but after that, without even knowing what it meant, I also started to get really annoyed whenever it popped up. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/8 "2003-12-01T01:15:14Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays.” ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/9 "2003-12-01T01:29:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Which was about 299 seconds longer than it should have been. \*\* Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays”. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/10 "2003-12-01T01:30:43Z")
**TeaElle** Good work in your explanation of 1920’s style deathrays. By all means let **congodwarf** think it is just one big joke that went on _far_ too long. (nudge … nudge) Perhaps when he has been here awhile and proven that he is worthy, we will make him one of the cognoscenti. Until then, carry on TeaElle. wolf@Area51 ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/11 "2003-12-01T02:02:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaElle \* > \*\*1920’s style death rays were referenced in an obtuse thread with an OP (that’s “original – or originating – post”) which made absolutely no sense. Because the phrase was funny – for about five minutes – people started dropping it here and there as a gag. > > It’s now fairly old, worn and tired, and the joke is just all used up. But you didn’t miss anything crucial in the board history by not being in on that particular joke, it was what it was and that’s about that. \*\* [The thread in question.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202225&highlight=scalar) F\_X ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/12 "2003-12-01T03:10:17Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays.” ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/13 "2003-12-01T04:13:20Z")
1. Trolls are posters who purposely try to get people angry, and are there to to cause a mess for their own amusement. 2. 1920’s “Death Rays” originated in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202225) due to a humorous multi-post that went critical. 3. Hi Opal!!! ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/14 "2003-12-01T04:35:16Z")
What **DreadChtulu** said. [sub]Did I get it right? Am I part of the in-crowd now? …no?..dammit[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/15 "2003-12-01T05:07:15Z")
Now that we are at it… what the heck is “Hi Opal!” all about? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/16 "2003-12-01T05:16:04Z")
1. \*\* mnemosyne \*\* no you didn’t get it right. You mispelled my name. :mad: 2. The “Hi Opal!” gag came about due to the poster \*\* OpalCat \*\* who insisted that a list should have at least three items. Eventually this mutated to people using “Hi Opal!” for a third item on list. 3. Hi Opal!!!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/17 "2003-12-01T05:17:10Z")
Oops, didn’t mean to place that :smack: there - accidently hit it while in the preview screen. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Ink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@White\_Ink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Ink)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/18 "2003-12-01T05:26:03Z")
while we newbies are asking questions, what the heck is a WAG? as in, “My WAG is…” Huh??? ---
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/19 "2003-12-01T05:38:00Z")
Wild-Ass-Guess. For instance… “This is just my WAG, but I think that your real name is Susan.” ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134/20 "2003-12-01T05:46:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DreadCthulhu \* > \*\*1. \*\* mnemosyne \*\* no you didn’t get it right. You mispelled my name. :mad: > > 1. The “Hi Opal!” gag came about due to the poster \*\* OpalCat \*\* who insisted that a list should have at least three items. Eventually this mutated to people using “Hi Opal!” for a third item on list. > > 2. Hi Opal!!!:smack: \*\* Thanks, now I feel a little less ignorant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are/216134.md?page=2)