Who's Opal?

General Questions
#1

I started a thread a few months ago to find out who Og was. Now I’ll show a little more ignorance to find out who Opal is. I see it used sometimes (it’s getting less and less now) and know it’s some kind of in-joke. But one I don’t get.

So when people list things and make one of the point “Hi Opal!”, what does it mean?

#2

What a great General Qustion, About This Message Board!

Opal used to hate extraneous dingbats, especially a third, unnneccesary one. (some of you call them bullet points) Therefore, “Hi, Opal” became the phrase used to make reference to this in-joke, in the third dingbat of a list that didn’t need one.

Someone else will post a link I’m sure.

#3

It’s been answered a bunch of times in various forums, but what the hey:

Opal is OpalCat, a member here since the beginning of the straightdope.com board, and before that a member of the Straight Dope community on AOL. She lives in suburban DC, manages a thriving Internet business that includes Fathom.org and TeemingMillions.com, boards unofficially related to this one. (See the disclaimer here and there about how there’s no official connection between the boards and no legal liability on the part of the Chicago Reader, Inc. for those other boards.)

A long time ago, Opal made a remark in an AOL thread that she’s long since come to regret, to the effect that a list should have at least three items; a list with only two items is not really the right way to express those two things. This led to someone wanting to list off two things writing:

  1. The first thing
  2. The second thing
  3. Hi Opal!
    in order to have a list of three items – and it took off and hasn’t stopped in nearly six years. Notably, people have taken to including “Hi Opal” as the third item in a multiple-item list, finding humorous ways to incorporate a reference to Opal as the third item in a list, etc.

Actually, the three words which end in “gry” are:

  1. Angry
  2. Hungry
  3. Hi Opalgry

When come back, bring a 1920s style death ray. I burning your dog! Gotcha ya!

(Somebody make it stop!!!)

#4

All in good fun of course. :wink:

#5

Or, what I think the OP is referring to, OpalCat is an SDMB member.

#6

Well, crap. By the time I’d replied, there’d already been 2 or 3 more replies.

#7

Here’s a thread that should explain it all.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=269560&highlight=Opal

#8

Thanks for the answer. I was afraid it was something done to death and covered multiple times, but didn’t even think to check the ATMB. :smack: I appreciate everyone humoring me, though. Now I have more knowledge! Look out academia, I know of Opal! :smiley: (Can’t we get an evil-grin smilie?)

#9

Just like my thread on usernames, I’m a few months behind. self- :wally

I’m an idiot, please contribute to a meaningful thread. (i.e. anything but this) :smack: