# Will we ever see a Doperism become part of the popular culture? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 2, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633 "2005-03-02T18:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/1 "2005-03-02T18:56:20Z")
Do you think anything originated in the SDMB will become a popular catchphrase used by more than the denizens of this messageboard? ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/2 "2005-03-02T19:02:36Z")
Part of me would like it, just so I don’t get the :dubious: face as often. But then most of me realises the boards are only as good when to a limited audience. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/3 "2005-03-02T19:05:30Z")
It seems unlikely to me. Doperisms are funny, if at all, only in context. I’ve yet to run across a situation IRL that elicited a “Hi Opal!” or “1920’s-Style . . .”. And if I had used one, the ensuing explanation would have sucked all the air right out of the room. So, no . . . I don’t see it happening. Maybe once. In 1960. For twenty minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/4 "2005-03-02T19:08:54Z")
It could certainly happen. Lots of phrases have migrated into common usage from Usenet and AOL. Whether you could ever identify the SDMB as the original source is another question. ---
**Author:** ![Sgt.Pepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sgt.Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/5 "2005-03-02T19:10:15Z")
I’d love to have “Penis ensues” on a T-shirt, but I don’t think it’d go over too well in public. I’d be a little uncomfortable wearing it in public, for fear of offending someone. But in it’s context, it’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/6 "2005-03-02T19:13:09Z")
Some people have heard “Hi Opal” out IRL – I (very vaguely) remember someone posting about some folk musician saying it as part of his (?) stage patter. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/7 "2005-03-02T20:42:27Z")
A contestant on Jeopardy! mouthed “Hi Opal” during Final Jeopardy. 😃 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/8 "2005-03-02T20:58:19Z")
“Gotcha ya!” and “Fucko off” probably have the best chances of moving into the mainstream. What I’d really like to see catch on, though, is “I burning your dog”. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/9 "2005-03-02T21:09:21Z")
I haven’t been around here too long, can you guys explain some of these things. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/10 "2005-03-02T21:37:10Z")
There has been some discussion as to whether _ **Gaudere’s Law** _ has been (slightly) recognized IRL (in WikiPedia) - see [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=281747) where it was discussed Dani ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/11 "2005-03-02T21:38:19Z")
You should find enough information about these “doperisms” here: > **[1920s style death rays? HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287487)** > > All right, I forked out for a membership about a month and a half ago, and it’s totally been worth it. Y’all are pathetically smart, just like me! But after weeks of trawling through the search engine and old threads, there’s one kernel of knowledge... 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/12 "2005-03-03T01:06:47Z")
I’m pretty sure asshat originated here (this is the only place I’d heard it, anyway), and a character on the WB show “One Tree Hill” used it a couple of weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/13 "2005-03-03T01:24:09Z")
> [@monica](#): > > I’m pretty sure asshat originated here (this is the only place I’d heard it, anyway), and a character on the WB show “One Tree Hill” used it a couple of weeks ago. This has been discussed here many times (though it’s been awhile so I might be slightly off on the details.) IIRC, at least one doper claims to have coined it independently of hearing it anywhere else, but I’m pretty sure (this is where my details get shaky) someone cited a use of it back to 1985 (?) A lot of stuff that we think is relatively new (5-10 years) eventually turns up in old usenet posts or even printed media from the 1980s or earlier. The “first” emoticon was found a couple years ago in a usenet post from, IIRC, 1982? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/14 "2005-03-03T01:30:50Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > The “first” emoticon was found a couple years ago in a usenet post from, IIRC, 1982? Whoops, looks like an even earlier one was found, from [1953:](http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0110B&L=ads-l&P=R4596) > [@](#): > > “Smiley” is in an ad in the NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE, 10 March 1953, pg. 20, cols. 4-6. See for yourself. > The ad is for the film LILI, with the “delightful” Leslie Caron. The “World Premiere Today” is at the Trans-Lux 52nd on Lexington. The film opened nationwide, and this ad possibly ran in many newspapers. > > Today > > You’ll laugh 🙂 > You’ll cry ☹ > You’ll love (Heart-shaped face–ed.) > _Lili_ I think the one I was thinking of was from 1979 [link dead]: > [@](#): > > “ESR’s Jargon File cites a ‘rival claim by Kevin McKenzie, who seems to have proposed the smiley on the MsgGroup mailing list, April 12 1979.’” Text from [here](http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/09/18/0051255&tid=167). Sorry if that was too off-topic. My point is, though, that Asshat is not exclusive to the SDMB :). ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/15 "2005-03-03T01:45:58Z")
> [@monica](#): > > I’m pretty sure asshat originated here (this is the only place I’d heard it, anyway), and a character on the WB show “One Tree Hill” used it a couple of weeks ago. I remember “asshat” from the 1980s BBS days, pre-Internet. “Asshat” and “assclown” both got quite a bit of play when disputes turned into flaming competitions on the boards that I frequented (most of which were related to the Commodore 64). ---
**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:** [March 3, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/16 "2005-03-03T02:07:25Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > What I’d really like to see catch on, though, is “I burning your dog”. Same here. It’d be the ultimate put down. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/17 "2005-03-03T04:41:51Z")
I vote for “penis ensues”. It’s funny, in and of itself, and if you do want to understand it’s origin, it can be explained in one sentence. No long backstory for context, like “1920’s style-” or “once. In 1960. For twenty minutes.” “Hi Opal” seems to be fading around here. Plus, I think that’s funnier in a written list than a spoken one. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/18 "2005-03-03T04:55:20Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > What I’d really like to see catch on, though, is “I burning your dog”. I use that sometimes in the real world. Some people have chuckled like they had an innate understanding of what it means. Come to think of it, I did too the first time I heard it. That means it has really high potential for popular usage if people would just get out there and burnin’ some dogs in public. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/19 "2005-03-03T05:13:50Z")
Someone reported that they heard John Mayer yell out “Hi Opal!” in between songs at one of his concerts. But in general, I think most doperisms “work” on the SDMB and lose something in any other context. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633/20 "2005-03-03T13:18:34Z")
A year or so ago I pressured Opal to design and make me a T-Shirt that said ‘3. Hi, Opal!’ I’ve worn it around town here in Ohio and gotten a few people who said they’ve recognized it. They’re always curious where it came from. So there’s at least some minimal acknowledgement of that one out there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-we-ever-see-a-doperism-become-part-of-the-popular-culture/292633.md?page=2)