# "Wrong-O, Mary Lou!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 29, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138 "2004-03-29T19:39:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/1 "2004-03-29T19:39:33Z")
You’d think I’d know by now not to listen to my own stream-of-consciousness, but just now I was just putting some stuff away and put one file into the wrong slot. “Wrong-o, Mary Lou!” sez I to myself. And then, of course, the next thought floating down the stream of consciousness was “WTF? Where did that come from?” A fast google doesn’t present anything too helpful, except to indicate that I’m not the only one who uses this phrase and doesn’t know why – does anyone know anything more specific? Mods: this seems way too mundane and pointless to be worthy of GQ, but feel free to move it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/2 "2004-03-29T22:20:22Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > You’d think I’d know by now not to listen to my own stream-of-consciousness, but just now I was just putting some stuff away and put one file into the wrong slot. “Wrong-o, Mary Lou!” sez I to myself. And then, of course, the next thought floating down the stream of consciousness was “WTF? Where did that come from?” > > A fast google doesn’t present anything too helpful, except to indicate that I’m not the only one who uses this phrase and doesn’t know why – does anyone know anything more specific? > > Mods: this seems way too mundane and pointless to be worthy of GQ, but feel free to move it. Thanks! It’s a repressed memory. I recommend sex therapy and Rolfing. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/3 "2004-03-30T00:22:01Z")
It’s from a commercial from the '80’s aimed at kids. I can’t remember which one, but I think it’s a cereal. Maybe Frosted Flakes, though it’s a boy that says it and not Tony the Tiger. Maybe this will help someone else narrow it down. Ring any bells? P.S. It might be Kool-Aid instead. Soem product involving lots of sugar, at least. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/4 "2004-03-30T00:51:54Z")
Wrong-o, Mary Lou goodbye heart! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/5 "2004-03-30T01:04:28Z")
Ricky Nelson popped into my head as soon as I read the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/6 "2004-03-30T02:51:56Z")
> [@astro](#): > > It’s a repressed memory. I recommend sex therapy and Rolfing. A generous offer, sir! Thanks! How’s this weekend? 😉 **Tikki** – actually, I think it’s older than that – I think I’ve been saying it since the late '60s/early '70s, though I could be wrong about that. **koeeoaddi, racer72** – no – that was the first thing I checked – there’s no obscure chorus to that song with those words. Hmm, I may have to actually spend some time on this… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/7 "2004-03-30T03:21:34Z")
> [@astro](#): > > It’s a repressed memory. I recommend sex therapy and Rolfing. Would that involve the guy on [this page](http://www.theeddzone.com/rolf.html)? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/8 "2004-03-30T03:52:04Z")
LOL I tried Googling variations and… well I found one person asking the same question, and they got the same “It’s from a mid 70s commercial, but can’t remember which” answer. It was also in an ep of Will and Grace so it’s definitely something that has found it’s way into pop culture usage, although I can’t say I remember ever using it. Mary Lou Retton did Wheaties commercials - maybe that’s the cereal mentioned above? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/9 "2014-05-19T23:11:34Z")
> [@astro](#): > > It’s a repressed memory. I recommend sex therapy and Rolfing. Shirley you must be yolking. Ain’t chew? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/10 "2014-05-20T14:51:16Z")
I don’t know about the “Mary Lou” part, but I think of the old [7-up commercials](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1flEPy20w0) whenever I hear “wrong-o”. ---
**Author:** ![Fred99999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Fred99999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred99999)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/11 "2015-07-31T14:05:12Z")
Wrong-O Mary Lou. Tony the Tiger said it an old Frosted Flakes commercial when I was a kid. I would say 1970’s. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/12 "2015-07-31T20:14:22Z")
> [@Tikki](#): > > It’s from a commercial from the '80’s aimed at kids. I can’t remember which one, but I think it’s a cereal. Maybe Frosted Flakes, though it’s a boy that says it and not Tony the Tiger. > [@Fred99999](#): > > Tony the Tiger said it an old Frosted Flakes commercial when I was a kid. I would say 1970’s. 70’s, 80’s, Tony said, Tony didn’t - ain’t memory grand! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/13 "2015-08-10T16:19:01Z")
I remember one of the character’s from _Will & Grace_ saying it and now I wonder if it was a reference to that commercial and how many people got it. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/14 "2015-08-10T19:39:46Z")
I have absolutely no memory of this thread and I don’t know if it’s comforting or vaguely disturbing that I was about to respond exactly as I did 11 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Fred99999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Fred99999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred99999)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-o-mary-lou/237138/15 "2016-02-05T17:21:40Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > 70’s, 80’s, Tony said, Tony didn’t - ain’t memory grand! I’m positive Tony said it. I can still hear him saying it. I must have seen the commercial hundreds of times. We used to laugh about the line because it sounded like such a put-down.