"The Internets"

[QuikSand]

Fess up... how many of you still use this phrase?

Do you use it 100% of the time when you make the reference? Just in certain company? Just when you're feeling a little spunky?

[Celeval]

Don't think I ever have, actually.

[CraigSca]

Oh my - don't think I've ever called it that.

[MJ4H]

Don't use it. Never heard anyone else use it.

[Buccaneer]

Never heard that term being used.

[gottimd]

Que?

[yabanci]

bizarre question.

[tanglewood]

Is there something you want to admit to Quik?

[Ben E Lou]

Don't use it. Never heard anyone else use it.Ditto.

[Daimyo]

I still use it often. Should I be ashamed?

[gottimd]

Somebody has been sniffin' some glue.

[vex]

The what?

[Karlifornia]

Can someone run a McAfee scan on Quik? :)

[Senator]

Reboot Quik!

[gottimd]

What does the term mean? How do you use it in context?

"Oh honey, have you met our neighbors, the internets?"

[ThunderingHERD]

Are you guys new to the internets or something?

[Critch]

I've never used it, or heard anybody else use it, but I'm going to start using it.

[Swaggs]

That is one of the memorable butcherings of the English language that our esteemed president coined during one of the debates.

[gottimd]

hxxp://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/internets.php

Internets (colloquialism)

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<!-- start content --><DL><DD>This page is about the word Internets, as misspoken by US President George W. Bush. For other uses of the word Internets, see Internets (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internets). </DD></DL>
"Internets" was originally used as shorthand for cluelessness about the Internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet) or about technology in general. It gained widespread currency when U.S. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.) President George W. Bush (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush) referred to "the Internets" in the 2nd Presidential Debate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election_debates%2C_2004) with U.S. Senator John Kerry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kerry) on October 8 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_8), 2004 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004). The exact exchange, taken from a transcript at Wikisource (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikisource), is reproduced below:

(SEE ABOVE LINK TO VIEW)
AUDIENCE QUESTION: Mr. President, since we continue to police the world, how do you intend to maintain a military presence without re-instituting a draft?
BUSH: Yes, great question. Thanks. I hear there's rumors on the uh (pause) Internets that we're going to have a draft. We're not going to have a draft, period. The all-volunteer Army works. ...
By coincidence, "internets" was already part of an obscure catchphrase on the Something Awful Forums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Awful_Forums) ("Oh noes! I have five internets open!"). In this earlier usage, the "internets" referred to multiple browser (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser) windows as interpreted by a computer neophyte, rather than a collective term for the Internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet), as Bush apparently meant to use it. The catchphrase was rehashed on the Something Awful Forums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Awful_Forums) after the debate, and is still somewhat of a presence.

[vex]

Uh huh

[GrantDawg]

Where there really that many people who didn't know where this came from? I think I've heard a comedian say it on television every week since Bush said it.

[sabotai]

Do you use it 100% of the time when you make the reference? Just in certain company? Just when you're feeling a little spunky?
Just when I feel spunky (say, maybe once a month)

[hawk4669]

What does the term mean? How do you use it in context?

"Oh honey, have you met our neighbors, the internets?"

LOL I had the same though. Scary.

Cheers!

[stevew]

I like to use it whenever possible. Not that its funny, per se, but it makes me laugh. I also think i'd heard some hick members of the inlaws use it before bush did.

[kcchief19]

As noted above, I only use it derisively when speaking of someone who uses the word, or someone who seems like they would use the word.

I also use an alternate version to indicate derision, "an Internet," in reference to former Missouri Tigers head football coach Larry Smith, who I credit for coining the term in a press conference. When asked what he thought of Internet rumors indicating he was about to be fire, Smith replied, "I never have read that stuff and I never will read that stuff. I don't even have an Internet."

I also use the term "Wal-Marts," in sarcastic fashion, inspired by people who saying by their meaning clearly are indicating only one Wal-Mart but choose to pluralize.

Yes, I realize I'm a snob and a jerk.

[Ben E Lou]

Where there really that many people who didn't know where this came from? I think I've heard a comedian say it on television every week since Bush said it.Well, I don't watch television, and neither Boortz, the Monsters of the Mid-Day, nor the Two Live Stews use it. ;)

[VPI97]

I use "interweb" personally...as in "Golly gee, did you learn that on the new fangled interweb?"

[Subby]

Yes, I realize I'm a snob and a jerk. You are aces in my book.

[sovereignstar]

I'm the head honcho of an up-and-coming Barnes and Nobles movement.

[digamma]

I use Prodigy, but I'm thinking of switching to Compuserve.

[MJ4H]

You are aces in my book.
He's AA23 double-suited in mine.

[st.cronin]

I remember watching that debate, but I don't remember the phrase and was not aware of it's usage until this thread.

[stevew]

http://rumorsontheinternets.ytmnd.com/

[Buccaneer]

Where there really that many people who didn't know where this came from? I think I've heard a comedian say it on television every week since Bush said it.
Comedian. Television.

Well no wonder I had never heard it before.

[sterlingice]

I've never heard of this before. I've seen "teh interweb" or whatever but not this.

SI

[Ksyrup]

I'd never heard the term until someone used it in a thread earlier today, which is what I assume prompted QS' question.

[Draft Dodger]

never heard of it.

but I do call "Lost" "The Lost", driving myself crazy.

[terpkristin]

I refuse to use it.

It honestly annoys me to no end when I hear it. At this point (given it's recent "popularity" though personally I'm not sure why people want to mimic Bush's horrendus speaking "quirks"), it's as irksome to me as fingernails on a chalkboard.

/tk

[Pumpy Tudors]

The Wikipedia article makes me wonder if QuikSand has stairs in his house.

[cthomer5000]

never used or heard it used personally, but i use the "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...won't get fooled again" as often as possible.

[Maple Leafs]

It's fairly common among those who do Internet-related work for a living. It's a quick way to indicate that you are cool and ironic, without going for the full turtle-neck/goatee look.

[QuikSand]

For what it's worth, I wasn't aware that the term had been around as a derisive term prior to the presidential debate, but since then it's just been the default term used around our house. *shurg*

And yes -- it was seeing it once or twice here (on this forum) that made me ask. Though I'm a little surprised that the reference went wanting so long.

[terpkristin]

It's fairly common among those who do Internet-related work for a living. It's a quick way to indicate that you are cool and ironic, without going for the full turtle-neck/goatee look.See, now maybe you and I have different opinions of what a "cool and ironic" person is, but the ONLY people I've heard use it are ones I classify as dweebs. Great people, perhaps, but total dorks (and yes I consider myself a dork even though I don't use the term).

/tk

[Pumpy Tudors]

For what it's worth, I wasn't aware that the term had been around as a derisive term prior to the presidential debate, but since then it's just been the default term used around our house. *shurg*

And yes -- it was seeing it once or twice here (on this forum) that made me ask. Though I'm a little surprised that the reference went wanting so long.
So, uh, do you have stairs in your house?

[QuikSand]

So, uh, do you have stairs in your house?

I guess I need more learnin' to catch up with you city folk.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I guess I need more learnin' to catch up with you city folk.
No, you did fine. Thanks!

[CamEdwards]

See, now maybe you and I have different opinions of what a "cool and ironic" person is, but the ONLY people I've heard use it are ones I classify as dweebs. Great people, perhaps, but total dorks (and yes I consider myself a dork even though I don't use the term).

/tk

There's a difference between real cool and dork cool. Dork cool is closely associated with hipsterhood. real cool is exceedingly rare and timeless.

[QuikSand]

There's a difference between real cool and dork cool. Dork cool is closely associated with hipsterhood. real cool is exceedingly rare and timeless.

I'm pretty sure that I have only trace amounts of any of those things, if that. I just thought this was a funny thing to dig at a clueless politician. Mrs. Q and I also uniformly say "Lambert Field" though the opportunities to do so are far fewer, understandably. Guess we're lame.

[CamEdwards]

I'm pretty sure that I have only trace amounts of any of those things, if that. I just thought this was a funny thing to dig at a clueless politician. Mrs. Q and I also uniformly say "Lambert Field" though the opportunities to do so are far fewer, understandably. Guess we're lame.

you should have stood outside the Naval Academy today with a sign that read "I Heart The Internets" :p

Actually, that would have made me chuckle. And even some conservatives, who shall remain nameless but may actually be me, like to mispronunciaze words in imitatpression of the Prez. I have more dork cool than real cool.

[Maple Leafs]

See, now maybe you and I have different opinions of what a "cool and ironic" person is, but the ONLY people I've heard use it are ones I classify as dweebs. Great people, perhaps, but total dorks (and yes I consider myself a dork even though I don't use the term).

Hm. My attempt at ironically using the phrase "cool and ironic" was considered uncool. Not sure what to do here. It's like the universe is collapsing in on itself...

[thesloppy]

I'm pretty sure that I have only trace amounts of any of those things, if that. I just thought this was a funny thing to dig at a clueless politician. Mrs. Q and I also uniformly say "Lambert Field" though the opportunities to do so are far fewer, understandably. Guess we're lame.

I still use 'the internets' whenever referencing the internet in written conversation with friends.

But, similar to 'Lambet Field', I still say 'Beaver and Buffcoat', and the benny hill soundtrack on the ytnmd page above made me piss my pants, so I'm not the best judge of humor outside of the 'outdated' and 'simple-minded' genres.

Also, PAK CHOOIE UNF.

[Joe]

I still use it occasionally when I'm in debates...

[terpkristin]

Hm. My attempt at ironically using the phrase "cool and ironic" was considered uncool. Not sure what to do here. It's like the universe is collapsing in on itself...It's not your fault. I'm often too literal. Another side-effect of being a dork. :D

/tk

[VPI97]

So, uh, do you have stairs in your house?I am protected.


PAK CHOOIE UNF

[Draft Dodger]

for the love of God.
I don't care about this thread anymore, but can we just GIVE Kristin 500 posts to help her get rid of that horrendous title?

[cthomer5000]

I am protected.


PAK CHOOIE UNF
DONT TRUST THE SHOVER ROBOT!

[JeeberD]

I use Prodigy, but I'm thinking of switching to Compuserve.

My parents still have a Prodigy e-mail address... :o

I use the term "Internets" very rarely, and for some reason only in spoken form. I don't think I've ever used on a forum...

[vtbub]

for the love of God.
I don't care about this thread anymore, but can we just GIVE Kristin 500 posts to help her get rid of that horrendous title?
No, she should be there permanently. It makes Jeebs sleep better at night.

[kcchief19]

for the love of God.
I don't care about this thread anymore, but can we just GIVE Kristin 500 posts to help her get rid of that horrendous title? I'll second the motion. Kudos to Ben for trying to shake it up, but the shaving user title is an abomination. I couldn't care less about my user title -- normally -- but I almost feel like getting drunk one night and posting a Tic-Tac-Toe dynasty just to get away from the title.

[wade moore]

I use "interweb" personally...as in "Golly gee, did you learn that on the new fangled interweb?"
Ditto.. me and my closest group of friends probably haven't used the term "internet" with each other in 3 years... it's all about the interweb... although sadly, i'm not 100% sure where we got it from...

[Pumpy Tudors]

I am protected.


PAK CHOOIE UNF
gb2fyad

[QuikSand]

...I almost feel like getting drunk one night and posting a Tic-Tac-Toe dynasty just to get away from the title.

But it's not fair! The chicken gets to play every day!

[wishbone]

Are you guys talking about the intertron?

[rkmsuf]

Huh, just noticed Quiksand doesn't have a title.