Impressive. Most impressive. May 11, 2016 9:19 AM Subscribe
I was having feelings about cheese the other night and remembered that time I asked a seemingly hopeless question that you wonderful people were able to answer. It feels like it's been a while since we had a success stories round-up! Please take a moment to share the most impossible solved ID questions you've come across. The vaguer and less detail-rich the better!
Let's out the mind readers of metafilter and give them their due.
Let's out the mind readers of metafilter and give them their due.
I freely admit this is tooting my own horn, but I've always been proud of my two-minute Moby-spotting record.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:38 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:38 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
A couple of years ago I needed to find a small part for an obsolete Akai reel-to-reel tape recorder. Pinback had my back.
posted by workerant at 9:40 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by workerant at 9:40 AM on May 11, 2016
I bought that book as a result of your thread, ChuraChura! I love it, her poetry is wonderful.
posted by barchan at 9:46 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by barchan at 9:46 AM on May 11, 2016
The reason I joined MetaFilter after a couple years of lurking was to ask an incredibly vague song ID question. last night a dj saved my life* got it in under 20 minutes.
*which, by the way, is an excellent choice of username.
posted by capricorn at 9:49 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
*which, by the way, is an excellent choice of username.
posted by capricorn at 9:49 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Can I hijack this thread to try and get my never-answered song identification Ask answered? IT HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY.
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:50 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:50 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Metafilter: THAT'S IT. THAT'S FUCKING IT. THE CHEESE THING OH THANK GOD.
posted by I-baLL at 10:09 AM on May 11, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by I-baLL at 10:09 AM on May 11, 2016 [17 favorites]
Can I hijack this thread to try and get my never-answered song identification Ask answered? IT HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY.
Octo, the era and the lyrics make me think of Quantum Leap, and I know Scott Bakula did a fair amount of singing on the show, but I can't seem to find any link between those lyrics and the show. Does that ring any bells?
posted by Rock Steady at 10:13 AM on May 11, 2016
Octo, the era and the lyrics make me think of Quantum Leap, and I know Scott Bakula did a fair amount of singing on the show, but I can't seem to find any link between those lyrics and the show. Does that ring any bells?
posted by Rock Steady at 10:13 AM on May 11, 2016
Apropos of absolutely nothing, posting this thread is the highlight of my MetaFilter career.
posted by slogger at 10:14 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by slogger at 10:14 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I asked about a half-remembered "true" ghost story of the Call From Beyond The Grave variety. It's a pretty big paranormal subgenre, and I wasn't counting on any kind of a definitive answer.
-About an hour after I posted, kidbritish identified the title of the book where I'd first read the story.
-Anastasiav posted pictures of the relevant pages.
-Neroli found a press photograph of the dead man. (!!!)
posted by Iridic at 10:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
-About an hour after I posted, kidbritish identified the title of the book where I'd first read the story.
-Anastasiav posted pictures of the relevant pages.
-Neroli found a press photograph of the dead man. (!!!)
posted by Iridic at 10:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
It could have been, I watched a lot of Quantum Leap back in the day...
Rock Steady I will give you a +5 vorpal sword in our D&D game if you find the answer
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Rock Steady I will give you a +5 vorpal sword in our D&D game if you find the answer
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
i just want to remind everyone that the mystery of the tv show paint roller incident remains unsolved
posted by poffin boffin at 10:22 AM on May 11, 2016 [56 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 10:22 AM on May 11, 2016 [56 favorites]
the what
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:27 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:27 AM on May 11, 2016
"Can I hijack this thread to try and get my never-answered song identification Ask answered? "
Which one?
posted by I-baLL at 10:28 AM on May 11, 2016
Which one?
posted by I-baLL at 10:28 AM on May 11, 2016
No and I should probably solicit guesses by MeMail so I don't for reals hijack this thread (please, somebody, MeMail me the correct answer)
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:33 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:33 AM on May 11, 2016
FirstMateKate nailed this random commercial actor ID question in less than an hour.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:40 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 10:40 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
feckless, this is the question that raised the paint roller mystery.
posted by aka burlap at 10:53 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by aka burlap at 10:53 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
Oh yes, I'd erased that from my memory because it was driving me mental.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:57 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:57 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Okay, this is tooting my own horn (or whatever) but what were the odds:
Someone posted a few pages of some totally obscure old piano piece and I read it and thought hey wait a minute, I've heard this. The rest is youtube...
posted by Namlit at 11:06 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Someone posted a few pages of some totally obscure old piano piece and I read it and thought hey wait a minute, I've heard this. The rest is youtube...
posted by Namlit at 11:06 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Can we get the white/blue dress and dog pants viral Twitter people on the paint roller question? I want to hear about it on Good Morning America within three weeks.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:08 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by Rock Steady at 11:08 AM on May 11, 2016
The paint roller question still comes up every once in a while at my house. I may hypothetically have emailed Starlee Kine from Mystery Show about it months ago. Sometimes I hope that the reason that the second season of Mystery Show is taking so long is that Starlee is locked in a vault somewhere watching thousands of hours of sitcoms, finding the answer for us.
posted by Stacey at 11:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [25 favorites]
posted by Stacey at 11:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [25 favorites]
my mental image of the paint roller scene has basically coalesced into Jim J. Bullock rolling it over Nancy McKeon's face while ALF watches
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:18 AM on May 11, 2016 [16 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:18 AM on May 11, 2016 [16 favorites]
"First question I ever posted"
You were sure it wasn't Forever Baby, but did you see this video? That really is an earworm and it sounds a bit different in the TV show than the song that was linked in the thread. And it was in a TV show and maybe you saw it. And it sounds "rock ballad"-ish.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 11:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
You were sure it wasn't Forever Baby, but did you see this video? That really is an earworm and it sounds a bit different in the TV show than the song that was linked in the thread. And it was in a TV show and maybe you saw it. And it sounds "rock ballad"-ish.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 11:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
A shiny favorite for leading me to a catchy song sung by a puppet, but that is definitely not it.
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:26 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:26 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's kind of amazing to me that googling was able to turn up those lyrics -- that's got to be quite obscure -- but nothing else like it. Song lyrics are all over the web these days. So I guess I'm saying that you shouldn't be holding your breath for the answer to this mystery.
Likewise, the pain-roller thing. I'm amazed that the question hasn't been answered -- the thread's closed now, but even so.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 11:35 AM on May 11, 2016
Likewise, the pain-roller thing. I'm amazed that the question hasn't been answered -- the thread's closed now, but even so.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 11:35 AM on May 11, 2016
I recently asked about a song I've been wondering about for 25 years. Nobody figured it out but one song was suggested so I went to YouTube to listen to that song. It wasn't the song I was thinking of but then YouTube autoplayed the next video and that was the song I'd been trying to figure out. It was kind of amazing.
A couple years ago I asked about a Lego knock-off I was given as a kid. Nobody could identify it in the thread but then a few months ago a user named CG memailed me and suggested they were a brand called Polly Hobby and I'm like 98% sure that's the correct one.
I've asked for other things to be identified and they have been, but these two are my favorites.
Coming at it from the other end, I would really like to know if I answered this question correctly. I'm pretty sure I did but the user never followed up. I only really knew that song because Rerun tried to bootleg it that one time.
posted by bondcliff at 11:53 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
A couple years ago I asked about a Lego knock-off I was given as a kid. Nobody could identify it in the thread but then a few months ago a user named CG memailed me and suggested they were a brand called Polly Hobby and I'm like 98% sure that's the correct one.
I've asked for other things to be identified and they have been, but these two are my favorites.
Coming at it from the other end, I would really like to know if I answered this question correctly. I'm pretty sure I did but the user never followed up. I only really knew that song because Rerun tried to bootleg it that one time.
posted by bondcliff at 11:53 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
I have no memory of the paint roller thing (no memory implanting here), but now I'm dying to know what it's from.
posted by sallybrown at 12:08 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sallybrown at 12:08 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I asked about a song heard on the radio while driving in Vermont a few years back. AskMe was able to help me locate a snippet of it as part of a playlist, but the trail died out after that.
Three months later, jessypie posted the correct ID, and also Memailed me, saying "A friend had suggested I check out that band so I downloaded their record a month or two ago and then forgot to listen to it until the day I posted my reply, when it was playing along and suddenly I was all OH MY GOSH IT'S THAT SONG."
jessypie (and AskMe) rocks!
posted by googly at 12:09 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Three months later, jessypie posted the correct ID, and also Memailed me, saying "A friend had suggested I check out that band so I downloaded their record a month or two ago and then forgot to listen to it until the day I posted my reply, when it was playing along and suddenly I was all OH MY GOSH IT'S THAT SONG."
jessypie (and AskMe) rocks!
posted by googly at 12:09 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
I was pleased and impressed by how quickly my Nazca lines / ancient astronauts question was answered.
posted by Bruce H. at 12:39 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by Bruce H. at 12:39 PM on May 11, 2016
I smelled almond cookies in the woods and you guys explained that it was millipedes.
posted by gyusan at 12:41 PM on May 11, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by gyusan at 12:41 PM on May 11, 2016 [12 favorites]
Three months later, jessypie posted the correct ID, and also Memailed me
Speaking of how great jessypie is, here she is answering my question on a thread that wasn't even mine!
posted by phunniemee at 12:46 PM on May 11, 2016
Speaking of how great jessypie is, here she is answering my question on a thread that wasn't even mine!
posted by phunniemee at 12:46 PM on May 11, 2016
I was having feelings about cheese...
Edible or non-edible cheese?
posted by Wordshore at 1:28 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Edible or non-edible cheese?
posted by Wordshore at 1:28 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
NOT FUNNY WORDSHORE
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:39 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:39 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
yeah, the smell doesn't tell you whether it's edible i know
posted by Namlit at 1:45 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Namlit at 1:45 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
What is the meaning of 'Get high! and farewell dinosaurs zippie'? Yay for thetortoise!
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:47 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:47 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
feckless, this is the question that raised the paint roller mystery.
Oh man, I missed that question. The thing is after only reading the first line I thought "I know! I know! It's in the opening scene of Three's Company and Chrissy has the paint roller and rolls it over Jack's face."
But then I scrolled down, getting more and more dismayed, and realized that other warriors had been there before me and had fallen.
posted by vacapinta at 2:00 PM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
Oh man, I missed that question. The thing is after only reading the first line I thought "I know! I know! It's in the opening scene of Three's Company and Chrissy has the paint roller and rolls it over Jack's face."
But then I scrolled down, getting more and more dismayed, and realized that other warriors had been there before me and had fallen.
posted by vacapinta at 2:00 PM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
My first question also, after years and years of lurking. Still not sure whether this one has been answered.
posted by blurker at 2:13 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by blurker at 2:13 PM on May 11, 2016
maryrussel very quickly found a super-depressing apocalyptic children's book I'd forgotten the name of and had always wondered about for 25+ years! The power of AskMe!
posted by mochapickle at 2:17 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by mochapickle at 2:17 PM on May 11, 2016
interplanetjanet solved a mystery about a picture that my grandfather brought back from WWII. We'd been wondering about it for years, solved in under 3 hours.
posted by lharmon at 2:26 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by lharmon at 2:26 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I know who is responsible for the paint roller thing I don't want to give it away but his name rhymes with SMASHILISK
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:31 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:31 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also my answer to the paint roller thing was correct. I still can't prove it, but I know it in my heart to be true.
posted by mochapickle at 2:40 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by mochapickle at 2:40 PM on May 11, 2016
Goin' to Puerto Rico! Tomorrow! Not a huge mystery, but I'm pleased.
posted by ersatzkat at 2:42 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by ersatzkat at 2:42 PM on May 11, 2016
Where the hell is she? was pretty impressive.
posted by SLC Mom at 2:56 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by SLC Mom at 2:56 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
> My first question also, after years and years of lurking. Still not sure whether this one has been answered.
I went to the cellar and found my copy of World's Best SF 1971 (this is why I keep all those damn books!) and read "Whatever Became of the McGowans?" and yes, that is the story you were looking for:
posted by languagehat at 2:59 PM on May 11, 2016 [35 favorites]
I went to the cellar and found my copy of World's Best SF 1971 (this is why I keep all those damn books!) and read "Whatever Became of the McGowans?" and yes, that is the story you were looking for:
At last the tendrils on his feet probed moisture below the surface and the fluid rose into his body, satisfying a craving that had possessed him for days. Once again contentment stole through his senses and he felt his heart slow until it became an occasional spasmodic flicker.You can't give me a sweet, sweet Best Answer, but a favorite would go some way toward assuaging the pain.
"[...] until the point was reached when your physical structure began to change and ciliate roots appeared on your feet, demanding to be buried in moist soil [...]"
posted by languagehat at 2:59 PM on May 11, 2016 [35 favorites]
Was going to go to bed, but had to glance at the paint roller question... Three hours of youtube rabbit hole later and there is still no answer :(
posted by Faintdreams at 5:38 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Faintdreams at 5:38 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'd have bet good money against this question being answered in two comments.
posted by gauche at 7:25 PM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by gauche at 7:25 PM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
oh man what was that deleted askme that was something like, what is the number of humans all squashed together that would equal the mass of the entire planet earth, and the best answer was "whatever that number is it is not as high as you are right now"
i love that question
posted by poffin boffin at 8:09 PM on May 11, 2016 [35 favorites]
i love that question
posted by poffin boffin at 8:09 PM on May 11, 2016 [35 favorites]
I tried different chunks, and those lyrics are mostly ungoogleable, prize bull octorok. This is one result, anyway (that I don't think actually matches your lyrics at all) :/ well good luck with that
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:29 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:29 PM on May 11, 2016
I had an answer in just 28 minutes for my request to ID a "Y2K show that made "Ancient Aliens" look like PBS's "Frontline".
Turns out the show was about the end of the Mayan Calendar, but when all you have to go on is essentially "Apocalypse causes home appliances to attack family," put your trust in AskMe that they'll be at least one person who can assure you it wasn't a misremembered fever dream.
posted by chambers at 9:48 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Turns out the show was about the end of the Mayan Calendar, but when all you have to go on is essentially "Apocalypse causes home appliances to attack family," put your trust in AskMe that they'll be at least one person who can assure you it wasn't a misremembered fever dream.
posted by chambers at 9:48 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm still reeling slightly from the release of long-buried annoyance brought to me by synecdoche's Wacky Wednesday question and charlemangy's speedy response.
posted by Mizu at 11:38 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by Mizu at 11:38 PM on May 11, 2016
A bit of own-horn blowing again, but back in 2012 perrce asked for help in id-ing an iconic photo of Miles Davis, identified has having been taken "sometime in 1955."
"Can you tell me anything about the photo? Was it really taken on Jan 1? Where was Miles playing when it was taken? Who was backing him in the band? I'm almost afraid to ask what song he was playing."
Well, yeah, what the hell--that's an easy one, right?
We managed to identify that it was actually taken in 1969, not 1955. Then that it looks quite similar to a series of concerts he played that year.
Then--jackpot: Danish Radio broadcast on November 4, 1969 at Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark - Bitches Brew Live Performance. Along with a video of the concert that matches the clothing and other details of the photo exactly, and also shows him striking a similar pose several times.
Photo here . Watch video here.
You aren't often able to identify such specific moment (including video of--likely--the exact moment when the photo was taken, from a slightly different vantage point) and answer all of the OP's questions about the photo, based on such a scanty starting point.
The video has all the answers to perrce's questions--who, what, where, when. The "backing band" has just a FEW well known names: Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette
FYI the video link from the original post is gone now--watch the above link while you can . . .
posted by flug at 1:37 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Can you tell me anything about the photo? Was it really taken on Jan 1? Where was Miles playing when it was taken? Who was backing him in the band? I'm almost afraid to ask what song he was playing."
Well, yeah, what the hell--that's an easy one, right?
We managed to identify that it was actually taken in 1969, not 1955. Then that it looks quite similar to a series of concerts he played that year.
Then--jackpot: Danish Radio broadcast on November 4, 1969 at Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark - Bitches Brew Live Performance. Along with a video of the concert that matches the clothing and other details of the photo exactly, and also shows him striking a similar pose several times.
Photo here . Watch video here.
You aren't often able to identify such specific moment (including video of--likely--the exact moment when the photo was taken, from a slightly different vantage point) and answer all of the OP's questions about the photo, based on such a scanty starting point.
The video has all the answers to perrce's questions--who, what, where, when. The "backing band" has just a FEW well known names: Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette
FYI the video link from the original post is gone now--watch the above link while you can . . .
posted by flug at 1:37 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Another nice one was identifying an exact 1970s computer terminal make and model from a fuzzy photograph that half-obscured the terminal in question.
That was definitely a group effort, with girlhacker identifying the make as Research Teleray and flabdablet coming up with the exact model number--from memory no less: Teleray 1061.
That one almost made up for never finding the answer to the paint roller/sitcom intro mystery. Almost . . .
posted by flug at 2:07 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
That was definitely a group effort, with girlhacker identifying the make as Research Teleray and flabdablet coming up with the exact model number--from memory no less: Teleray 1061.
That one almost made up for never finding the answer to the paint roller/sitcom intro mystery. Almost . . .
posted by flug at 2:07 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I have visions of my family crowding round my deathbed to catch my final words only to hear "...but...*wheeze*...the paint roller..."
posted by billiebee at 2:44 AM on May 12, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by billiebee at 2:44 AM on May 12, 2016 [14 favorites]
It's really annoying, isn't it? I'm not saying that the paint-roller title scene doesn't exist, but I do wonder about it because it seems to me that the whole idea of it is the quintessence of the 70s-90s sitcom title gag. Too Many Cooks worked so well because it's as if we've integrated that style of sitcom title sequence into our very DNA. Even if the paint-roller title gag doesn't exist, it nevertheless must exist.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:25 AM on May 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:25 AM on May 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
Incidentally, because I was prompted to watch it again just now, I see that Too Many Cooks has a paint-roller gag -- though not a door-opening one -- at 0:31.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:27 AM on May 12, 2016
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:27 AM on May 12, 2016
Me this morning. Reads:
I was having feelings about cheese the other night
Thinks: "I bet I know who this is."
(I was right.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:28 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I was having feelings about cheese the other night
Thinks: "I bet I know who this is."
(I was right.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:28 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I was kind of proud of this one, identifying a street ad in the background of Michael Palin's Around the World in Eighty Days.
posted by zamboni at 7:42 AM on May 12, 2016
posted by zamboni at 7:42 AM on May 12, 2016
Ha, Cool Papa Bell beat me. I read this question and immediately thought of my ridiculous "Where did I put my remote control" question that inexplicably CPB was able to answer! I still can't believe it.
posted by silverstatue at 7:50 AM on May 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by silverstatue at 7:50 AM on May 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
Well it's not new, but my vague description, using terminology that is apparently obscure, of a decade-old arty film that I saw once got solved within the hour.
That said: I wish I could rely on askme to find the remote...
posted by pompomtom at 7:59 AM on May 12, 2016
That said: I wish I could rely on askme to find the remote...
posted by pompomtom at 7:59 AM on May 12, 2016
What building was that I flew over?, not helped any by my brain's apparent tendency to fill in plausible details when I can't remember something. (And since I posted that answer they've been turned from a Marriott into an apartment complex.)
I'm looking for a comic I read decades ago and only remember two panels.
Sadly still unanswered: Terry Pratchett's favourite limerick.
posted by johnofjack at 8:55 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm looking for a comic I read decades ago and only remember two panels.
Sadly still unanswered: Terry Pratchett's favourite limerick.
posted by johnofjack at 8:55 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's kind of amazing to me that googling was able to turn up those lyrics -- that's got to be quite obscure -- but nothing else like it.
I tried different chunks, and those lyrics are mostly ungoogleable, prize bull octorok. This yt is one result, anyway (that I don't think actually matches your lyrics at all) :/ well good luck with that
Yeah the fact that there's this one instance of all the lyrics showing up in one random spot on the web, and nothing else anywhere, really makes me think this was written out as an entire song, but never officially released/recorded anywhere, and that only a snippet made it onto the TV show it was written for (my mental recording sounds like a struggling singer/songwriter character rehearsing it, and abruptly stopping -- this is why this haunts me! I have all these very specific "memories" about it!). Maybe there's a TWOP forum or someplace I can get 90s TV obsessives on the case.
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:25 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I tried different chunks, and those lyrics are mostly ungoogleable, prize bull octorok. This yt is one result, anyway (that I don't think actually matches your lyrics at all) :/ well good luck with that
Yeah the fact that there's this one instance of all the lyrics showing up in one random spot on the web, and nothing else anywhere, really makes me think this was written out as an entire song, but never officially released/recorded anywhere, and that only a snippet made it onto the TV show it was written for (my mental recording sounds like a struggling singer/songwriter character rehearsing it, and abruptly stopping -- this is why this haunts me! I have all these very specific "memories" about it!). Maybe there's a TWOP forum or someplace I can get 90s TV obsessives on the case.
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:25 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
My life greatly improved when I had this question about a quote answered in 20 minutes, and it turned out to be from Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place! Wonderful mefite, that correcaminos, and also all those favorites were so lovely and validating of the shared understanding of that awesomeness.
posted by yueliang at 9:32 AM on May 12, 2016
posted by yueliang at 9:32 AM on May 12, 2016
I also find AskMeFi questions about smells to be so prettily ephemeral, so this one is about what smells like almond extract in Point Reyes is so magical to me.
posted by yueliang at 9:37 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by yueliang at 9:37 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
In 2014, I stumped MeFi twice. I am not bragging. This causes me immense grief, as I trusted you people.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:40 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Sophie1 at 9:40 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Wait - how did koroshiya get that in and I never watched it! That's it!!! OK, my apologies on Ask #2. But Ask #1 still is unsolved.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:44 AM on May 12, 2016
posted by Sophie1 at 9:44 AM on May 12, 2016
K, I think I understand something now.
Here's a three's company episode (S02E23):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOfbch7nGIk
Watch the intro. It does NOT have the paintroller scene but...when the intro ends... it continues! There are apparently longer versions of the intros that have more clips from the show! I now need to find out during which season did Don Knotts join the cast.
posted by I-baLL at 10:16 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Here's a three's company episode (S02E23):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOfbch7nGIk
Watch the intro. It does NOT have the paintroller scene but...when the intro ends... it continues! There are apparently longer versions of the intros that have more clips from the show! I now need to find out during which season did Don Knotts join the cast.
posted by I-baLL at 10:16 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Took me 8 years, but I answered my own "what WAS that song?" question and I turned out to be right.
posted by crush-onastick at 10:58 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by crush-onastick at 10:58 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Almost exactly a year ago, I asked a question to find a movie, and my details were pretty vague. lalex got it within nine minutes. I went back and watched the movie, and realized that I even got a bunch of the vague details wrong.
posted by SpacemanStix at 12:17 PM on May 12, 2016
posted by SpacemanStix at 12:17 PM on May 12, 2016
I will confess I was sort of happy that I was able to identify this one (largely because of Richard Widmark), because, as I mentioned at the time, I pulled the answer out of some weird recesses of my brain and I love when that happens.
posted by holborne at 12:28 PM on May 12, 2016
posted by holborne at 12:28 PM on May 12, 2016
Took me 8 years, but I answered my own "what WAS that song?" question
That reminds me that I finally figured out the identity of this book last year: it's 1974's Witches, Ghosts and Goblins: A Spooky Search for Miranda's Cat.
posted by Iridic at 12:51 PM on May 12, 2016
That reminds me that I finally figured out the identity of this book last year: it's 1974's Witches, Ghosts and Goblins: A Spooky Search for Miranda's Cat.
posted by Iridic at 12:51 PM on May 12, 2016
I was pretty happy with this one, not least because I learned I share a favorite kids' book with Jessamyn.
posted by Mchelly at 12:57 PM on May 12, 2016
posted by Mchelly at 12:57 PM on May 12, 2016
Identify this earworm
Sparse on details. Answered in 3 minutes.
Shaboom!
posted by Michele in California at 1:03 PM on May 12, 2016
Sparse on details. Answered in 3 minutes.
Shaboom!
posted by Michele in California at 1:03 PM on May 12, 2016
Btw am I the only person who has spent - by which I mean wasted - literally hours and hours searching for answers to these types of questions? I've never managed to answer a really obscure one though. I can but dream.
no I have no life why do you ask
posted by billiebee at 2:01 PM on May 12, 2016 [9 favorites]
no I have no life why do you ask
posted by billiebee at 2:01 PM on May 12, 2016 [9 favorites]
billiebee, you are not alone, and I once triumphed.
posted by freezer cake at 2:11 PM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by freezer cake at 2:11 PM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
freezer cake, you are not alone either. The stars aligned once for me, too.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:39 PM on May 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:39 PM on May 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
I really like these MeTas because I marvel at the crazy answers with very few misremembered details. I don't spend too much time on Ask because if I did I'd really get nothing done.
billiebee - I also spend too much time searching when something sparks a memory or seems like something I can figure out. prize bull octorok's song ID question mentioned above is one I could spend too much of my life on and might if I lose self-control. I haven't had much luck yet though and the few times when I did have a quick answer to an obscure question someone else had the same answer more quickly.
Now I want to go watch All the Real Girls.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 2:41 PM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
billiebee - I also spend too much time searching when something sparks a memory or seems like something I can figure out. prize bull octorok's song ID question mentioned above is one I could spend too much of my life on and might if I lose self-control. I haven't had much luck yet though and the few times when I did have a quick answer to an obscure question someone else had the same answer more quickly.
Now I want to go watch All the Real Girls.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 2:41 PM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I found Jpfed's mystery time warp, described as "Bonus challenge: I barely remember anything searchable about it!"
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:00 PM on May 12, 2016
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:00 PM on May 12, 2016
I-baLL, I discussed the extended Three's Company credits in this comment back in the original paint-roller thread. They made me so hopeful, but as a lead they didn't pan out.
I'm really sorry about my paint-roller failure, everybody. I feel bad, because it's a question in my professional wheelhouse, but even with all of our resources, nothing. We really worked hard on it! For nine months, there were Top Women working on this question, and we lost a lot of lunch hours to tedious credit-watching.
As I mentioned back in the original thread, I suppose it still could have been a pitfall of my haphazard sampling technique--I didn't personally watch the credits to literally every episode of Perfect Strangers, for instance, but just a couple-few sampled from the first and last half of every single season (and any with plotlines that sounded likely). But I think that was a fair decision, because if a particular credit scene was so rare that it only appeared before one episode of a whole series, then I seriously doubt it could have had such a solid imprinting in the brains of America.
(Some shows, though, like Three's Company, I literally watched EVERY CREDIT SEQUENCE THEY EVER HAD, especially when I discovered the extended sequences and got all excited. Metafilter, don't say I never did anything for you.)
posted by theatro at 4:43 PM on May 12, 2016 [33 favorites]
I'm really sorry about my paint-roller failure, everybody. I feel bad, because it's a question in my professional wheelhouse, but even with all of our resources, nothing. We really worked hard on it! For nine months, there were Top Women working on this question, and we lost a lot of lunch hours to tedious credit-watching.
As I mentioned back in the original thread, I suppose it still could have been a pitfall of my haphazard sampling technique--I didn't personally watch the credits to literally every episode of Perfect Strangers, for instance, but just a couple-few sampled from the first and last half of every single season (and any with plotlines that sounded likely). But I think that was a fair decision, because if a particular credit scene was so rare that it only appeared before one episode of a whole series, then I seriously doubt it could have had such a solid imprinting in the brains of America.
(Some shows, though, like Three's Company, I literally watched EVERY CREDIT SEQUENCE THEY EVER HAD, especially when I discovered the extended sequences and got all excited. Metafilter, don't say I never did anything for you.)
posted by theatro at 4:43 PM on May 12, 2016 [33 favorites]
I still haven't found this cartoon yet.
However, a couple years ago I found out that this book is Bettina's Secret.
posted by SisterHavana at 7:36 PM on May 12, 2016
However, a couple years ago I found out that this book is Bettina's Secret.
posted by SisterHavana at 7:36 PM on May 12, 2016
Now that I think of it, I never got an answer to this question. Come on, sf fans of MeFi, you must be able to do better than that!
posted by languagehat at 8:27 AM on May 13, 2016
posted by languagehat at 8:27 AM on May 13, 2016
I am always so impressed with these -- and if anyone is interested in being a detective, I keep hoping that someone will recognize this short story.*
* shameless pleading -- please delete if it's too hijacky!
posted by cider at 9:27 AM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
* shameless pleading -- please delete if it's too hijacky!
posted by cider at 9:27 AM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh hell, is this the official thread in which we congratulate ourselves for solving Ask mysteries?! YESSS. I found this wristwatch and I figured out what in the sam hell this thing even was.
Please, hold your applause.
posted by Falwless at 6:58 PM on May 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Please, hold your applause.
posted by Falwless at 6:58 PM on May 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
This makes me wish there was a consistent tag for 'what is this thing' Asks, such that one could spend an idle afternoon looking through unresolved ones hoping for a spark of recognition. They're so satisfying to answer.
posted by fermion at 9:32 PM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by fermion at 9:32 PM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
i just want to remind everyone that the mystery of the tv show paint roller incident remains unsolved
For the love of all that is good and holy, can I beg inquisitive minds to read the thread first and not post close-but-not-it answers here? It's taken months of therapy to get over that thread and if I start reading those guesses I won't get anything done for the next week.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 4:49 AM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
For the love of all that is good and holy, can I beg inquisitive minds to read the thread first and not post close-but-not-it answers here? It's taken months of therapy to get over that thread and if I start reading those guesses I won't get anything done for the next week.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 4:49 AM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
This makes me wish there was a consistent tag for 'what is this thing' Asks, such that one could spend an idle afternoon looking through unresolved ones hoping for a spark of recognition. They're so satisfying to answer.
"Identify" is used occasionally for this purpose. I use it consistently and so do a quite a few others. It's worth poking around.
posted by phunniemee at 5:23 AM on May 14, 2016
"Identify" is used occasionally for this purpose. I use it consistently and so do a quite a few others. It's worth poking around.
posted by phunniemee at 5:23 AM on May 14, 2016
I made a pony request along these lines a few years ago.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 9:14 AM on May 14, 2016
posted by Cold Lurkey at 9:14 AM on May 14, 2016
The whole reason I finally paid the 5 bucks... have enjoyed the movie ever since I found it again thanks to alyxstarr
posted by one4themoment at 9:33 AM on May 14, 2016
posted by one4themoment at 9:33 AM on May 14, 2016
Alas, I never did get an answer to my still-open question about an illustration of tiny dragons, my question about what Cibo Matto was sampling, or my question about Windows hot-corner apps.
I was thrilled to ultimately be able to answer my own question about a long-lost rare ABBA album. Anyone with pointers on the above questions, though, feel free to MeFi Mail me!
posted by limeonaire at 1:05 PM on May 14, 2016
I was thrilled to ultimately be able to answer my own question about a long-lost rare ABBA album. Anyone with pointers on the above questions, though, feel free to MeFi Mail me!
posted by limeonaire at 1:05 PM on May 14, 2016
I found my own obscure and half-remembered video clip of a skateboarding performance after posting a question about it.
posted by aka burlap at 11:39 AM on May 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by aka burlap at 11:39 AM on May 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
I was impressed that this question was so well answered, so quickly.
posted by town of cats at 1:04 PM on May 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by town of cats at 1:04 PM on May 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's possible that I have never been as proud of myself as when I correctly ascertained Slow Club's "Me & You" based on " I heard this song last month and am trying to remember a single useful word or phrase from it since. I only have a flashback or two to everyone shouting "you" at one point..."
Somehow, the fact that the OP originally heard it in Warsaw made it even more impressive.
posted by redsparkler at 5:20 PM on May 16, 2016
Somehow, the fact that the OP originally heard it in Warsaw made it even more impressive.
posted by redsparkler at 5:20 PM on May 16, 2016
I loved when Mefi decoded a grandma's scribbled cypher on index cards.
And I can't find it now but one time someone was like, "Where was this photo of a dessert taken?" and someone figured it out by recognizing the menu placemat on the table.
And one time, "What's this thing my dad always draws?" And someone found the kids' how-to-draw diagram his dad had copied in like the 1950s and gotten a few shapes backwards over time so the drawing didn't really look like a guy any more.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:18 PM on May 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
And I can't find it now but one time someone was like, "Where was this photo of a dessert taken?" and someone figured it out by recognizing the menu placemat on the table.
And one time, "What's this thing my dad always draws?" And someone found the kids' how-to-draw diagram his dad had copied in like the 1950s and gotten a few shapes backwards over time so the drawing didn't really look like a guy any more.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:18 PM on May 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
The paint roller question/black hole was interesting, because I immediately thought of Three's Company (or maybe it was Three's a crowd?) opening credits as well, even thought I could hear the theme song when remembering it. I can't believe no one has found the "original" and wonder if this is a real world example of a "stand-alone complex" as described in the various Ghost in the Shell anime/manga.
One suggestion I haven't heard mentioned yet, but it's a show I watched as a child between 1980-1990 in syndication, was Mork and Mindy. But my admittedly untrustworthy memory insists John Ritter was involved. And yet.. here we are, years after the question first appeared, with no proof it ever existed. Life truly is strange.
posted by some loser at 10:12 AM on May 17, 2016
One suggestion I haven't heard mentioned yet, but it's a show I watched as a child between 1980-1990 in syndication, was Mork and Mindy. But my admittedly untrustworthy memory insists John Ritter was involved. And yet.. here we are, years after the question first appeared, with no proof it ever existed. Life truly is strange.
posted by some loser at 10:12 AM on May 17, 2016
I loved the jokes.txt askme – impressive in lots of ways, part of the lore.
Rollerfilter: I have a hunch that Ivan Fyodorovich is on to something with the Too Many Cooks comparison – my first suspicion was that the paint roller set-up was so cheesy that it would only feature in a fake intro sequence, self-consciously imitating our expectations about sit-com openings, like something embedded in The Simpsons universe (e.g. COPS: In Springfield / Police Cops / things involving Troy Mcclure).
posted by Joeruckus at 12:35 PM on May 17, 2016
Rollerfilter: I have a hunch that Ivan Fyodorovich is on to something with the Too Many Cooks comparison – my first suspicion was that the paint roller set-up was so cheesy that it would only feature in a fake intro sequence, self-consciously imitating our expectations about sit-com openings, like something embedded in The Simpsons universe (e.g. COPS: In Springfield / Police Cops / things involving Troy Mcclure).
posted by Joeruckus at 12:35 PM on May 17, 2016
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posted by ChuraChura at 9:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]