TR Contest: The Most Inappropriate Nerd Reference You Ever Made

I’ve mentioned this before on Topless Robot, but back in 2001 I was seriously obsessed with Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I know what you are thinking, who wasn’t? But the thing is that the movie was my gateway drug into the world of fantasy, a fondness I still indulge in weekly thanks to Game of Thrones. The clear highpoint of my Middle Earth mania came at a very strange time. My family’s dog had been ill and the time came where the kindest thing we could do for her was have her put down. So on a cold and rainy December night, my family and I huddled into the car and to the local animal hospital. The veterinarian on staff allowed each of us to go into the room where the procedure would be done and say our goodbyes. Looking up at my pet and seeing what I felt was fear and sadness in her eyes all I could think to say was “be at peace, son of Gondor” before kissing her goodbye and walking out of the room. I suppose it was a nice, if somewhat demented, farewell. But the fact remains that it was a wholly inappropriate reference to make during such a huge moment.

Let’s face it, we are all nerds here and as such I’m sure I’m not alone in making this kind of geeky gaffe. So for this week’s contest I want to know what the most inappropriate nerd reference you ever made was. Did you stop a business meeting dead by referencing your anime crush? Or get overheard comparing a relative’s funeral to the Lost finale? Whatever comparable story you have, I want all the awkward details.

Now the rules: Because Rob already did a contest on inappropriate nerdy pillow talk, I’m going to request that you keep your entries non-sexual in order to avoid repeating stories told previously. Also, keep your submissions to less than five sentences. If you submit extremely lengthy stories they will be considered ineligible. I’ll be giving away two shirts, so mine your memories and turn your tales of woe into nifty apparel. THREE ENTRIES PER PERSON. You have until 12:01am EST, Monday, May 28th to enter. Reminder: TR is off on Monday, but Rob will be back on Tuesday, and I will post the winners in the afternoon then. Good luck!