# What are your nerdy engineering traits?



## ptatohed (Feb 20, 2014)

What nerdy engineer things do you do? What do people give you a hard time about?

I'll go first. I wear (and love) my .com/products/archive/Watches/Databank/DBC62-1/'&gt;Casio DBC-62 calculator watch.


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## NJmike PE (Feb 20, 2014)

I should improve upon this. What everyone gives me crap about regarding my engineeredness:

1. concrete vs cement

2. aluminum foil vs tin foil

What my wife gives me crap about regarding my engineeredness:

1. Anytime I try to explain anything related to civil engineering, site development, etc. It is usually followed with "Ok. I don't care."


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 20, 2014)

Knowing what I know about computer systems both hardware and software related.

Being a Life-Hacker.


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## engineergurl (Feb 20, 2014)

NJmike PE said:


> 2. aluminum foil vs tin foil




I think aluminum foil could actually be considered to fall under the second definition of tin..."a metal container"


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## roadwreck (Feb 20, 2014)

EB.com? :dunno:


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## Dexman PE PMP (Feb 20, 2014)

The TI-86 calculator app on my phone.

Although I just realized that when I downloaded it to my new phone I lost the ROM file, so the emulator doesn't work anymore


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 20, 2014)

Dexman PE said:


> The TI-86 calculator app on my phone.
> 
> Although I just realized that when I downloaded it to my new phone I lost the ROM file, so the emulator doesn't work anymore


These are also pretty decent.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.mathlab.android&amp;hl=en

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.algeo.algeo&amp;hl=en


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## Capt Worley PE (Feb 20, 2014)

I guess I don't have any. People think I'm a Harley riding chain smoker. I'm neither.

And I can't figure out why they think that.


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## engineergurl (Feb 20, 2014)

&lt;--- not a nerd, that's why I'm po...


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## Mike in Gastonia (Feb 20, 2014)

Water Heater vs. Hot Water Heater

I'll echo NJMike's aluminum vs tin foil - just called my wife out on that the other day. She was not amused.....

Having to "repack" the dishwasher more efficiently so as to get more dishes in there.


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## snickerd3 (Feb 20, 2014)

I repack the dish washer too!!

I am a fan of routine and order. Don't you dare rearrange something I have organized


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 20, 2014)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I guess I don't have any.


Refusing to embrace technology improvements. &lt;insert "get of my lawn" and/or govt. conspiracy theory here&gt; 



engineergurl said:


> &lt;--- not a nerd, that's why I'm po...


:huh: How many lists do you make on a daily basis? List nerd....


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 20, 2014)

snickerd3 said:


> I repack the dish washer too!!
> 
> I am a fan of routine and order. Don't you dare rearrange something I have organized


+1 on both accounts.


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## engineergurl (Feb 20, 2014)

okay fine, I make color coded lists and schedules...


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## Mike in Gastonia (Feb 20, 2014)

snickerd3 said:


> I repack the dish washer too!!
> 
> I am a fan of routine and order. Don't you dare rearrange something I have organized




Structure and organization are good!!

These might be more OCD than nerdy engineer traits.......

Shirts and pants all face the same direction - both on the hangers and in the closet.

Paper money all faces the same direction and sorted in my wallet from lowest to highest denomination.

I untangle people's phone cords at the office......


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## envirotex (Feb 20, 2014)

I carry a multi-tool on my key chain.

I never have a pen. I always have a mechanical pencil.

My paces are exactly 5 feet (well, within a few inches depending on grade). (Handy for setting up a game of horseshoes, or measuring rooms.)


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## roadwreck (Feb 20, 2014)

Mike in Gastonia said:


> These might be more OCD than nerdy engineer traits.......


My OCD trait is that the thermostat has to be set on an even number. Not sure why it bothers me if it isn't.


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## Capt Worley PE (Feb 20, 2014)

knight1fox3 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > I guess I don't have any.
> ...




Isn't that anti-nerdy and anti-engineering?

I actually embrace technology improvements, but not if the cost is loss of privacy or if there is no additional benefit.

I'm private and cheap. I guess cheapness is nerdy.


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## Capt Worley PE (Feb 20, 2014)

Mike in Gastonia said:


> Shirts and pants all face the same direction - both on the hangers and in the closet.




Makes it easier to grab stuff and throw it out the window in a fire. So said my dad. The engineer.


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## engineergurl (Feb 20, 2014)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Mike in Gastonia said:
> 
> 
> > Shirts and pants all face the same direction - both on the hangers and in the closet.
> ...




OMG this was how we were trained in our house!!! except it was to help the fire fighters in case they needed to check our clothes and make sure they weren't on fire anymore... if all the hangers faced the same way, they could do it faster and easier...


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## Supe (Feb 20, 2014)

I gain considerable satisfaction from winning an argument over a code or specification.


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## willsee (Feb 20, 2014)

Mike in Gastonia said:


> Water Heater vs. Hot Water Heater
> 
> I'll echo NJMike's aluminum vs tin foil - just called my wife out on that the other day. She was not amused.....
> 
> Having to "repack" the dishwasher more efficiently so as to get more dishes in there.


I love calling it a hot water heater to upset the mechanical department


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## Dexman PE PMP (Feb 20, 2014)

Unless the tank is emptied it contains hot water. As it sits, the temperature obviously drops, but it's still hot. Therefore it's a hot water heater.


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## YMZ PE (Feb 20, 2014)

I make spreadsheets and scatter plots for everything, be it my household budget, children's birthday parties and Pinterest ideas I want to try.


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## ptatohed (Feb 20, 2014)

[SIZE=medium]You guys are hilarious. I can relate to (or at least appreciate) most of what you guys brought up (being cheap, temperature setting must be even, all bills must be upright and face forward, clothes/hangers all face the same way, mechanical pencil, etc.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Some more:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]It’s a Driver License, not a Driver’s License! (at least in CA)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]All the screws on the outlet and light switch plates in my home are turned perfectly vertically.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]This kills me: “ABS Brakes”, “ATM Machine”, etc.[/SIZE]


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## YMZ PE (Feb 20, 2014)

I also sketch everything in Autocad. I made placemats in Autocad for my wedding reception, complete with menu, caricatures of me and hubs and a "Get YMZ to the church on time" maze.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Feb 20, 2014)

The spreadsheet I have for my finances has 43 tabs (I call it my life calculator). Granted, most of them are for closed accounts, and several more can be deleted...

Looking through it now, I think there are only about 15 active tabs, with a few more that I reference from time to time. The other half are just old records, including the tracking spreadsheets from our Zombie outbreak games...


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## envirotex (Feb 20, 2014)

Wait...putting everything in a spreadsheet is nerdy?

*goes to review grocery list spreadsheet*


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## YMZ PE (Feb 20, 2014)

^ I hope you have that list automatically populate with pantry items at a set time interval.

I swore I wasn't going to let my kids become nerdy, but I can't help it. I took Mini to the ribbon cutting of a pump station project I worked on...the next day she was telling anyone who would listen about the pumps and how you can't drink the water that's used to cool the engines. Both kids are also huge fans of They Might Be Giants now too.


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## csb (Feb 20, 2014)

YMZ PE said:


> I also sketch everything in Autocad. I made placemats in Autocad for my wedding reception, complete with menu, caricatures of me and hubs and a "Get YMZ to the church on time" maze.




Whoa. That's pretty nerdy.


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## Road Guy (Feb 20, 2014)

after reading this thread I am changing my resume to match more MBA type jobs...


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 20, 2014)

I've made a number of things in AutoCAD as well. Including my Star Wars Rebel Alliance flag. 

:bag:


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 20, 2014)

Road Guy said:


> after reading this thread I am changing my resume to match more MBA type jobs...


Sell out....lol


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## NJmike PE (Feb 20, 2014)

Mike in Gastonia said:


> Water Heater vs. Hot Water Heater
> 
> I'll echo NJMike's aluminum vs tin foil - just called my wife out on that the other day. She was not amused.....
> 
> Having to "repack" the dishwasher more efficiently so as to get more dishes in there.


Yes! Water heater vs hot water heater

Also regardless vs irregardless


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## Dexman PE PMP (Feb 20, 2014)

NJmike PE said:


> Mike in Gastonia said:
> 
> 
> > Water Heater vs. Hot Water Heater
> ...


The first one is actually a word. The second one is some made-up dumbass MBA word...


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## Road Guy (Feb 20, 2014)

there are no 3rd chances


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## snickerd3 (Feb 20, 2014)

ptatohed said:


> [SIZE=medium]You guys are hilarious. I can relate to (or at least appreciate) most of what you guys brought up (being cheap, temperature setting must be even, all bills must be upright and face forward, clothes/hangers all face the same way, mechanical pencil, etc.)[/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=medium]Some more:[/SIZE]
> 
> ...


in IL it is Driver's License...I just looked at mine


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## engineergurl (Feb 20, 2014)

It just dawned on me. I watch wheel of fortune and jeopardy.


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## Dleg (Feb 20, 2014)

Dexman PE said:


> The spreadsheet I have for my finances has 43 tabs (I call it my life calculator). Granted, most of them are for closed accounts, and several more can be deleted...
> 
> Looking through it now, I think there are only about 15 active tabs, with a few more that I reference from time to time. The other half are just old records, including the tracking spreadsheets from our Zombie outbreak games...


LOL - I once had a discussion with a female co-worker, who insisted men had "periods" and went through mood swings on some predictable cycle. So a male coworker and I started tracking our "mood" in a spreadsheet and printing up a graph for her every so often. I think we named it something very similar to your "life calculator". We did it for 2 years and it never showed any sort of period.

So take that, women!


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## YMZ PE (Feb 21, 2014)

^ We call that "manstruation".



csb said:


> YMZ PE said:
> 
> 
> > I also sketch everything in Autocad. I made placemats in Autocad for my wedding reception, complete with menu, caricatures of me and hubs and a "Get YMZ to the church on time" maze.
> ...


I just found the PDF of the placemat - sweet! I thought it died with my old laptop. Here's a screencap of the maze.







The placemat even had a titleblock for a border. Man, I was _weird_ at 22.


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## knight1fox3 (Feb 21, 2014)

^ LOL at Trogdor!! Well played...


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## YMZ PE (Feb 21, 2014)

^ Let me know if you want me to add a beefy arm to the KF logo...


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## Supe (Feb 21, 2014)

Burninating the countryside! Epic placemat win, YMZ.


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## csb (Feb 21, 2014)

HA! That looks like Mr. YMZ! Awesome!

I was in Toastmasters right around the time of my wedding. I gave a speech "How to Host an Engineering Wedding" and I used plan sheets as placemats as I wore a construction vest veil.

And men totally cycle. Last month I turned to my husband and said, "I'll be so glad when you finally start your period and can quit being so bitchy!"


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## roadwreck (Feb 21, 2014)

ptatohed said:


> All the screws on the outlet and light switch plates in my home are turned perfectly vertically.


I do this too.


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## Capt Worley PE (Feb 21, 2014)

roadwreck said:


> ptatohed said:
> 
> 
> > All the screws on the outlet and light switch plates in my home are turned perfectly vertically.
> ...




So do y'all overtighten, or back off?


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## engineergurl (Feb 21, 2014)

Capt Worley PE said:


> roadwreck said:
> 
> 
> > ptatohed said:
> ...




hopefully both, repetitively, I heard that's the best way to achieve the desired result


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## Mike in Gastonia (Feb 21, 2014)

engineergurl said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > roadwreck said:
> ...


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## ptatohed (Feb 22, 2014)

roadwreck said:


> EB.com? :dunno:




Good point rw. I hear all the time from Mrs. ptatohed "You already passed the exam, why do you still spend so much time on that site?"



Dexman PE said:


> The TI-86 calculator app on my phone.
> 
> Although I just realized that when I downloaded it to my new phone I lost the ROM file, so the emulator doesn't work anymore




Very cool DPE. Now if it were a TI-89, I'd be really impressed.  I actually have a virtual TI-89 on my work computer.



YMZ PE said:


> I also sketch everything in Autocad. I made placemats in Autocad for my wedding reception, complete with menu, caricatures of me and hubs and a "Get YMZ to the church on time" maze.




Sweet YMZ! Yes, I use ACAD for lots of stuff too. For once Mrs. p. appreciated it. When we shopped for furniture last year, I printed out to scale our family room on 11"x17", then printed to scale and cut out the couch, love seat, end tables, coffee table, etc. and she was able to slide the little furniture pieces around to test different arrangements.



snickerd3 said:


> ptatohed said:
> 
> 
> > [SIZE=medium]You guys are hilarious. I can relate to (or at least appreciate) most of what you guys brought up (being cheap, temperature setting must be even, all bills must be upright and face forward, clothes/hangers all face the same way, mechanical pencil, etc.)[/SIZE]
> ...




Yeah, unfortunately some states are just _wrong_.  Which makes it harder to have my pet peeve. Oh well. It seems that 'Driver License' is a little more common than 'Driver's License'. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=photos+of+driver+licenses&amp;qpvt=photos+of+driver+licenses&amp;FORM=IGRE



Capt Worley PE said:


> roadwreck said:
> 
> 
> > ptatohed said:
> ...




Good man rw. 

CWP, there is a fine art to it. It's a case by case bases. It's not anything that can be explained in words, it must be learned by experience. You'll know when the "finger torque" of the screwdriver allows you to go that extra 35o or back up 55o. :nod:


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