[title]Family quotes[/title] [description]Welcome to our family quotes section! Here you'll find some of the funniest (and wisest) quotes on the subject of family life![/description]
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Latest post Sat, Dec 22 2007 5:53 PM by Clive. 7 replies.
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Anonymous  +  444546 Tue, 20 Nov 07 07:35 PM
On a message board I frequent, somebody made a post asking for help designing a new computer they wanted to build. One of the first replies was simply "queue Johnny" as Johnny is somebody who frequently answers these types of questions.

I am convinced that he should have said "cue Johnny" and I gave him definitions of both words to prove this, but he insists that he meant to use "queue" and that it is correct. I am hoping somebody here could shed more light on the matter.
Clive  +  444630 Wed, 21 Nov 07 01:24 AM

Hi,

A 'cue' in the theatre is a stage signal. Thus, 'to cue someone' means to give them a stage signal, eg to make an entrance.

That's why we say 'Cue Johnny'. In your context, it means 'it's time for Johnny to come and deal with these questions'.

Best wishes, Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004
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Arvsworld  +  444724 Wed, 21 Nov 07 10:13 AM
This is from dictionary.com:

queue
n.
A line of waiting people or vehicles.


Common usage has been known to take nouns and turn them into verbs.

When we need to look up information online, we now often say we'll "google it."

We also say "I'll phone you" when we tell someone we'll call them using a telephone or a cellphone.

Johnny is someone who receives a lot of questions and needs some time to answer all of them; so a line starts forming -- a line of questions and requests for help.

The word "queue" in his case may have meant: If you want Johnny to answer your question, get in line. He is very busy and has a lot of messages to respond to.

Odd usage, though. Wouldn't it have been easier to just say "ask Johnny" or "message Johnny"?

I've grown to understand that I.T. people have their own terminology when they talk shop.

Hope that helps,

Arvin
Joined on Sun, Feb 26 2006
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MrPedantic  +  445610 Fri, 23 Nov 07 10:37 PM

 Arvsworld wrote:

The word "queue" in his case may have meant: If you want Johnny to answer your question, get in line. He is very busy and has a lot of messages to respond to.

(Wouldn't that have been "queue for Johnny"? As it stands, if "queue" does mean "queue", it would seem to imply that Johnny himself should queue.)

MrP

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Arvsworld  +  453651 Sun, 16 Dec 07 10:44 AM
I suppose it would have been. As in "wait in line for Johnny?"

Queue Johnny = Repost your help request in Johnny's queue.
MrPedantic  +  453727 Sun, 16 Dec 07 02:33 PM

I see – you mean as in "(The) Queue (named) Johnny"; or "The Johnny Queue".

MrP

Arvsworld, 1 yr 339 days ago
We may never know for certain.
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Clive  +  456035 Sat, 22 Dec 07 05:53 PM

Hi.

Expressions in the form 'Cue Johnny', which I discussed earlier, are so common that my feeling is that you guys are overlooking the most likely explanation. Stick out tongue [:P]

Clive

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