personalize my personalized plate

July 13, 2007 5:45 AM

I need help thinking of a new license plate...

I live in VA, arguably the United States vanity plate capital. I've had a personalized plate for several years now, and after having my current one for a year, it is now considered profane. I have to choose a new one, but I'm having trouble thinking of something.

Your mission: a funny or geeky license plate. Difficulty: 8 spaces, one of which has to be a dash (-) or a space. No special characters (#, $, &, etc).

Bonus points if I love the new plate more than my current.

posted by sephira to Grab Bag (108 answers total)

I've been thinking of NO NTNDO
(no entiendo- spanish for 'I don't understand')

Sample conversation:
'Your license plate- I don't understand'
'Right!'
'But I don't understand it'
'Right!'
'But...'
posted by MtDewd at 5:54 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

NO NTNDO

Funny concept, but it looks like "No Nintendo" to me. I would assume I understand that you are an anti-Nintendo geek.

OP- It would help to know what your specific geekiness entails. Geekdom covers such a broad range of topics. Otherwise, I will just have to suggest JAKE.
posted by The Deej at 6:15 AM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: My specific brand of geekiness more specifically involves the internet, programming, gaming, as well as a smattering of other geek-topics.

First thing I thought of was "no Nintendo", because of the geek requirement. Not so much. Feel free to keep suggesting though.
posted by sephira at 6:21 AM on July 13, 2007

Really? Because I kinda figured that IANAL might be, y'know, considered profane. If it were me, I'd just get a regular old license plate. But then, I don't think it's a good idea to draw extra attention to one's car.

Anyway:
FORTRAN
PHP-SQL
RIAA-SUX
R0XX0RZ
PWNED
VIRTUA
SUV-WMD
W3C-HTML
FAMICOM
METATALK
posted by box at 6:39 AM on July 13, 2007

What do you drive?
posted by mendel at 6:55 AM on July 13, 2007

silly macro memes:

N UR CAR
ORLY
YAI RLY
NO WAI
etc
posted by happyturtle at 6:56 AM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: @mendel: I drive a Mazda 3 hatchback.
posted by sephira at 6:57 AM on July 13, 2007

GEEK
G33K
I GROK
ICAR
ZMBIE
posted by fallenposters at 6:58 AM on July 13, 2007

My MeFi profile has IANAS, in response to a MeTa post about how annoying the IANAL and related phrases in AskMe. IANAS = I Am Not A Snarker. Feel free to use it, though I don't think it's a very good license plate.
posted by The Deej at 6:58 AM on July 13, 2007

AM-SCRAY ... pig latin for 'scram'
posted by SpecialK at 7:02 AM on July 13, 2007

Best answer: EPIC MNT
2K BAUD
VSBL CAR
LOL-CAR
NOT MEME
YMMV

What's your current plate?
posted by iamkimiam at 7:04 AM on July 13, 2007

Oh, and since this is a meme party...
DO WANT
posted by iamkimiam at 7:05 AM on July 13, 2007

I was going for funny, not geeky.
Another try was CANCER on this plate, but it's already taken.

BTW, what's your current, obscene plate?
posted by MtDewd at 7:06 AM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: My current plates say "PLZ STFU" - and I love them.
posted by sephira at 7:08 AM on July 13, 2007 [2 favorites]

You could go NT PRFAN as a reaction to your old plate getting the heave ho. Or, for that matter, PROFANE.
posted by stevis23 at 7:10 AM on July 13, 2007

I saw OMG WTF recently, although I'm not sure what state it was from — VA might well find it obscene if they recognized what it said.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:13 AM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: 'WTF' is now banned on plates, and thanks to me, so is 'STFU'. I think 'OMG' is too.
posted by sephira at 7:15 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

I agree with macros, but you'll want to change them inside four years. Others:

O HAI
ZIG
I HAS CAR
KTHX BYE
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:16 AM on July 13, 2007

Dang, ya, funny, but I can see why they banned them. You don't want kids reading "please stand tall for unity" in public.

How bout (random, geeky, and global warming related)
MULVA
LUV CRBN
BACK OFF
IDRIVE
M3 W-MP3
HOT ERTH
EAT SMOG
posted by The Deej at 7:20 AM on July 13, 2007

I like the O HAI recommendation, but I am a sucker for LOLcats.

In that spirit:
CHZ BRGR
IHAS KAR
FIXED 4U

or how bout

ME FITE (great if you are a boxer, too)
posted by The Deej at 7:33 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

In the same spirit as your original one:

QUIET U (a la Mr. Peabody and Sherman)
UTLK2MCH
posted by MsMolly at 7:47 AM on July 13, 2007

Again, I find myself pondering what sort of person goes around writing down offensive names license plates and then sends a long list to Blizzard the Virginia DMV.

AUTO FOLW
FFS VA (though this too might be short-lived...but satisfying!)
WTB GAS
LVL 70
LOLR SK8
U N00B
NO WANT
posted by gnomeloaf at 7:48 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

for-lulz
posted by Stynxno at 7:59 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

Sadly, ROXXORZ won't work because I've seen it before in VA (some student or faculty member at VT).
posted by malthas at 8:04 AM on July 13, 2007

For a few years, my license plate was 'DEBUGR' in a 6-letter limit. You could try 'DE-BUGGR' or similar.
posted by plinth at 8:07 AM on July 13, 2007

FORMAT C
ALT F4
DING 70
GRUE

I'm glad you're looking for something kind of "different" rather than the stupid "PR1NCESS" or "TAMS CAR" type plates that I see so often.
posted by Verdandi at 8:22 AM on July 13, 2007

Maybe taken:
VANITY

Probably not taken:
ATNWHORE
posted by ill3 at 8:33 AM on July 13, 2007

Best answer: ME FTW
posted by shmegegge at 8:44 AM on July 13, 2007 [4 favorites]

AVO/3VOM is taken in California, sadly.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 8:45 AM on July 13, 2007

0xFFFF0
(It's available, too.)
posted by Wolfdog at 8:52 AM on July 13, 2007 [2 favorites]

When people come to Billings from other states they comment on how many personalized plates are in use. This has to do with our low fee to get the plates. And I agree that they are rarely funny, but if you want a personalized plate, get it. I never have had one, but I did consider it once. In the end, I kept the $20.
posted by The Deej at 8:54 AM on July 13, 2007

Best obfuscated obscenity I've ever seen in the field:
QQQQ
posted by ormondsacker at 8:56 AM on July 13, 2007 [2 favorites]

My personal favorite:
6UL - DV8


also:

FOAD
DIAF
ZOMG11
posted by kaseijin at 9:07 AM on July 13, 2007

I keep meaning to grab

2 BZ 2 P

but I've been kind of, well, busy.

*crosses legs*
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 9:08 AM on July 13, 2007

You don't want this one but it's available, and such a great match for the "I'm Animal Friendly" design.
posted by Wolfdog at 9:12 AM on July 13, 2007 [2 favorites]

LOL BUTTS

I had a friend here that pondered getting WTF M8, but he never went through with it. If VA is just now understanding STFU, you may be able to get that one for a year.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:12 AM on July 13, 2007

Heh. I remember when vanity plates were new to Virginia. A friend of mine got SHE-YUT, and I once saw a guy driving a Jaguar with JAG OFF on the plates. There was also the urologist who got CME2P.

I also once saw a VA plate with something like MNNMMNN on it. I guess if you are arrested, you accuser might have a hard time proving they really "got your plate" when they reported you.

So how about GO2L-DMV?
posted by 4ster at 9:23 AM on July 13, 2007

Ok, forget what I said before. You have to get this one, and it's available.
posted by 4ster at 9:37 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

IHAS KAR

OMG. The license plate "IHASACAR" is available in NY.

I am now sorely tempted.

Related to VEAL: This one is sadly already taken.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

A55 RGY on a non-Florida plate?
posted by jozxyqk at 10:18 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

ASL (followed by something?)
31337
posted by ODiV at 10:19 AM on July 13, 2007

AZ OL
posted by Pollomacho at 10:30 AM on July 13, 2007

best one I ever heard of was "NYUKX3"

(or do the kids these days even know who Curly is?)
posted by bondcliff at 10:49 AM on July 13, 2007

Guh... I should read the question next time.

"NYUKK X3" would work
posted by bondcliff at 10:51 AM on July 13, 2007

This one is sadly already taken.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe

I love how it's on a "kids first" license plate. They make good appetizers.
posted by The Deej at 10:53 AM on July 13, 2007

2GRFK4U

:)
posted by zennie at 10:53 AM on July 13, 2007

Um, yaaaaaaaaaa, zennie. That has as much chance as NGGA PLZ.
posted by The Deej at 11:16 AM on July 13, 2007

Oh. Well then...

:(
posted by zennie at 11:49 AM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: Wow, sidebar worthy? The statement STFU has been banned because of me is more of an assumption. Someone where I work reported it, and after I'd gotten a letter from the DMV I found a user in a forum that stated he'd gotten the same letter just a day after I did; his plate also had STFU in it. Attempts to use OMG, WTF, or STFU at the VA DMV website sometimes work (however, you can't complete the transaction), but usually result in a "Personalized message requested is not available" message.

HOWEVER, I was able to get it to accept STFU THX. I am thinking it was disallowed at the end of the plate, but not the beginning.

Thanks for the suggestion everyone!
posted by sephira at 11:49 AM on July 13, 2007

CRUNT.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:54 AM on July 13, 2007

Wow, sidebar worthy? The statement STFU has been banned because of me is more of an assumption.

Uh oh! Now that you are side-barred, you MUST live up to it! You cannot shirk your responsibilities. I hope you are not too attached to your job, house, or family. There is much for you to do. One of our representatives will be contacting you shortly.
posted by The Deej at 11:57 AM on July 13, 2007

Best answer: What about

GOATSE

Then, if it gets reported, you can know that a bunch of people at the DMV just got goatsed because of you.
posted by duckierose at 12:05 PM on July 13, 2007 [18 favorites]

Geekdom covers such a broad range of topics. Otherwise, I will just have to suggest JAKE.

Ok, I am a bit embarassed about this, but the cocky bass-thumpin camero driving high-school version of me had that same tag. "JAKE" That of course being my name. It lead to about of the billion of these conversations:

Random Stranger: "Hi Jake!"

me: "Hi!"
my thought process: Do I know them? Hmm.. I dont think so. But I must because they know my name. I wonder if..... oh yea. The tag.

Random Stranger: *chuckles to self*

The Deej - Is your joke some meme I am clueless of, or was the Jake tag just a random name?
posted by jlowen at 12:05 PM on July 13, 2007

It looks as though the VA GOATSE License Plate is already taken. I can only imagine the hysterical reactions that license plate has caused.
posted by numinous at 12:26 PM on July 13, 2007

OMG isn't banned yet (at least in CA) because it's part of my license plate.

Just yesterday I saw somebody with the plates: N PLEASE.
posted by Space Kitty at 12:30 PM on July 13, 2007

The Deej - Is your joke some meme I am clueless of, or was the Jake tag just a random name?
posted by jlowen

Well, it's not quite a meme, and to be honest I don't even know if that's the right name or not. But, there was a MeTa thread a while back about some of the common AskMe questions that struck the MeTa poster as silly, such as "Help me make a mix tape," "Help me name my cat." Somone in the MeTa said we should just always name the cat Jake (or whatever the name was.) For a little while after that, any AskMe that asked to name something recieved at least one "Jake" answer.

I'll try and find the MeTa when I get a chance. So, ya, I was just being a smartass, as usual.
posted by The Deej at 12:38 PM on July 13, 2007

What, no-one's suggested MEFI? Best shout-out ever!
posted by mendel at 12:41 PM on July 13, 2007

There's gotta be a way to make a goatse reference out of the Fairfax tag.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:08 PM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: No, the ban that I know of extends only to VA plates.

Now to wait 3-4 weeks to see if my "STFU THX" plates actually show up in the mail.
posted by sephira at 1:10 PM on July 13, 2007

TUB GIRL
LMN PRTY
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 1:12 PM on July 13, 2007

The name-my-cat MeTa.

The cat name was Frank, suggested by Guy Zero. I had the long A sound right, and I'm glad the use of Jake brightened your day. Or whatever it did.
posted by The Deej at 1:18 PM on July 13, 2007

Semi-derail, but I am not believing that these fascists are banning fucking innocuous acronyms just because they're perceived as impolite by the latterday Elmira Gulches of the world. It's bad enough to get prissy about STFU, but OMG? I can't say "oh my god" in public now? Jesus Christ in a sidecar.

Best vanity plate I ever saw was on the Miata of a middle-aged colleague: FOLLY
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:20 PM on July 13, 2007

GIGGITY
posted by secret about box at 2:06 PM on July 13, 2007 [2 favorites]

DRUNK
posted by trip and a half at 2:18 PM on July 13, 2007

There's an OMG WTF driving around Raleigh, NC. Cracks me up every time.
posted by EarBucket at 2:22 PM on July 13, 2007

Fortunately, Cthulhu isn't banned yet. Not surprised that the VA DMV doesn't read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft.

Seriously, no one's posted this yet? Did I miss it? I thought everyone had seen this.
posted by spiderwire at 2:38 PM on July 13, 2007

Fortunately, Cthulhu isn't banned yet.

Double.
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:43 PM on July 13, 2007

MrMoonPie, GOATSE lovers: link

It works on two levels...
posted by anthill at 2:57 PM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

Considering what has happened, there's only one possible license plate message you can choose now:

SIDEBAR
posted by wendell at 3:02 PM on July 13, 2007

I see you're a graphic designer. How about COMAND-Z (w/ or w/o hyphen)?
posted by rob511 at 3:31 PM on July 13, 2007

Double.

*Damnit*! I thought I tabbed all the links. Oh well, it's funny enough to merit a double.

I have seen an RTFM and a GTFO in Austin within the last year.
posted by spiderwire at 4:22 PM on July 13, 2007

'WTF' is now banned on plates, and thanks to me, so is 'STFU'. I think 'OMG' is too.
posted by sephira at 10:15 AM on July 13 [+] [!]

I hate to tell you this but the license plate that the state sent us for our new car is, indeed WTF-555. (Well, of course the 555 stands for our actual numbers, but you get the drift.)
posted by konolia at 5:04 PM on July 13, 2007

Response by poster: konolia, I don't know what state you're in, but I was only referring to VA. If you're in VA and that's the plate they sent you, then it must only apply to personalized plates.

I don't know either way, I was speculating as to the ban.
posted by sephira at 5:09 PM on July 13, 2007

I swear to god I had a dead head fan friend back in the day that had D RUGGS as his licence and could not understand why the cops kept "targeting him"
posted by Pollomacho at 7:32 PM on July 13, 2007

As of 2005, Virginia was #2 in vanity license plates.

I actually used to know the guy who had ComandZ for his vanity plate, but he moved to California several years ago, giving up his beloved plate.

Virginia is also notorious for granting ATHEIST several years ago, and then yanking it back after a complaint. It's OK to get pro-Christian messages on your plates, though. See them a lot.

I was actually surprised they let me get DAGNABT several years ago (I expected to get rejected) -- but not as surprised as the woman from South Carolina who expressed her horror to me at great length and with extraordinary vehemence that the commonwealth would allow me to curse on my license plate.
posted by julen at 8:49 PM on July 13, 2007

LOLXTIANS
posted by NoMich at 8:59 PM on July 13, 2007

IC FNORD
posted by eritain at 10:17 PM on July 13, 2007

Best answer: I am going to get struck down when I hit post, but I have always wanted:

WTFWJD
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 12:00 AM on July 14, 2007 [7 favorites]

You can use Ampersands in VA plates, but not # signs, but I still think the plate '&9760' would be understood to be the unicode character 9760; (skull and crossbones) even though the # was left out. Geeky and dense.

'&9773' = 9773

'&9785' = 9785

Additionally ST&70U could be used as an obfuscation of ST70U given that 70 is F in unicode.

If you use the great seal plate for that last one the seal will be where the # would go normally.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:32 AM on July 14, 2007

Crap, those unicodes showed up in preview.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:38 AM on July 14, 2007

9773 is decimal for hammer and sickle.
9785 is decimal for frownie face.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:39 AM on July 14, 2007

I caught this anime fan's plate in Chicago.

And, in semi-thread related news... doggie styles.
posted by buriednexttoyou at 9:19 AM on July 14, 2007

YY UP VA
posted by kittyprecious at 10:38 AM on July 14, 2007

There was once a Rolls Royce in San Francisco that had the vanity plate RCH FKR. And, one guy had a plate that read FKSTNFD; he told the DMV that it stood for "Frankenstein's Ford", although it was really a Berkeley alumni's slur against Stanford.

Eventually, the DMV disallowed both plates, the killjoys.
posted by Daddio at 11:36 AM on July 14, 2007

YHBT YHL
posted by The Bellman at 3:37 PM on July 14, 2007

W LIED
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 5:30 PM on July 14, 2007 [1 favorite]

IA FTAGN
TEH NEO
GYOB
PWN NUBS
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 6:44 PM on July 14, 2007

NOT YORS

(this is a good one if you want someone to key your car :)
posted by -harlequin- at 11:53 PM on July 14, 2007

W LIED

Considering the requirement of 8 characters, I really like:
GWB LIED.
posted by Jerub at 12:30 AM on July 16, 2007

Just for the record, my father told me that Fatty Arbuckle used to drive around Hollywood in a car with 4Q as his licence plate.
posted by donfactor at 2:45 AM on July 16, 2007

You can always say that you are referring to the Southern Tenant Farmer's Union (STFU). Thanks, STFU!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 9:23 AM on July 16, 2007

I just saw MOFAUX in Arlington, VA.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 8:54 PM on July 16, 2007 [2 favorites]

Thrillist just posted a nicely relevant image this morning... some Florida driver came up with a combo that would look innocuous on the application form but not on the actual license plate (possibly NSFW).
posted by allterrainbrain at 2:29 AM on July 17, 2007 [3 favorites]

For years in IL I had:

ROFLMAO

Now, even geekier, I have my ham radio call sign.

That said, his and her plates of O RLY and YA RLY would make me giggle.
posted by OneOliveShort at 9:30 AM on July 17, 2007

ILEGIBLE may get you out of a parking ticket or two.
posted by Oddly at 12:15 PM on July 17, 2007 [2 favorites]

I was going for funny, not geeky.
Another try was CANCER on this plate, but it's already taken.

How 'bout MPHZMA, PHLEGM or BADLNG? All available.
posted by arto at 12:42 PM on July 17, 2007

H82BL8
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 3:06 PM on July 17, 2007

If you're not in Michigan, you could try this one that I saw on my way home from school last fall:

INTRNET

(It's not a big truck, either)
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 3:58 PM on July 17, 2007

0MG 5TFU

I once saw an Ontario plate: GO FYS.
Maybe worth a try, especially if you can get VADMVFYS.
posted by Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown at 11:45 AM on July 18, 2007

The worst one I ever saw was 'ShozOvr' on a Corvette I-Roc
posted by mikehayes19 at 2:50 PM on July 18, 2007

I saw this on a beat-up old pickup in Austin that had an Apple sticker on the bumper:

DEV TRK

(/dev/truck...)
posted by mrbill at 4:44 PM on July 18, 2007

I really lobbied hard to get NEO, MRFEUS, or 3NITY as the plates on our Toyota Matrix a few years ago, but the wife vetoed it. My favorite plate ever was a beat up old minivan with the license PREPWND.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:54 AM on July 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

I always wanted one that said "VOID"....
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:27 PM on July 23, 2007

This is a picture of a license plate I took. I don't understand why this person can get away with it. I see it almost everyday coming to and from work.

CUNTY
posted by MaryDellamorte at 8:12 PM on July 24, 2007

Mine is actually CTRL Z.

:-)
posted by disillusioned at 2:40 AM on July 25, 2007

NVR 4GET
posted by Esoquo at 9:39 AM on July 26, 2007

A guy who moved out of my apartment complex at the same time I was moving in had "GG NOOB" as an Arizona plate. That's not so much generally geeky as gamer-geeky though.

I always wanted 31337 or w00t, but I imagine those're probably already taken. PWNT, 0wn3d, etc are probably also fair game. Boo, hiss at the nanny state -- "PLZ STFU" is fricking comedy gold!
posted by Alterscape at 7:34 AM on July 27, 2007

Response by poster: For anyone keeping track - DMV allowed me to order, but did not send "STFU THX". So I ordered another set, since I'd already paid for the originals. I now have "FFS STFU" sitting in front of me.
posted by sephira at 2:34 PM on October 1, 2007