2 Good 2 Be 4 Gotten

December 13, 2007 5:52 PM

I'm compiling a list of popular bon mots of the kind that are usually written in yearbooks, memory books, autograph books, etc. Things that are typically written by adolescents and teenagers to their friends and classmates.

The things I'm looking for are sometimes in the form of a short poem, sometimes jokey, sometimes an "insult" of sorts, sometimes sentimental and heartfelt, sometimes vulgar. The jargon and abbreviations have evolved over the years for different generations but, from the examples I've seen so far, the subject matter stays the same (i.e. "don't ever change," "best friends forever," various good wishes and predictions for friends' future plans, including careers, marriage and baby-making, etc.) I want to gather examples from different eras and generations. Please tell me some of the things you've written or read that fit this description. Thanks!

posted by amyms to writing & language (50 comments total)

"I signed your crack" written where the page meets the spine.
"Stay sweet"
"Good luck with the boys/girls" (I only saw this in my Tennessee yearbooks)
KIT for "Keep in touch"
posted by inconsequentialist at 5:57 PM on December 13, 2007

LYLAS ("love ya like a sister") was common between girls when I was in junior high (early '80s).
posted by scody at 6:05 PM on December 13, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

2 cute
2 B
4 gotten

But written like 2+2=4

That was all the rage my freshman year in 1988.
posted by beachhead2 at 6:06 PM on December 13, 2007

HAGS -- "have a great summer." This was pretty much through middle school and high school (1991-1998).
posted by Airhen at 6:09 PM on December 13, 2007

I was here but now I'm gone
I left my name to linger on
For those who knew me really well
For those who didn't... go to hell
posted by candyland at 6:09 PM on December 13, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Great answers so far (exactly the kinds of things I'm looking for)!
posted by amyms at 6:10 PM on December 13, 2007

"We're the class of '97, *X* (drugs, sex, booze) is good and *Y* (drugs, sex, booze, weed, preference) is heaven."

Good luck with the boys/girls was popular in middle school in Michigan in the early 1990s.
posted by k8t at 6:11 PM on December 13, 2007

Y Y U R
Y Y U B
I C U R
Y Y 4 me!
(too wise you are...)

by hook or by crook I'll be last in this book
(bottom of back cover)

= hilarity upon leaving primary school, UK 1988
posted by runincircles at 6:12 PM on December 13, 2007

I beat the baker, I beat the cook, I beat everyone to the back of the book (first person to sign the last page)
posted by Lucinda at 6:13 PM on December 13, 2007

Don't forget that "Have a nice/great summer!" is one of the keys to invisibility...


Apparently the late 80's were the boom years for 'Stay cool!' in my neck of the woods.
posted by pupdog at 6:14 PM on December 13, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)
posted by k8t at 6:16 PM on December 13, 2007

"Wish I could have gotten to know you better" or "Too bad we didn't hang out more" for people you never talked to.
posted by craven_morhead at 6:19 PM on December 13, 2007

One guy wrote:
"Life's a bitch and then you die.
So fuck the world, let's go get high."

After that, I always thought he was kind of an asshole.
posted by dogwalker at 6:21 PM on December 13, 2007

Good luck at college. Don't grow up to be a yuppie/neo-con/dirty hippie/etc. It was fun having you in classes/sports/clubs etc.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:27 PM on December 13, 2007

HAKAS (Have a kick-ass summer) was pretty popular when I was in 6th grade.
posted by chara at 6:27 PM on December 13, 2007

(phone number) - Call Me!

I often got that from people I didn't know/like. I'm not sure what they expected me to call them about.
posted by burnmp3s at 6:30 PM on December 13, 2007

"Have a great summer" was what we put in yearbooks for those people you didn't know.
posted by sperose at 6:30 PM on December 13, 2007

My high school yearbook (class of 1998) has ARNF ("Always remember, never forget") all over the place. I didn't put it in my little blurb, but whomever put the yearbook together decided I need to have it and added it in.
posted by disaster77 at 6:30 PM on December 13, 2007

Always Stay Sweet (ASS) was considered very clever in the late 80s/early 90s.
posted by ourobouros at 6:32 PM on December 13, 2007

Party Hardy!
posted by kimdog at 6:33 PM on December 13, 2007

RHTS
(Raise Hell This Summer)
posted by thivaia at 6:39 PM on December 13, 2007

RHAS = Raise Hell All Summer
Junior high through high school (1993-1999)
(almost a jinx with thivia)
posted by parkerjackson at 6:42 PM on December 13, 2007

I have my mom's old autograph book from Catholic elementary school in the 1940's. It's got some great old school verses in it like these:

I dip my pen into my ink
And grasp your album tight,
But to save my life
I can’t think one single word to write
But if writing in this album would prove my friendship, dear
I’ll with pleasure write my name right here.

I have chosen this perfect little spot,
To write this sweet forget me not.

I thought, I thought, I thought in vain
At last I thought I’d write my name.

When you grow old and cannot see,
Just feel your way and think of me.

Friendship is a golden tie
That binds our hearts together
And if you never break that tie
We will be friends forever.

Don't use powder, don't use paint,
For it will make you what you ain't.

Paddling down the stream of life
In your little canoe
May you have many pleasant times
And plenty of room for two

In the storms of life
When you need an umbrella
May you have to hold it up
to a handsome young fella.
posted by jeanmari at 6:46 PM on December 13, 2007 [4 favorites has favorites]

Similar to one that's already been posted, but the always popular:

Thanks for letting me sign your crack!
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:46 PM on December 13, 2007

Remember Grant
Remember Lee
The Hell with them
Remember Me!


-Ah, to be young in Texas in 1988
posted by jitter at 6:46 PM on December 13, 2007

Stay Frosty!
posted by spec80 at 6:47 PM on December 13, 2007

As you slide down the banister of life, may you hit no splinters.

LOOKIE LOOKIE WHAT I TOOKIE ONE WHOLE PAGE OF YOUR OL BOOKIE!

Drugs are good, sex is great, we're the class of '88.
posted by Addlepated at 6:50 PM on December 13, 2007

Both of these appear in one of my junior high books - 1988, Northern Virginia.

Remember the girl from the city
Remember the girl from the town
Remember the girl who ruined your book
By signing it upside down

100 maniacs escaped from the funny farm last week. 99 of them were caught. Keep running!
posted by jocelmeow at 7:09 PM on December 13, 2007

I
I am
I am writing
I am writing this
I am writing this in
I am writing this in the
I am writing this in the corner
I am writing this in the corner of
I am writing this in the corner of your
I am writing this in the corner of your yearbook

Always a classic...
posted by odi.et.amo at 7:21 PM on December 13, 2007

It's been real.
It's been fun.
But it hasn't been real fun.
(good for high school graduation)
posted by gueneverey at 7:35 PM on December 13, 2007

To your high school sweetie:

HOLLAND - Hope Our Love Lasts And Never Dies
posted by arcticwoman at 7:41 PM on December 13, 2007

2 young
4 a
----------
6 pack
posted by hydrophonic at 7:47 PM on December 13, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

HAGS, like Airhen said, and also FAGS (Find A Guy/Girl Soon) (I know, it's a pretty horrible initialism) were pretty much defaults for anyone signing whom you didn't know that well (2001).
posted by Arasithil at 8:05 PM on December 13, 2007

I see that four different people wrote "you're the coolest" in mine.

My ego just inflated a little.
posted by rokusan at 8:28 PM on December 13, 2007

Oh, and while it might not fit, I wrote "Sorry about the underwear" in most of the ones I signed.

I have no idea what it means, either.
posted by rokusan at 8:28 PM on December 13, 2007

Party hardy, Rock-n-roll
Drink a fifth, smoke a bowl
We are Freshman-Seniors, we've got class
Mess with us, we'll kick your ass.

Have fun in the sun, get laid in the shade.
posted by sharkweek at 8:36 PM on December 13, 2007

I inherited my great-aunt's autograph book from the 30s and a couple come to mind:

A little splash of powder
a little dab of paint
will turn little Elaine
into exactly what she ain't

Take the local
than take the express
don't stop
until you reach success
posted by dr_dank at 8:43 PM on December 13, 2007

"May all your ups and downs be in bed"
-in my Mom's (!) yearbook.

"They signed the front, they signed the back, but I was the first to sign your crack"
-seems pretty common
posted by davey_darling at 8:46 PM on December 13, 2007

Chickens have feathers, chickens get plucked, have a nice summer and hope you get fucked.
posted by cosmicbandito at 8:59 PM on December 13, 2007

Roses are red
Leather is suede
Over the summer
I hope you get laid.

Other than that, it was pretty much "Have a kickass summer" straight on through from 1988 to 1996, as best I can remember (the yearbooks are buried right now). Oh, also "Didn't really get to know you but you seem pretty cool. Have a cool summer." And "Don't change; stay yourself."
posted by climalene at 9:00 PM on December 13, 2007

Thank you for your support.
posted by sanko at 10:13 PM on December 13, 2007

kit=keep in touch
posted by prophetsearcher at 2:11 AM on December 14, 2007

See you in the car - Milhouse
posted by wolfsleepy at 3:12 AM on December 14, 2007

I always wrote "May your life be as long and as useful as a roll of toilet paper."
posted by sephira at 5:59 AM on December 14, 2007

Circa 1979, from my Australian cousin in my autograph book:

On the golden chain of friendship
add yet another link
and engrave my name upon it
so sometimes when you think
of memories long forgotten
of friends both new and old
a tiny thought may linger
in that tiny link of gold

Don't ask me why I still remember it, but I do.
posted by Cuke at 6:10 AM on December 14, 2007

These are all great. Thanks to everyone so far!
posted by amyms at 6:17 AM on December 14, 2007

A big "S", and next to it,

tay
o
weet

(And it's bons mots for the plural.)
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:09 AM on December 14, 2007

"Have a great summer - see you next year!"

I like to sign birthday cards at work this way.
posted by Jart at 8:24 AM on December 14, 2007

An autograph book favorite in my fifth grade graduating class (1984) was:
"If I were a dog, and you were a flower, I'd lift up my leg, and give you a shower!"
posted by bunky at 7:25 PM on December 14, 2007

I found this thread through playing with the new search features and dug out my high school yearbook. My favorite signature: "have a nice life."
posted by danb at 6:04 AM on February 3, 2008