In the beginning...

October 10, 2012 12:08 PM

What are the most frequent first words in an FPP/equivalent across all of MeFi? How about the most frequent first words of comments/answers?
posted by griphus to MetaFilter-Related at 12:08 PM (39 comments total)

I'd have to do a bit of scripting to put together an actual answer for this. Is there anything in particular you're thinking it might show, improbably likely phrases or such?
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:10 PM on October 10, 2012

The genesis was realizing that I'm probably starting off every other comment with the word "also" and I wanted to see what the frequency of that word being the first word of comments generally would be before and after the edit window debut.
posted by griphus at 12:11 PM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

(Obviously, the "after the edit window" part would be done some time in the future.)
posted by griphus at 12:11 PM on October 10, 2012

.
posted by Curious Artificer at 12:36 PM on October 10, 2012

My votes are for:
Metafilter: "SLYT"
Ask.Meta: "SpecialSnowflakefilter:"
MetaTalk: "GRRARAGARHGAHKSGKAJSDG!!!!!!!!!!!!"
posted by Grither at 12:37 PM on October 10, 2012 [5 favorites]

1) The
2) A

You're welcome.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:39 PM on October 10, 2012 [3 favorites]

Probably some stop word, right?
posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:39 PM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

Regrettably, not hwæt.
posted by beryllium at 12:43 PM on October 10, 2012 [10 favorites]

Oooh neat, I just saw my edit window disappear before my very eyes!

Which is probably a good thing, since I was thinking about adding some 1's and maybe an eleventy to my string of !'s up above, and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have counted as a typo.
posted by Grither at 12:44 PM on October 10, 2012

Not surprisingly, the top first words of recent AskMe posts (just based on glancing down the front page) are Can, I, How, What, and What's.
posted by mbrubeck at 12:44 PM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

Well, I don't think anyone is surprised that AskMe sounds like a confused drunk around sunrise.
posted by griphus at 12:45 PM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

"So...."
posted by Lynsey at 12:47 PM on October 10, 2012

"...long, it's been good to know you". Frequently expressed in initials.
posted by Cranberry at 12:51 PM on October 10, 2012

DTMFA, therapy
posted by nathancaswell at 12:51 PM on October 10, 2012 [3 favorites]

The genesis was realizing that I'm probably starting off every other comment with the word "also"

I noticed recently that I think I do this too; as if back-to-back-commenting -- or close to it -- is somehow absolutely forgiven by me pointing out that I'm aware of it.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:00 PM on October 10, 2012

Also I wonder how many times people try to come up with a joke example in Metatalk referencing their previous comment but can't come up with one before somebody else comments.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:06 PM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

I do the "also" thing a lot these days. My brain often thinks of something else right away.
posted by yellowbinder at 1:06 PM on October 10, 2012

Actually, I'd like to think I don't require forgiveness because of how rarely I start a comment with the word "actually."
posted by griphus at 1:06 PM on October 10, 2012

Also I find I comment best in short statements; if I try to express too much I get bogged down in phrasing and half the time abandon the comment altogether.
posted by yellowbinder at 1:07 PM on October 10, 2012

"I"
posted by 4ster at 1:10 PM on October 10, 2012

what
posted by herbplarfegan at 1:14 PM on October 10, 2012

Once you get past the first response in an AskMe thread, I'd wager that "Really?" and "Seriously?" are over-represented.
posted by Etrigan at 1:14 PM on October 10, 2012

"low-carb slow cooker meals"
posted by The Whelk at 1:16 PM on October 10, 2012 [4 favorites]

MeTa: "Why...?" followed by GRAR making.
posted by arcticseal at 1:22 PM on October 10, 2012

"I"

Yup, for me it's almost definitely I. When I'm writing multiple-paragraph comments/answers, I typically cringe at the fact that every paragraph starts with I. Sometimes I try to go back and retweak it so it's not all ME ME ME, but most of the time I just embrace my narcissism.
posted by phunniemee at 1:29 PM on October 10, 2012

Enough, with, the, Gangnam
posted by Wordshore at 2:06 PM on October 10, 2012

Enough, with, the, Gangnam

Oppan MeFi Style. ♫ MeFi Style. ♫

Sorry.
posted by zarq at 5:36 PM on October 10, 2012

AskMetafilter posts: How, Where, What, Why, Can, I, My, Please, Recommend
posted by John Cohen at 5:49 PM on October 10, 2012

And for Metafilter FPPs, I'm sure the answer is "The."
posted by John Cohen at 5:51 PM on October 10, 2012

Im in gangnam right now
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:07 PM on October 10, 2012

Are you drinking hot coffee?
posted by maryr at 8:18 PM on October 10, 2012

(If so, call me, nudge nudge, wink wink, pelvic thrust.)
posted by maryr at 8:19 PM on October 10, 2012

"IANAL, but..."
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:35 PM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm drinking cold coffee, maryr. But a couple hours ago, when you posted, it was hot, hot, hot.

I'm terribly ashamed to admit, however, that I did not drink it in one gulp. My "Gagnam style" is still rudimentary, it would appear.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 11:15 PM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

Taters!
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:57 AM on October 11, 2012

Not sure about openers, but way, way too many end with "that is all". What am I, your butler? "That is all"? I know that that's all, because that's where the post ended, isn't it? I'll be talking to my union about this.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:34 PM on October 11, 2012

John Hodgman's influence knows no bounds.
posted by maryr at 8:07 AM on October 12, 2012

DTMFA, therapy
IANAL

IANAD, ER, CATS!
posted by BlueHorse at 4:57 PM on October 13, 2012

For posts to the blue I'm going with "The" and some variant of "as previously discussed on MetaFilter…". Also I'd like to see a count of "Previously" links.
posted by spitefulcrow at 7:37 PM on October 13, 2012