Walking dictionary, encyclopedia, etc.?

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In the last two weeks alone I recall having been referred to as a walking dictionary at least twice, a walking encyclopedia twice, a walking bus timetable at least once and maybe a walking calculator at some point.

And that's just the times I've been called these things to my face.

Anyone else?

No I just get called weird or ret*d oh, wait I think this one guy on the bus referred to me as a “silent enigma”

Keeno wrote:

Count me in.

Anybody want to play Scrabble?

I've gotten the walking dictionary thing my entire life.

Once at work I was called a walking dictionary of useless information.

I've never been called names like that, but people commonly say that I'm a "know-it-all." I tend to have the answers for everything, mostly because I analyze social situations so much and commonly stipulate my opinion as to what's wrong with the world. Some people think I'm arrogant in many ways. Maybe I am. Who knows? I just don't know how to get into informal discussions. Everything for me has to have a reason.

I feel that I have been used on occasion by some, including some family members, as to my knowledge for things like medical sciences. My mother is a diabetic and has some health problems, so there are some family members who have looked to me for advice instead of the doctor. I feel that I am not in the position to make a diagnosis, but I feel awkward in saying that, so I give a reason or so about what might be the cause. These family members I'm talking about aren't fond of doctors to begin with. It's the same with drugs, and I just hate it when someone tells me what a drug is for and I don't know it. I then have to say that I have to research it to find out.

There have been times when people have told me, at a couple of past jobs, that my knowledge in matters in areas like social politics and environmental studies are very extensive.

- Ray M -

Does anybody actually care?

no but memory bank for half the world.

I'm a walking dictionary and a walking telephone book. I wouldn't say that I even know that much, but I guess it's more than other people because they're always asking me...

walking encyclopedia - yep

walking dictonary - nope - i can't spell for chease

walking database of useless infomation - tooo many time

walking question machine - to may times

factoid depository - lots of times

jammie

I can totally relate to this one. People have been calling me a walking encyclopedia since preschool! During school years, it was both a blessing (schoolwork was easy) and a curse (my parents penalized me for being smart by punishing me for bad grades). In college and at work, it's a completely different story. People would often come to me with a sincere question; I would give them and answer, and they seemed to appreciate it. The downside is that people used to ask me for help with schoolwork a little too often, but I learned to say no when I don't have time.

Also, I learned to "ration" the information I give out, so when people ask me something, I tell them only what they asked for, as opposed to going on and on about a topic.

Yes, me too i changed my way of giving answers because of what i've been called. Today i answer "i don't know" as ofter as i can even if i know. Anyway it's true that the info i know are often useless to the casual NTs.

They do ask me phone numbers though, and that i answer, they are impressed by that....

PS. Do you know your credit card number by heart (and social insurance number, and the bank's phone and fax number, and thier complete civic adresse etc...?

Yep, I know my social insurance number, credit card number, bank card, health insurance card, driver's license, other account numbers, etc - both mine and my husband's. I also have hundreds of car license plates in my head (and a lot of phone numbers too). I don't know addresses though.

Oh yes! Just this weekend I had people bringing odds and ends like small metal tags to me and asking what they were (they were what was left of rotted telephone poles that had been used for landscape shoring in the 1950's). I can't spell, but my memory for things I've seen, touched, read or smelled is wonderful.

My favorite was when some friends of my ex-husband asked him if they could "borrow" me to go to auctions and flea markets, and tell them what things were

Sometimes it cracks me up. My brain loves to remember and index "stuff", but often I'm unable to draw inference from the wealth of it (I fake pretty good).

Not really, just pointless trivia:

X-Files
South Park
Ronnie James Dio
Black Sabbath

...and other things like Dangermouse, Street Sharks and all that other 'tripe'

Though today a guy I know on MSN said something along the lines of: "What compels you to talk about weird subjects?"

Oh, hell yes. Then again, I used to read the encyclopedia and the dictionary for fun.