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Probatim

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160. My first boss out of college told me to "take this down Probatim!"

Wed Aug 13, 2025, 06:26 PM

Aug 13

I can't recall what caused his tantrum but I responded with "you want me to write this down word-for-word, for free?"

He didn't quite get the barb, but my co-worker had to leave the boss' office.

This guy was just like dear leader - and would remind you how he was so smart, wealthy, handsome, and so on. He was none of those things, but he was the owner and paid the bills, so you kept your mouth shut (right up until I couldn't any more).

So when I lost access to my first account here (which was my initials), I decided to pay homage to the dumbass by using his own word.

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How did you come up with your DU screen name? [View all] PJMcK Aug 13 OP

National Lampoon Family Vacation underpants Aug 13 #1

Ha! PJMcK Aug 13 #8

The Firesign Theatre... regnaD kciN Aug 13 #2

I love wordplay PJMcK Aug 13 #9

I guess I'll never figure any of these out NJCher Aug 13 #52

Your screen name is easy! PJMcK Aug 13 #54

Awww, thank you. NJCher Aug 13 #58

Stellar! lark Aug 13 #49

I'm a Paramedic, and a Big D Democrat :) DemMedic Aug 13 #3

Nicely expressive! PJMcK Aug 13 #11

It was years in the making. dem4decades Aug 13 #4

Good one! PJMcK Aug 13 #12

I am a Star Trek fan.... FarPoint Aug 13 #5

I'm not quite a trekker PJMcK Aug 13 #14

Ohhhh yes... FarPoint Aug 13 #20

Fascinating PJMcK Aug 13 #22

On the D-Con YouTube channel.... FarPoint Aug 13 #41

just for the record NJCher Aug 13 #65

My pleasure, NJCher! Diamond_Dog Aug 13 #108

I just got home from the Las Vegas convention. markodochartaigh Aug 13 #35

Cool! electric_blue68 Aug 13 #164

Been watching The Treks since TOS originally.... like to love them all... electric_blue68 Aug 13 #163

Like you, my initials sop Aug 13 #6

You got me PJMcK Aug 13 #15

My cat is Tommie TommieMommy Aug 13 #7

And I thought Tommie was a child! My bad PJMcK Aug 13 #19

mine always takes the brains NJCher Aug 13 #67

Just for you ... marble falls Aug 13 #24

Thank you 👍👍 TommieMommy Aug 13 #114

Goonch - giant catfish Goonch Aug 13 #10

Yikes! PJMcK Aug 13 #16

Live in Michigan (Mi) in Hale (city) MiHale Aug 13 #13

Great state, Michigan PJMcK Aug 13 #17

esoteric logic Tetrachloride Aug 13 #18

My dad was a chemist PJMcK Aug 13 #21

my father too Tetrachloride Aug 13 #44

I read one of tetrachloride's posts at the dinner table one night NJCher Aug 13 #72

Another One! ProfessorGAC Aug 13 #120

Crone and crony. Croney Aug 13 #23

yeah, but NJCher Aug 13 #74

My name and birth year debm55 Aug 13 #25

Thanks, debm55 PJMcK Aug 13 #50

Ptah: the God of Craftsmen & The Arts Ptah Aug 13 #26

Wow, that's something PJMcK Aug 13 #51

tribute to my grandmother markie Aug 13 #27

That's lovely! PJMcK Aug 13 #53

Mine describes my state of mind UpInArms Aug 13 #28

mind, perhaps? PJMcK Aug 13 #73

Auto incorrect struck again UpInArms Aug 13 #116

What's funny to me PJMcK Aug 13 #122

It is a nickname BigMin28 Aug 13 #29

Aw...terrible! : ( electric_blue68 Aug 13 #166

I guess that question is too personal for me. murielm99 Aug 13 #30

Big fan of 70s SNL and love baseball chicoescuela Aug 13 #31

The way I felt back when Dubya 'defeated' John Kerry. I watched the Ohio returns change dramatically. I was right. sinkingfeeling Aug 13 #32

Character from an Australian children's book Nittersing Aug 13 #33

Mr. Ziggy Piggles was my cat, he passed on due to cancer. Ziggysmom Aug 13 #34

I am a fan of Sir Pterry, Rincewind Aug 13 #36

I've been catbyte since my Bitnet days in the early 1990s catbyte Aug 13 #37

catbyte has a nice computerese quality! PJMcK Aug 13 #71

totally appropriate NJCher Aug 13 #75

Yes, around here they do. catbyte Aug 13 #91

My screen name origin BlueKota Aug 13 #38

Personal and creative PJMcK Aug 13 #68

4TheArts 4TheArts Aug 13 #39

As an artist (musician), I like your handle! PJMcK Aug 13 #66

Thanks PJMcK 4TheArts Aug 14 #171

We had 3 cats at the time I first needed a screen name. We've since had... 3catwoman3 Aug 13 #40

That's a nice memorial PJMcK Aug 13 #64

My Ukrainian grandma somethingshiny Aug 13 #42

Very nice PJMcK Aug 13 #63

yes but it's also appropriate NJCher Aug 13 #78

A reference to the Wheel of Samsara, or Wheel of Life... WheelWalker Aug 13 #43

Very expressive PJMcK Aug 13 #61

Refers to a place where i grew up, love and miss. mwmisses4289 Aug 13 #45

I have been volunteering on voter protection efforts since 2004 LetMyPeopleVote Aug 13 #46

Pretty clear PJMcK Aug 13 #59

The great dog of my life chowmama Aug 13 #47

Great tribute! PJMcK Aug 13 #57

It's part of my last name, short and easy and I love to sing. lark Aug 13 #48

Clearly, you love to post on DU, too! PJMcK Aug 13 #55

Displaced Vermont Voter displacedvermoter Aug 13 #56

Well, that's pretty clear! PJMcK Aug 13 #60

Me too, more than I can say! displacedvermoter Aug 13 #62

Because I'm the greatest. El Supremo Aug 13 #69

Or that thing in the White House PJMcK Aug 13 #70

To be honest, I misspelled my own damn name. rsdsharp Aug 13 #76

Oh, that is too funny! 3catwoman3 Aug 13 #107

Mine came from my last duty assignment in the Air Force The Polack MSgt Aug 13 #77

Music first MuseRider Aug 13 #79

I'm in IT. I used to have very long hair. Thus, CousinIT. CousinIT Aug 13 #80

Obviously what I wanted back then. BlueTsunami2018 Aug 13 #81

It's still a good name! CrispyQ Aug 13 #89

I don't remember exactly, but a bad-mannered cat was involved. CrispyQ Aug 13 #82

What happened to the cat? (n/t) PJMcK Aug 13 #88

She lived a long satisfying life ripping at my carpet. CrispyQ Aug 13 #92

My ex-wife had a cat when we moved in with one another PJMcK Aug 13 #95

Back in AOL dial-up days. . . UniqueUserName Aug 13 #83

Of course, no one else would ever use such a unique user name PJMcK Aug 13 #87

Came to me in a dream. Sneederbunk Aug 13 #84

Sounds like it might have been a nightmare! PJMcK Aug 13 #90

Back in the olden days, when I first signed up... bif Aug 13 #85

All this time I thought you wee a geologist! PJMcK Aug 13 #86

'Oeditpus' is simple Oeditpus Rex Aug 13 #93

I've vaguely wondered about your screen name for years PJMcK Aug 13 #153

Aw, shucks Oeditpus Rex Aug 13 #169

Back In The 90s... ProfessorGAC Aug 13 #94

I've always respected good teachers PJMcK Aug 13 #96

That's What I Did For A Living ProfessorGAC Aug 13 #97

I'd be interested in your response to my post 112, right below yours. 3catwoman3 Aug 13 #113

While in nursing school in the early 1970s, I thought maybe I should go on to med school... 3catwoman3 Aug 13 #112

Comments ProfessorGAC Aug 13 #117

My calculus story is worse than my organic story. 3catwoman3 Aug 13 #119

Because I'm the great aunt of triplets. greatauntoftriplets Aug 13 #98

This message was self-deleted by its author Mosby Aug 13 #99

Marthe was my Mom's nickname for me Marthe48 Aug 13 #100

Every other name I tried was already taken. MIButterfly Aug 13 #101

Used to be one snowybirdie Aug 13 #102

It's just where I figured I should be. FalloutShelter Aug 13 #103

A wise choice of venue! PJMcK Aug 13 #150

After one of my favorite bands utopian Aug 13 #104

Todd Rundgren! PJMcK Aug 13 #148

I stole it from a high school friend. PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 13 #105

Does this make you a pseudonymical maniac?! PJMcK Aug 13 #145

I really like cycling Alpeduez21 Aug 13 #106

I've seen some of your posts PJMcK Aug 13 #144

... Solly Mack Aug 13 #109

Glad you missed the numbers! PJMcK Aug 13 #143

Love baseball, dogs, and Bowie. Diamond_Dog Aug 13 #110

I, too, love baseball and dogs PJMcK Aug 13 #141

Oohhh a signed lithograph! What a treasure!! Diamond_Dog Aug 13 #146

It's a cool rendition PJMcK Aug 13 #149

I am so envious. 😍 Diamond_Dog Aug 13 #152

At the time customerserviceguy Aug 13 #111

I'll bet you were good at your job PJMcK Aug 13 #139

I AM a Kennedy..... a kennedy Aug 13 #115

Can't get more definitive than your own name! PJMcK Aug 13 #137

It's a kacekwl Aug 13 #118

That's effective PJMcK Aug 13 #136

I identify as a yankee and took Mark Twain's story character in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." CTyankee Aug 13 #121

My brother used that moniker for his email address PJMcK Aug 13 #124

very nice area! CTyankee Aug 13 #165

I started my own political web site before joining DU. Eko Aug 13 #123

I've known your handle for some time PJMcK Aug 13 #125

I just love The Beatles. skylucy Aug 13 #126

You are not alone. Boomerproud Aug 13 #132

Your post is like diamonds! PJMcK Aug 13 #138

Easy Jilly_in_VA Aug 13 #127

Straight forward PJMcK Aug 13 #135

Glorfindel was an elf-lord in "The Lord of the Rings." Glorfindel Aug 13 #128

Yep, I recognized it some time ago PJMcK Aug 13 #133

my chess handle Brainstormy Aug 13 #129

An excellent moniker! PJMcK Aug 13 #130

A very exotic process DFW Aug 13 #131

Always thought it was a Texan reference! PJMcK Aug 13 #134

bushluvsmoonies blm Aug 13 #140

Thank you for the clarification! PJMcK Aug 13 #142

Well, I didn't come up with my screen name Grim Chieftain Aug 13 #147

I froze when I realized I had to come up with something. 1WorldHope Aug 13 #151

PJMcK was already taken Bluestocking Aug 13 #154

Three Aspects of My Life ScoutHikerDad Aug 13 #155

Skittles was my huge solid black bundle of feline fur Skittles Aug 13 #156

when I joined in 2007... From The Ashes Aug 13 #157

Lochlossa is a song about the destruction of FL by JJ Grey and Mofro Lochloosa Aug 13 #158

It was a forgone conclusion fargone Aug 13 #159

My first boss out of college told me to "take this down Probatim!" Probatim Aug 13 #160

from a punk rock band in Los Angeles in the early 1980s DBoon Aug 13 #161

Well...Blue is the Democrats color. Electric Blue bc there was a fabulous Vivid Royal Blue colored pencil, that makes... electric_blue68 Aug 13 #162

From a small general store near my aunt's lake house in Georgia sorcrow Aug 13 #167

Thanks for your explanation PJMcK Aug 13 #168

I'm an astronomy nerd - Talitha is a 3.1 magnitude star in UMa. Talitha Aug 13 #170

Thanks for your thoughtful reply PJMcK Aug 14 #173

Projection. Ad, being a fan. (Possible trigger warning: sci-fi horror image) OldBaldy1701E Aug 14 #172

In a batshit crazy world some_of_us_are_sane Aug 14 #174

I agree! PJMcK Aug 14 #175

I used to do voice work - nickname alittlelark Aug 14 #176

ID Squeaky41 Aug 14 #177

Good one! PJMcK Aug 14 #178

Family dog Auggie Aug 14 #179

I'm the family dog, too (n/t) PJMcK Aug 14 #180