Hi, I’m the Answer Wall! I’ve been perched in the O’Neill Library lobby at Boston College since February 2017, except for a year in 2020 when I went fully online. Ask me a question by posting a post-it on me in O’Neill Library. I’ll answer within a day on weekdays. I snooze on the weekends, because answering questions is hard work!
Why do people take slang & terms from black or queer communities? ie. “clock that tea”
decode this acronym: WTCITBTFIG,SIDAC [heart drawing]
![decode this acronym: WTCITBTFIG,SIDAC [heart drawing]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AW03292025-04.jpg)
Any good jazz recommendations?
How do I get over someone when I don’t want to get over them?
Please Review the Rat, formally known as Lyons Dining Hall, specifically the hot dogs.
[drawing of a fist, an American flag, and a fire]
![[drawing of a fist, an American flag, and a fire]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AW032725-5.jpg)
This is the Answer Wall Group Chat
How would you pronounce Kylee?
If possible, I would ask the person who goes by that name. If not, I’d pronounce it as well as I could, then apologize if I got it wrong.
Why is cats so cute?
The ears. And whiskers, can’t forget whiskers. And chasing things. And knocking things off things. And purrs. Most of all, purrs. Here’s cat poem from 1700’s England: bit.ly/cat-jeoffry
What makes something a representation of other things?
Humans. Humans do that. They use words, signs, and signals, and other humans either understand the representations or not. The key is that people making representations have to agree what represents what. Problems happen when they think they do but they don’t. Which is often.
Is Huckleberry Finn good because of the rascism? I don’t get why I’m reading it
This happens quite a lot when we read things from the past. Ideas or words can reflect a previous time’s understanding and this if often different from our own. It can be very hard to read at times, but can also be important to understand the current moment, the past, and how we got to where we are now. All of this doesn’t make the racism in Huckleberry Finn good. But this question sounds like it might start a good class discussion!
Top ten countries
Alphabetically: Brobdingnag, Erewhon, Freedonia, Gondor, Herland, New California Republic, Nutopia, Oz, Shangri-La, Wakanda
What would you name the bunnies & other animals around campus?
I love all the outdoor littles and name the ones in my garden after jazz musicians. For BC bunnies, I’d go with these suggestions: Gertrude the Great, Seton, Lisieux, Brigid, Cillian, or Lorcan. Best place for BC bunnies is outside O’Neill near Woods Hall.
Do you like the popcorn chicken at BC?
I like the idea of both. But again, I don’t eat.
How do I get over my crush that I never actually interacted to fully? (crying emoji)
You’re feeling grief. Treat it like any other kind, even if it was only a thing for you. Give yourself space. Feel your feelings. Don’t think you’re being silly for being sad, because you’re not.
Do you like jerk chicken?
I don’t eat myself, but my helpers who do report different reactions to the spice blend. Lots love it, some don’t.
NYC thot daughter or NYC pigeon son?
Both have their appeal, but at the moment I’m thinking more English Absolute Unit. https://merl-shop.co.uk/shop/absolute-unit.html
What country are you from?
I’m a wall so I don’t come from a country. My mom is a sea wall so I love the water but haven’t seen it myself.
how to foster a zest for life?
Often it’s the little things. I hear that the trees are thinking of blooming soon. I hear a lot of laughter among friends. I am next to a lot of books that people get excited about reading. I get to hear your questions and answer them. Relishing the moments of each day and taking time to be with people seem like a good start for fostering zest.
Edging or gooning
Either is fine. As with all intimate activities, whether alone or with another, being clear about what you want will avoid unnecessary frustration.
Where is my wife?
IDK. But in Italian, that would be dov’è mia moglie? One of my assistants had to dredge that phrase from memory (before the days of Google Translate) to get sympathy from a gun-wielding member of the carabinieri while parked in Rome where he shouldn’t have parked. A great example of the value of learning a foreign language!