Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz
Jul 8, 2026, 8:30 AMOne thing no one ever talks about being an adult is how much time you debate yourself on keeping a cardboard box because it's, like, a really good box.
Replies
Ed Daviesedavies@functional.cafeJul 8, 2026, 8:51 AM@ColinTheMathmo My hero is the old lady in whose possessions was found a cardboard box labelled “pieces of string too short to be worth keeping”.
- Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 8:55 AM
@edavies That's FABULOUS !!!
Colin Beveridgeicecolbeveridge@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 9:24 AM@ColinTheMathmo @edavies BRB, marking up a box. (Also, putting that in my songwriting swipe file, this lady needs to be in a song.)
DianeDianotron@mastodonapp.ukJul 9, 2026, 10:51 PM@edavies @ColinTheMathmo I think that was a story told by Adam Buxton about his late father... Still charming though.
MCDuncanLabMCDuncanLabJul 9, 2026, 11:22 PM@Dianotron @edavies @ColinTheMathmo
Look up the origin of the word shoddy. It basically comes from shoddy cloth-fabric made from fibers to short to be of any use.
These are ppl just a little unstuck in time.
- Ed Daviesedavies@functional.cafeJul 10, 2026, 8:26 AM
@Dianotron Ah, thank you. I didn't know who he was so must have heard it from somewhere else but I can't remember where. Either he was repeating from a similar source or it got twisted on the way to me.
book_dragonJeanieBurrellJul 8, 2026, 9:21 AM@ColinTheMathmo And if you have a really cool rock you can keep it in the really good box!
Chertridgechertridge@beige.partyJul 8, 2026, 6:14 PM@JeanieBurrell @ColinTheMathmo Ah, but a really cool rock should be proudly displayed.
- book_dragonJeanieBurrellJul 8, 2026, 6:28 PM
@chertridge @ColinTheMathmo On top of the good box. 🙂
Jul 8, 2026, 9:38 AM@ColinTheMathmo
And literally the day after you finally throw it out, you need it.- Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 9:55 AM
@TheJen This concept is in "The Meaning of Liff".
Nottage (n.)
Nottage is the collective name for things which you find a use for immediately after you've thrown them away. For instance, your greenhouse has been cluttered up for years with a huge piece of cardboard and great fronds of gardening string. You at last decide to clear all this stuff out, and you burn it. Within twenty-four hours you will urgently need to wrap a large parcel, and suddenly remember that luckily in your greenhouse there is some cardb...
Margaret 🇦🇺drmobs@aus.socialJul 8, 2026, 9:41 AM@ColinTheMathmo I feel seen. I may or may not have dozens of boxes (most empty) hiding behind the books in my shelves.
Jul 8, 2026, 11:49 AM*my tangle of micro-USB cables has entered the chat*
Juliacatnip@mastodon.onlineJul 8, 2026, 10:41 AM@ColinTheMathmo The decision is easier if you have a cat
- Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 10:56 AM
@catnip If you have a cat then there is, in truth, no decision at all.
- Juliacatnip@mastodon.onlineJul 8, 2026, 11:18 AM
@ColinTheMathmo True!
AI is Woke ™mmm_kay@kolektiva.socialJul 8, 2026, 12:39 PM@catnip @ColinTheMathmo True but the cats have fairly simple tastes in boxes. MY boxes are engineering feats of awesomeness!
PhilWillPhilWill@aus.socialJul 8, 2026, 10:58 AM@catnip @ColinTheMathmo in the film Malcolm, the titular character played by Colin Friels discovers that his new housemate has stolen a bunch of televisions, he asks if he can keep the cardboard boxes... I remember watching am interview with Colin Friels where he says he developed a great appreciation for cardboard boxes after playing that role
Gamal Sherifgdsherif@c.imJul 8, 2026, 10:49 AM@ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon. I feel sorry for all of the really good boxes that get discarded.
Jul 8, 2026, 11:22 AMMy cousin had a file folder marked "files" where she kept her empty file folders.
Fortunately, it was not empty, or there could have been a problem.
- Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 11:23 AM
😆
- Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 11:25 AM
@glc I've just said to my wife(*) that the problem with it being an empty file folder would be that it would then have to be in itself, which would make it non-empty ...
She paused and said:
"Well, you know, you put an elephant in Cairo." (**)
Cue hilarity
(*) My wife is @virtuosew and is neither mathematician nor programmer
(**) Reference explained upon request, but is easily found on the interwebs.
jtonlinejtonline@mastodon.me.ukJul 8, 2026, 11:45 AM@ColinTheMathmo what's the debate? Keep all of the boxes!
Jul 8, 2026, 5:17 PM@jtonline @ColinTheMathmo found the cat.
Jul 10, 2026, 1:33 PM@jtonline @ColinTheMathmo Limited living/storage space.
Jul 8, 2026, 11:52 AMLast month I thrice had to wrap stuff in discarded foam stuff, wrap it with half a roll of packaging tape and into a plastic bag - for shipping.
Why?
Because I threw away those nice cardboard boxes!
Dont! It's a trap!
sunflowerinrainsunflowerinrain@mastodon.onlineJul 8, 2026, 12:05 PM@ColinTheMathmo
I only ask myself where I can store it. Them.
Running out of room...
alexi :neorat: alexililyastral@app.wafrn.netJul 8, 2026, 12:11 PM@ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz
i have a system with bottles and jars where i tell one of my partners what a great bottle or jar it is, they agree with me, and then we both agree that i should still throw it away. it works.
- Colin the MathmoColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyzJul 8, 2026, 1:04 PM
@alexililyastral That's *excellent* ... love it.
I may adopt that.
Jul 8, 2026, 12:26 PM@ColinTheMathmo And jars. Not so much me. But my wife loves a good jar!
Mar :🌻mooseandriosmom@mindly.socialJul 8, 2026, 12:26 PMYou can never tell when you will need a good box.
@ColinTheMathmo- AI is Woke ™mmm_kay@kolektiva.socialJul 8, 2026, 12:40 PM
@ColinTheMathmo This makes me want to go admire my collection. 📦
Jul 8, 2026, 12:54 PMMy strategy has been to keep it but next to the cardboard recycling bin. Then if there are too many I can easily break them down and toss them in
cultured nyc 🇺🇦culturednyc@mastodon.socialJul 8, 2026, 12:57 PM@ColinTheMathmo Well-crafted small boxes are worth their weight in boxes!
Jul 8, 2026, 1:02 PM@ColinTheMathmo I was thrilled to dry my socks on exactly such dubious boxes
Jul 8, 2026, 1:12 PM@ColinTheMathmo I...don't think anything has ever resonated for me like this has.
PierrettePierrette@mastodon.unoJul 8, 2026, 1:25 PM@ColinTheMathmo
Very proud I put one of them to a good use recently
tribactamtribactam@vivaldi.netJul 8, 2026, 1:41 PMyou can't beat a good cardboard box for storing things. Well, maybe apart from that special little stick that might come in handy for stirring paint one day...
Son of a GeorgeSon_of_a_George@thecanadian.socialJul 8, 2026, 1:50 PM@ColinTheMathmo You’ve seen my garage?
Jul 8, 2026, 2:17 PM@ColinTheMathmo If I can't deal with all the tape it goes into the recycle bin; if it's clean or cleanable it goes to the garden for mulch. If it's cute enough it's a pet ... I do have a couple of pet boxes.
dasgrueneblattdasgrueneblatt@wien.rocksJul 8, 2026, 2:57 PM@ColinTheMathmo True, there are some really good boxes.
Kids do that too, in my experience. For different reasons than adults though.
Jul 8, 2026, 3:58 PM@dasgrueneblatt @ColinTheMathmo both kids and adults do this with Lego boxes
Fire Horse 2026blakefox@mastodon.socialJul 8, 2026, 6:19 PM@dasgrueneblatt @ColinTheMathmo
To this day I do not forgive my mother for giving away the new refrigerator box to the neighborhood kids.
- dasgrueneblattdasgrueneblatt@wien.rocksJul 8, 2026, 7:21 PM
@blakefox Big boxes are often amazing! 💔💚 @ColinTheMathmo
Hanno Reinhannorein@mastodon.socialJul 8, 2026, 4:15 PM@ColinTheMathmo the best part of going to Costco is choosing which cardboard box the cat will enjoy the most.
rooney (not the famous one)harmoniousanger@zeroes.caJul 8, 2026, 4:22 PM@ColinTheMathmo Oh, you've got a *good* box? I'm gonna steal it.
FediThing :progress_pride:FediThing@chinwag.orgJul 8, 2026, 4:53 PMApparently Kubrick got so obsessed with good cardboard boxes that he eventually designed his own, just so the lid would open nicely.
Jul 8, 2026, 5:57 PM@ColinTheMathmo @dtl I found an excellent answer to this dilemma is also a wife that has been teaching herself how to make bookbinding type boxes and asks for my storage needs so she can practice her box making skills
David Ruffnerdavidruffner@masto.nycJul 9, 2026, 2:22 PM@g7vkq @ColinTheMathmo @dtl Wow those are amazing boxes! beautiful!
- Jul 9, 2026, 2:29 PM
@davidruffner @ColinTheMathmo @dtl Thank you😁 My wife will be so thrilled that someone appreciates her learning efforts. She only started making these last year and just picked up the knowledge from YouTube videos (from people like DAS Bookbinding https://youtu.be/VTA7C4G3H-Q?is=NqltUVC1A5Pin-8m )
M0KHRM0KHR@mastodon.radioJul 8, 2026, 6:18 PM@ColinTheMathmo
Not sure why, I read this as keeping myself in a cardboard box, and I'd agree with that message too.
Jul 8, 2026, 6:18 PM@ColinTheMathmo But what if I need to return the thing that came in said box!
Olympus MonsTerIlludium_Q36@woof.groupJul 8, 2026, 7:43 PM@ColinTheMathmo - As early as my sophomore year at university (since we were *ALWAYS* needing boxes and bags) we had the Box box and the Bag bag. #IYKYK
anneotama23@mastodon.worldJul 8, 2026, 8:06 PM@ColinTheMathmo one of my most requested things today as a volunteer at a beer festival has been empty cardboard boxes
Jul 8, 2026, 9:31 PM@ColinTheMathmo
No contest. The 'Bankers Box' (trade marked) is the second greatest invention next to select-a-size paper towels. They fold down flat, and when fully deployed offer double wall construction, with carrying handle cut-outs, and a lid so you can stack them to the ceiling.
I'll be taking orders on 8/1.
James Cmack505@feistycricket.orgJul 8, 2026, 9:51 PM@ColinTheMathmo @TheJen I have cats. The decision is easy.
Dr Suzanne she/herDrSuzanne@ohai.socialJul 8, 2026, 9:55 PM@ColinTheMathmo I’ve been offered good boxes not at all related to moving or anything similar.
NearerAndFartherNearerAndFarther@bookstodon.comJul 8, 2026, 10:57 PMBags, too...
Russ SharekRussSharek@mastodon.artJul 8, 2026, 10:59 PMThe wardrobe sized box of boxes in our theater shop understands you.
