Education

Governor Pataki: Go out and study hard so you don’t get a bad exam on your grades.

–Cantor Film Center, East 8th Street

Overheard by: StyX

Man #1: The Tet Offensive was just confusing.
Man #2: Not really. I understood it completely.
Man #1: Well, let me use an analogy: it would be like if tomorrow, we went into Baghdad and removed all the troops. Is that how it was?
Man #2: Maybe; I don’t know what analogy means.

–Washington Place & 6th

Overheard by: Gradie Smith

A hobo has a cardboard sign that says “Ninjas killed parents, need money for Kugn [sic] Fu lessons.”

A cop comes up, and the hobo says: I don’t know why. I’ve already had five police come by and bother me today.

–14th & 5th

Overheard by: Casey

(cf. This guy.)

Chick #1: Yeah, I’m really getting sick of our teacher. I mean, and maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t care that she was raped by her
father as a child.
Chick #2: I know, that’s really none of our business. I don’t need to know that.

–168th Street station

Overheard by: bouch

Preppy guy: I’m hardcore into the drug underground. Drugs and me, we’re like this.
Preppy chick: Drugs and I.

–53rd & 6th

Overheard by: djlindee

Black lady: He has a degree in computer science, just like his mama. He’s teaching at some school for the mentally retarded. Can you believe that? Teaching computer science to retards: who would do that?

–J. Crew dressing room, Prince Street

Guy: I want to go to FIT so I can hook up with girls.

–27th & 7th

Girl: I mean, I got shat on at Harvard.

–9th Street & 2nd Avenue

Overheard by: Kamran Javadizadeh

Woman: Is there a special event going on at Columbia this summer? Because I’ve seen a lot of Asians around.

–116th & Broadway

Overheard by: Carrie

Hipster girl: I mean, I’ve got like, over 160 facebook friends. Does that not mean anything?

–56th & 6th

Overheard by: Joyce Shen

Sociology professor: No one knows what the hell Derrida is talking about, but we all pretend we do anyway.

–Columbia

Overheard by: djlindee

Guy: So, I went on this audition, and they asked me, “Can you juggle and ride a unicycle?”. I mean, I can juggle, and I can ride a unicycle, but I can’t do both at once, I’m not a skills clown. Basically, my skill is falling. I can fall really well.

–A train

Overheard by: Berit J.

Girl: Mommy, what’s the opposite of hair?

–86th & Broadway

Overheard by: Stuart Weisberg

Mom: Don’t you know this is the liberry, not the cry-berry?

–The Fordham Library Center

Tween girl: …and the one Winnie the Pooh had a nice body…

–Bryant Park

Overheard by: Jason B. Schmidt

Guy: …if my wife and I spit at the kids, nothing happens…but if a llama does they burst into tears.

–53rd & 6th

Overheard by: J-Mo

British guy: Can’t be more worse than having a baby every six months.

–116th & Lexington

Boy: Mommy, how many hours are in a mile?

–44th & 8th

Overheard by: BBW

Guy #1: So what do you do?
Guy #2: I’m a therapist.
Guy #1: Wow. Master’s or PhD?
Guy #2: Massage.

–22nd & 8th

Overheard by: Ben Wade

Dad: …you’ve got to use your middle finger.
Son: Which one’s the middle finger?
Dad: This one.
Son: Why’s it called the middle finger?
Dad: Because it’s in the middle of your hand, I guess. There’s two fingers on either side.
Son: That’s retarded.
Dad: It may sound retarded, but that’s the way it is.

–Astoria corner store

NYU chick on cell: You know you’re having a bad day when you break your aura.

–West 4th & Jones

Overheard by: Sam Zimman

Guy: NYU is like a disease. It’s shaping the minds of the fucking
future.

–South Street seaport

Chick on cell: Oh my god, I just totally bombed my final. But it’s not fair. It’s not my fault I got stuck in a class with all smart people. My grade’s totally going to skyrocket downwards.

–NYU, Waverly & Washington Square East

Overheard by: LMF