The Making of a Signature Motto

Those who have ever read my emails may know, love, or harbor resentment to, my random signatures. Now 81 entries long, I'm always on the lookout for phrases or words that titillate me in as few words as possible: 58 characters is the largest signature length I've saved. Shrinking an idea or emotion down to that many characters or less is a bit like Perl Golf, another game I enjoy.

<dopry> hey Morbus, how's it going... rough evening/morning?
<Morbus> nah, not at all.
<dopry> Ok.. You just seemed to have a chip on the old shoulder...
<Morbus> dopry: nah. not at all.
<Morbus> well, it's quite possible i've had a chip on my shoulder for so long that it's part of the shoulder now.
<eaton> that's an excellent motto.
<Morbus> "my chip has been there so long, it's part of my shoulder now"
<Morbus> no wait.
<Morbus> that's not poetic enough'
<Morbus> my chip has been there so long, it's no longer on, but is.
<Morbus> hrm. needs the word shoulder to associate though.
<eaton> "It's quite possible I've had a chip on my shoulder so long that it's part of the shoulder."
<Morbus> mottos are short and lyrical.
<Morbus> my chip's been there so long, it's no longer on, but is, my shoulder.
<Morbus> hrm.
<Morbus> no, that's not good either.
<Morbus> ooh! i goti t!
<Morbus> "i've no more shoulders, only chips"
<Morbus> now *that's* a good one.

82! 82 signatures! Ah ah ah!