I propose these levels of understandability for (California¹) vanity license plates, from most inscrutable to most understandable:

(Most inscrutable)

1. Physical comedy, where you have to manipulate the plate to get it: X32TTU8 (read it in a mirror), 3SI73 (flip over to read ELISE), BLONDE mounted upside-down.
2. Inside jokes. Only 4 people will get it: N4BLOOP. What the hell does it even mean?
   • 2.a. Uncommon language plates. I think this one is a subcategory of Inside Jokes because most people have no idea what they mean.
3. Topical memes for the Chronically Online: COVFEFE, SKIBIDI.
4. Nerd references: NCC1701, GANDALF, FFFF00 on a yellow car.
5. Car People Things That Only Car People Get: 997C2S, RMR6MT.
6. Car People Things That Non Car People Get: GO2FAST, REVVIT.
7. Major sports teams: 40NINRS, KCHIEFS.
8. Description of car ownership: WIFEYV8 or BOBSLEX.
9. Names and nicknames: SLAPPY,JIMBOB.
10. Nouns: 3LATTES, SHIHTZU.
11. Common phrases: BRUHH, OHWOW, LOLOMG.

(Most understandable)

Did I miss anything?

PS: I think EV jokes like GIGWATT, LOLOIL, HIGHI2R belong to Car People Things that Only Car People Get. It was suggested that Tesla plates should get their own tier, but I think they belong on an axis of insufferability that is orthogonal to this ranking system.

PPS: There are two other orthogonal axes that exist for vanity plates. The first is getting it which is how well the plate combines with the car in a satisfying way, and the other is insufferability which is how insufferable the car owner looks because of the plate. A plate that says IMRICH on an old beater is funny and not insufferable, but the same plate on a million-dollar car is not funny and very insufferable.

• #humor
• #cars