By Angelica Beneke
Special to the Chronicle

This week’s meme worthy of analysis is brought to you by Halloween.

The meme consists of the OP’s caption, “Things are about to get spooky,” followed by a picture of the day’s menu for the Axinn Library’s ABP, or, for those who like to pretend to be cultured, Au Bon Pain. Emphasis on the pain. Au Bon PAIN.

I’m not a French major or minor by any stretch of the imagination, just so you know.

There are also the phrases “Stop in for a Quick Bite Toda,” and “Hours of Operatic” at the bottom.

First things first though. Hours of Operatic? Will there be ticks or Tic Tacs singing opera at certain times? I’ll pass on that one. I’m hoping it just means the good ole adjective “operatic,” which pertains to all things opera. Not quite sure why the hours for such a thing would be listed for the library’s ABP, though.

Maybe the OP knows that the library ABP is planning to bring in short opera performances to liven up that part of the library by a smidgen. That’d be something to see.

“Stop in for a Quick Bite Toda” is incredibly fascinating, though. Is Toda a person? Who is Toda? Do they even go here?

That’s definitely going to bother me.

The menu proceeds to list the “Soups of the Day.” Which makes me wonder about after the daylight is gone for the next couple of hours. Do they serve night versions of the soups? Does the library ABP, around 8 at night or so become like those gas stations at, like, two in the morning with all the insomniacs walking around like zombies? I wonder if the students who live at the library know. As I write this at nearly 9 p.m. in the library, I don’t see any. Maybe there’s too much light.

Concerning the Soups of the Day, the selection at the time of this photo is chicken noodle (yum), Booccoli & Cheese (scary broccoli?) and Mac & Cheese.

(Throwback to when Mac & Cheese was considered a pasta and not a soup.)

(Bring back HofUSA’s macaroni and cheese.)

I do wonder about the OP’s caption, though. I understand clearly that they’re referring to the Booccoli & Cheese – and I wonder if Booccoli tastes anything like broccoli, just spookier. Whatever spooky tastes like.

But it also sounds incredibly threatening to me. The vibe I get is, “you better watch out cause things are going to get SPOOOKY and it’s going to hurt.”

Maybe the OP knows about the upcoming Skeleton Wars. And the image used is some sort of code they use to communicate with the fighters in that faithful annual war on Halloween. Or during Halloween month. I don’t know when the Skeleton War actually is, so please tell me if you know.

That’s probably why they’re choosing to post this meme, if that’s what it is, in September rather than October. This post is to give the fighters advanced notice and interpret the code and a call to action. Posting this notice in October would be much too late and costly.

I would still want to know what “Hours of Operatic” means in Skeleton War talk, however. Is there a group of skeletons involved in the opera that will somehow advance the cause? Or does operatic mean something else in Skeleton War language?

Maybe we need a Skeleton War seminar at Hofstra so we can decipher all of this.

Can you imagine that in Hofstra brochures?

Major or minor in Skeleton War terminology with a concentration in European Skeleton War languages! Or major in Skeleton War histories if terminology is too asinine for you. Visit Professor Humerus, a decorated Skeleton War veteran, in the Skeleton War Studies Department in his office hours from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. You’re not sleeping anyway.

Where the Skeleton War Department would be is anyone’s guess though. I wouldn’t mind if it took Gallon Wing’s place so that no professor and student has to travel down there ever again. Just a thought.

I digress. I give this meme 31/10 for being cryptic and spooky and vague. 31 because that’s the Halloween number.

Good luck preparing for the Skeleton Wars, everyone!