Ted: What the hell is "the sexless innkeeper"?
Barney: Ted, many a man - nay, many a soul - has their own tale of the sexless innkeeper. Why, I had run-in with one just last year. I even composed a poem about it. Would you care to hear it?
Ted: Not really.
Barney: T'was the night before New Year's, and the weather grew mean. It was 3:00 in the morning, and I was stranded in Queens. The tavern grew empty, the gas lights grew dim. The horse-drawn carriages were all but snowed in...
Ted: Wait. If this was last year, why are you acting like it was Oliver Twist?
Barney: Ted, it's a poem. Last call was approaching, and my fortunes looked bleak. Then I turned to my left and stifled a shriek. She had a peach fuzz beard and weighed 16 stone. She gobbled up hot wings and swallowed the bones. I muffled a scream and threw up in my mouth. I asked, "Where do you live?" And she said, "One block south." I swallowed my pride and six shots of whiskey, and prayed to the Gods that she wasn't too frisky. Back in her cave, she prepared us a snack. 'neath her mighty hooves, the floorboards did crack. But when she returned, she found a sound sleeper. And thus she became the sexless innkeeper.

Ted: Hey, Barney. I got a little poem for you. You want to hear it?
Barney: No, not really.
Ted: 'twas the night before, I had hours to kill. I sat in the tavern, grading parchments with quill.
Barney: With quill?
Ted: Barney, it's a poem. A busty, young lassie flashed me a grin. Her garb said "classy," but her eyes whispered "sin." She said, "You're a teacher?" I said, "Yes, indeed." "I must have you," she moaned, "I'm turned on by tweed." With haste we did scamper to my chamber anon. We fell to the couch, and, bro, it was on. I unlaced her bodice. Our passions grew deeper. And thus ends the tale of the sexless innkeeper.
Barney: No way. You made that up.
[A blonde woman comes out of Ted's bedroom]
Woman: Are you coming back bed, professor?

Future Ted: [v.o.] It was true. Marshall had become addicted to creating songs and photo montages documenting various mundane events. So for months, all of Marshall's friends and professional colleagues were getting e-mails like this...
[Ted plays a series of video montages from Marshall featuring songs]
Marshall: [singing] Ordered Chinese food today Some moo shu pork sauce got away Flipped the cushion, Now everything's okay.
Marshall: [singing] Cat sitting for Lily's mom, Cat sitting for Lily's mom, It's gonna be fun, It's gonna bring us all closer together. [In one of the pictures, the cat is seen climbing out the window]
Marshall: [singing] Cat funeral, Cat funeral, It was an accident And not entirely my fault, Cat funeral, Meow, meow, meow, meow, Cat funeral, meow, meow, meow, meow. We'll miss you, Whiskers. Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow...

Ted: Wait, you're saying that girl just used me for a place to crash?
Barney: Ted, you mentioned that you live right upstairs. She saw the tweed jacket which basically says you're not interested in, nor probably even capable of, having sex. And she thought, "Hey, free lodging."
Ted: No way. I'm not the sexless innkeeper.
Barney: Ted, that girl had no intention of ever hooking up with you.
Robin: Which is funny, because usually it's the innkeeper who offers turndown service. Oh!

Future Ted: [v.o.] It was the Fall of 2009 and I was a professor now. So I decided to change my look a little bit. And people were noticing.
Barney: Ah, tweed. Textile of the eunuch.
Marshall: You know, I've always wondered why those tweed jackets have elbow patches.
Barney: Because the people who wear them are constantly going, "Aw, geez, why can't I get laid?"

[flashback to Marshall and Lily having a double date with another couple:]
Marshall: Tonight was fantastic. We should do it again.
Ranjit: I'm sorry, Marshall, but Falguni and I are just not that into you. And you.

Barney: And they kept shoving platters of food in our faces.
Ted: Let me guess. Did Marshall get, like, super intense about the cheese?
Robin: Yeah, how'd you know?
Ted: Poor Marshall. Lily's this gourmet cook, and all she lets Marshall do is pick out one sad block of cheese.
[flashback to Barney and Robin in Marshall and Lily's apartment:]
Lily: That's prosciutto-wrapped melon.
Marshall: You guys are going to want to get in on this Gouda.
Lily: That's seared scallops with a mango chutney.
Marshall: Seriously, don't sleep on the Gouda.
Lily: And that's lobster ravioli in a black truffle oil.
Marshall: Tick-tock goes the Gouda clock.

Barney: And if anything didn't go according to plan, they would freak out.
[flashback to Barney and Robin in Marshall and Lily's apartment:]
Lily: What do you mean, the egg timer is broken? What are we going to use for charades, sweetie?
Marshall: I'm working on it, darling. Okay? Just stall them.
Lily: Now, Robin, you work in television. We're experiencing some technical difficulties. [laughs] You get that? So, we're still laughing. Right? Laugh, Marshall.
[Lily and Marshall laugh]

Ted: Come on, they just got excited. They've been looking for couple best friends forever. Plus, I'm sure they weren't that bad.
Robin: Show him.
Barney: This is a web site Marshall already made about last night. It's called itwasthebestnightever.com.
[on the video, Marshall sings a song while a montage of photographs from the night are displayed:]
Marshall: [singing] It was the best night ever Laughter raining down Like April showers Oh, we talked for hours... best night ever...
Ted: Oh, that's not good.
Marshall: [singing on video] Then we played charades. Lily made some creme brulee, lay-lay-lay-lay And now that we're best couple friends There's only one thing left to say... Are you free? Are you free? Are you free? Are you free? Are you free next Saturday? [speaking] That's the 17th. [singing] Are you free? [speaking] Friday or Sunday would also work. Or basically any other day.
Barney: Needless to say, we've both changed our e-mail addresses.

Robin: Who was that?
Ted: Oh, I don't want to brag, But it seems chicks are really digging the whole professor thing. Last night, she picked me up at the bar. And then... Well, she actually wound up falling asleep on the couch. But, hey, that happens.
Barney: Uh, no, it doesn't.
Ted: Sure, it does. You know, she was, she was just exhausted from being turned on. But you heard her. She wants to do it again, soon.
Barney: Ted, let me ask you a question. Where does this girl live, exactly?
Ted: Westchester. Why?
Barney: [laughs] You're the sexless innkeeper.
Robin: Oh, my god! You're right! He's totally the sexless innkeeper!