What was your coolest SQL optimization, on a slow performing query?

Question

Just speaking to a colleague of mine. He was walking with a hop in his step, on the way to the coffee machine.

I asked him \"what\'s with the \'swarmy\' walk?\", he said

Answer 1

I had a warm glow after being able to use a Cross Tab query to scrap oodles (technical term) of processing and lookups...

Usually it's simple things like adding indexes or only getting the data you need, but when you find a problem that fits an answer you've seen before... good times!