# Argh, splinter! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221 "2000-11-29T17:44:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/1 "2000-11-29T17:44:02Z")
Owee owee owee. There’s a splinter in my thumb. Tweezers aren’t reaching it. Anyone got any tips on getting it out? Home remedies, things gramma might have told you (assuming they really work). Hurry, before it gets infected and the infection spreads and I turn into a mutated-monster-thing and the national guard has to be called out to take me down before I harm more of the populace. Damn splinter. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/2 "2000-11-29T17:48:19Z")
\ I OFFERED you MY remedy. As I recall you didn’t take me up on it. Hrmph. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/3 "2000-11-29T17:59:30Z")
Oh, as I remember it, I DID take you up on it. But the thousand or so mile space between us just makes it a little difficult. And I can’t wait a month. You know, the whole infection thing. Not that I didn’t appreciate your idea, of course. 🙂 Just, I need something more _immediate_. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/4 "2000-11-29T18:04:57Z")
Have you tried soaking it in salt water? Or vinegar? Or just cutting off your thumb? See, this is why I wanna be a housewife someday. I need an outlet for all this empathy. And your pitiful attempt at justification does NOT appease me. C’mere and PROVE you’re sorry! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/5 "2000-11-29T18:10:28Z")
Salt water or vinegar, eh? I’ll try that. (I’ll ignore the cutting off the thumb idea, thank you very much. But I do appreciate your empathy nonetheless.) And I AM coming there to prove it. But if we start having cyber-monkey-sex in this thread, everyone else is going to get embarassed and leave without giving me their own personal splinter-removal methods. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/6 "2000-11-29T18:16:52Z")
cyber monkey sex? :eek: I’m leaving. (I’m a prude) Since you asked… I do a lot of wood-working, and am forever getting wood AND metal splinters. You’re lucky it’s wood. When I can’t get it with tweezers, I take a needle and sort of pick the outer layer of skin away until I can dig out the splinter. Really, it’s not as awful as it sounds. I was raking leaves once, and a 1/2 inch splinter from the rake handle jammed into my palm and broke off under my skin. I was all by my little lonesome, too. So, with sweat pouring off my brow, I took a razor blade and a needle and was forced to do surgery on myself (it was that deep). I did get some relief by pouring Anbesol over it. Hurt like a bastard, though. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/7 "2000-11-29T18:20:30Z")
Ouch. Almost makes me feel like a baby crying about my little ol’ splinter. Almost. Thanks for the advice. I’ll grab a needle and try it out! ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/8 "2000-11-29T18:33:25Z")
If it does get infected, usually the pus will push it out… Ewwww! ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/9 "2000-11-29T18:50:22Z")
Yay! Splinter is out! Woo-hoo! Soaked it in salt water, then dug around with a pin. Came right out. Thanks, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/10 "2000-11-29T18:54:13Z")
Uh-huh. You see? Salt water. Who’s yer daddy? SAY MY NAME!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-splinter/43221/11 "2000-11-29T18:56:12Z")
Nymysys