# Ask the person who just clipped his toenails **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796 "2010-08-28T15:55:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/1 "2010-08-28T15:55:27Z")
Go ahead, ask anything. This should be interesting. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/2 "2010-08-28T16:02:30Z")
Do you wait until after a shower, when the nails are softer and easier to clip? Or when they are hard and cold and could possibly split? What do you do with the clippings? Save them until each toe is clipped and discard the pile or snip them directly into the trash? Or do you save your clippings for some obscure tribal art project you are working on or for a ritualistic bonding ritual with your Wiccan girlfriend who wants all your discarded body parts for a soul-binding spell? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/3 "2010-08-28T16:06:56Z")
Do you clip straight across or do you follow the curve of the toe? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/4 "2010-08-28T16:08:00Z")
How long do you let 'em go? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/5 "2010-08-28T16:15:38Z")
Is this [you](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L_bCOGDhzE)? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/6 "2010-08-28T16:29:00Z")
_Do you wait until after a shower, when the nails are softer and easier to clip? Or when they are hard and cold and could possibly split?_ I don’t purposely do it post-shower, but that sounds like a great idea. Since I clip outdoors, I must remind myself to cover my naked-ness before proceeding to the clipping area. Thanks for asking! _What do you do with the clippings? Save them until each toe is clipped and discard the pile or snip them directly into the trash?_ As mentioned, I have a designated clipping area on my patio. I generally let the clips fall where they may (get it?), leaving them for birds to use as nesting material or other wildlife to carry away to feed to their young. Thanks for asking! _Or do you save your clippings for some obscure tribal art project you are working on or for a ritualistic bonding ritual with your Wiccan girlfriend who wants all your discarded body parts for a soul-binding spell?_ I’ve never had a Wiccan girlfriend, nor am I in the market for one. But if a door-to-door type Wiccan should come a-knocking asking for donations, I’d be more than happy to provide whatever clippings I have lying about. Thanks for asking! mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/7 "2010-08-28T16:42:28Z")
\*Do you clip straight across or do you follow the curve of the toe? \* The curve 'O the toe, of course. I haven’t clipped straight across since the lunar landing. Performing a clipping while viewing such a monumental event is most ill-advised, to say the least. There was much whoop-de-doo, as one might expect, but my celebratory dance was severely limited by my carelessness at the clippers. Yes, blood was drawn. For several days afterward, in fact, it was difficult for me to take even One Small Step. Thanks for asking! ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/8 "2010-08-28T16:47:17Z")
_How long do you let 'em go?_ I own no precise instrument of measure, so I can merely estimate. 2.73 millimeters beyond the flesh pad seems typical. Oddly enough, lately they seem to grow thicker as well, which creates its own challenge when trying to wrap the standard-issue clippers around the protruding nail. I have tools in the garage that would do the job right quick-like, but I have not yet resorted to such measures. Thanks for asking! mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/9 "2010-08-28T16:53:35Z")
_Is this you?_ This is not me. I am very envious of those clippers, though. That looks like the Strat-O-Clip 9000, which replaced the 8000 when it was discovered that there were multiple safety concerns with the earlier model (often it would rip the entire toe off). Angry consumers marched on the corporate HQ, demanding a free upgrade to the 9000. Alas, all they were offered were 10% vouchers off of future mustache wax purchases. Thanks for asking! mmm ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/10 "2010-08-28T17:13:39Z")
ten toes? what sequence? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/11 "2010-08-28T18:50:22Z")
\*ten toes? what sequence? \* Ten toes indeed. I tend to wrestle with both great toes first. They seem to grow the fastest and they are the boys who first gimme a shout out when intervention is necessary. Once the big boys are managed, I simply go down the line - second banana, show, quatro and little man. Left foot first, always. (I once tried right foot first and the entire rest-of-the-day sucked; I shan’t tempt fate again). Thanks for asking! mmm ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/12 "2010-08-30T13:54:52Z")
Do you file the ends? How close do you cut them? Which one of the toenails are the hardest (the smallest one, in my case)? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/13 "2010-08-30T14:12:22Z")
What do you do with the designated clipping area during your off days? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/14 "2010-08-30T14:52:07Z")
Ever dig the goop out from under the great toenail and smell it? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/15 "2010-08-30T15:14:28Z")
Have you ever pitched your toenail-clipping sessions to a network or production company as a reality TV show? If so, did you consider features like (a) Toe of the Week, (b) Crunchiest Clipping, and © Celebrity Guest Clipper? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/16 "2010-08-30T17:13:10Z")
Whenever I clip my fingernails, I invariably find a need for them within an hour. Do you find the same scenario with your toenails? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/17 "2010-08-30T17:44:17Z")
This better be good. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/18 "2010-08-30T17:48:08Z")
Do you have a preferred brand of toenail clipper? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/19 "2010-08-30T18:19:51Z")
How much shrapnel was there? ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796/20 "2010-08-30T19:55:00Z")
Are you ever afraid that you might accidentally cut off a toe, or two, or ten? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-just-clipped-his-toenails/551796.md?page=2)