# \[Getting\] "m" OFF \[an M&M\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585 "2010-09-21T22:26:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/21 "2010-09-22T08:38:49Z")
Yeah, ya got yer roofing nails and yer foundation nails. Don’t mix em up. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/22 "2010-09-22T10:43:07Z")
You can float them off. Or at least you used to be able to do so. We used to do this all the time when bored in restaurants. Some of the candy coating comes off the m&m itself, which ends up looking a little battered, IIRC correctly, but if I’m reading the OP right, you’re more interested in the intact m than the left-behind chocolate, correct? Disclaimer: it’s a looooong time since I tried this. Is there a point to this exercise, by the way? ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/23 "2010-09-22T12:47:35Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > I had the same problem with a box of nails recently. Half of them had the heads on the wrong end, so I threw them away. > > Idiot! Those were for the other side of the house. I’ve got to be more careful on this website when I’m drinking coffee. Almost just cost me a new monitor. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/24 "2010-09-22T13:38:44Z")
Just get some [Smarties](http://www.sogoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/smarties-3.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/25 "2010-09-22T15:41:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > I once got a defective bag of M&M’s. > > > > They were misprints: half of them had W’s on them instead. > > I had the same problem with a box of nails recently. Half of them had the heads on the wrong end, so I threw them away. You couldn’t use those with either the left handed hammer or the hammer with the head at the wrong end? ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/26 "2010-09-22T16:04:26Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I once got a defective bag of M&M’s. > > They were misprints: half of them had W’s on them instead. Those are supposed to go to the Southern Hemisphere. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/27 "2010-09-22T16:39:49Z")
I bought a bag that had mixed M’s, W’s, Sigma’s and 3’s. I’m selling it on ebay. Any bidders? ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/28 "2010-09-22T16:55:40Z")
The first thing I would try is gently dabbing or rubbing the M.with a trimmed down Q-tip moistened with water. ---
**Author:** ![skargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@skargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skargo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/29 "2010-09-22T17:19:33Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > A good portion of mine had 3’s on them. > > Also, some of them were brown, so I trashed my place. Are you DLR? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/30 "2010-09-22T17:28:39Z")
I’m a little confused. Are you after a collection of m-less candies, or candy-less Ms? If the latter, just eat around the m. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/31 "2010-09-22T17:49:17Z")
Not quite as compelling as the BIL’s diary in his wife’s underwear drawer, but I really want to know why he wants to remove the lettering. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/32 "2010-09-22T17:55:58Z")
> [@Amblydoper](#): > > Nuke it from orbit. Its the only way to be sure. But he’s only a grunt!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/33 "2010-09-22T18:13:32Z")
Do OP and threadnicks imply generally 1m or “m” if you prefer…or the whole set? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/34 "2010-09-23T01:22:37Z")
I just love the [threadspotting](http://www.straightdope.com/) title for this! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/35 "2010-09-23T05:01:11Z")
Laser? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/36 "2010-09-23T08:44:11Z")
They sell a rotating emery board thingie at Dollar Tree. Maybe you can gently sand it off. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/37 "2010-09-23T12:15:57Z")
Dremel tool. With a Dremel, everything is compatible. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/38 "2010-09-23T14:28:49Z")
My husband just sat down beside me with a bowl of peanut m&ms. Well, with an opportunity like that, how could I resist? [The M Floats!](http://s911.photobucket.com/albums/ac311/ebaillie83/?action=view¤t=IMG_0760.jpg) The m&m itself, I must admit, did end up rather more battered than I recall. On subsequent consumption by Mr Aspy it was rated “disappointing” Further experiments will have to await the opening of new m&m packets. Possibly “crispy coating” might fare better? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/39 "2010-09-24T03:05:24Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > You could always order some [customized M&M’s](http://www.mymms.com/customprint/) with no lettering. Say, I like this idea. I wonder whether they’re Unicode-compliant? Then you could get ĉ or ж or even 東 printed on them. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585/40 "2010-09-24T16:33:04Z")
Can I just say that \*\*Aspidistra \*\*rocks? That’s awesome. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-m-off-an-m-m/554585.md?page=3)