# I can't open this bottle of Lea & Perrins! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 8, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647 "2004-12-08T00:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/1 "2004-12-08T00:01:41Z")
AAAAAAAARGHH!!! I just want some freaking worcestershire sauce for my steak! And I can’t get this stupid bottle open. My hand is all torn up from trying to get that stupid cap off. This sucks. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/2 "2004-12-08T00:02:35Z")
Pliers. That most simple tool. I keep one in my kitchen drawer. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/3 "2004-12-08T00:10:18Z")
Rubber gloves help too. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/4 "2004-12-08T00:14:11Z")
Run some hot water over the neck of the bottle first. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/5 "2004-12-08T00:14:13Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Pliers. That most simple tool. I keep one in my kitchen drawer. PLIERS!!! :smack: That was easy. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/6 "2004-12-08T00:18:31Z")
> [@Mariemarie](#): > > Rubber gloves help too. Those newfangled silicone oven gloves, the ones with deep ridges on the grasping part, are excellent for removing stuck jar lids. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/7 "2004-12-08T00:49:53Z")
One tap on a bottle or jar cap should loosen the suction (or vacuum, whatever, not a physics professor here) enough to open it. Just don’t smack too hard - I use the handle of a knive from the silverware drawer. Works every time. The glove thing is good too, if you have extra rubber gloves around the house, as do we (hey, it’s a nurse thing). ---
**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:** [December 8, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/8 "2004-12-08T01:32:41Z")
Explosives. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/9 "2004-12-08T01:38:36Z")
Are you doing your hand exercises regularly? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/10 "2004-12-08T01:40:28Z")
There have been occasions where I’ve resorted to teeth – I recommend molars only. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/11 "2004-12-08T01:42:04Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Are you doing your hand exercises regularly? Sure…just last night, in fact. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/12 "2004-12-08T01:42:46Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Pliers. That most simple tool. I keep one in my kitchen drawer. > [@Mariemarie](#): > > Rubber gloves help too. > [@jabiru](#): > > Run some hot water over the neck of the bottle first. Ooooh. Is it me, or is it getting hot in here? Man, this thread is sooooo kinky! ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/13 "2004-12-08T01:45:34Z")
> [@Keapon Laffin](#): > > Ooooh. Is it me, or is it getting hot in here? > Man, this thread is sooooo kinky! You forgot: > [@JeffB](#): > > There have been occasions where I’ve resorted to teeth – I recommend molars only. ---
**Author:** ![TheInterruptingCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9c0ed/32.png) [@TheInterruptingCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInterruptingCow)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/14 "2004-12-08T02:00:17Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Pliers. That most simple tool. I keep one in my kitchen drawer. And for those larger lids… [slip-joint/groove-joint pliers.](http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1289846&cp=1430756.1259468&parentPage=family) Also known, colloquially, as “water pump pliers”. Be careful, you can exert enough pressure to crush the neck of the bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/15 "2004-12-08T02:30:58Z")
Just throw it away and go out and get the new A-1 garlic steak sauce. Great stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/16 "2004-12-08T02:32:39Z")
> [@TheInterruptingCow](#): > > And for those larger lids… > [slip-joint/groove-joint pliers.](http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1289846&cp=1430756.1259468&parentPage=family) > > Also known, colloquially, as “water pump pliers”. Be careful, you can exert enough pressure to crush the neck of the bottle. Just call them what everyone else does… channel lock pliers… and yes I know it’s a brand name. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/17 "2004-12-08T02:34:40Z")
Channel-locks can solve any problem that duct tape can’t. 😃 **Garlic** A-1? Hmmmmmmmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/18 "2004-12-08T02:37:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Channel-locks can solve any problem that duct tape can’t. 😃 > > **Garlic** A-1? Hmmmmmmmmmm… Good stuff. Roasted garlic at that. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/19 "2004-12-08T02:39:07Z")
Wide distribution? Did you find it at Von’s, or did you frequent some mutant continuum-traveling sauce shop? ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647/20 "2004-12-08T02:39:51Z")
_scratches head_ All these helpful suggestions, and no one suggests the gadget that I’d reach for first… [The jar opener widget!](http://tinyurl.com/6s6v7) Am I the only one who uses this baby? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-open-this-bottle-of-lea-perrins/278647.md?page=2)