# Ice picks and Basic Instinct **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222 "2008-08-07T21:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/21 "2008-08-08T17:31:05Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] I think that must be the answer. In all my world travels I have only ever seen an ice pick used once. It was in a very expensive bar in a very expensive hotel in Kitakyushu Japan -by the bartender. [/QUOTE] Bingo. That is the only type of place I have seen it either. It is part of their (dead-serious) and elaborate way of making a ritual out of fairly simple customer service interactions. Kind of neat though. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/22 "2008-08-08T17:31:13Z")
[QUOTE=Goblinboy] My parents have an ice pick and use it all the time. They freeze ice in gallon milk jugs and then use it for in coolers or when making ice cream. Why buy it when you can make it yourself? [/QUOTE] I do that. I also keep an ice pick around for those times when the ice cubes/circle segments freeze together and need to be hacked apart. RR ---
**Author:** ![missouri65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@missouri65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missouri65)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/23 "2008-08-08T17:53:44Z")
Ice picks were once a pretty common murder weapon in mysteries and detective stories. Common enough that I’ve joked about getting an ice pick just in case I ever needed to commit a murder. I’ve never seen Basic Instinct, but maybe the choice of murder weapon was a nod back to those old stories. Most people don’t use them anymore, but I don’t think it’s terribly rare to have one. A lot of older folks, like my mother, probably still have them lying around in a drawer somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/24 "2008-08-08T18:07:10Z")
Following up on the ice-snob/ritual aspect of things: If I’m drinking/serving a good Scotch, I’ll quickly wet down the ice cube(s) and shake them off. I’m assuming this habit follows in the thinking/pretence that “interior” ice doesn’t have freezer-air flavoring contamination. Whether this is effective, whether it’s just pretence at highfalutin-ness, whether it’s an empty ritual paired with ostentatiousness, I don’t know. (I’ll also do something similar when mixing a martini – throw in a jigger or so of vermouth, shake, dump, start over. I use the vermouth because it’s cheaper – dumping gin would cross some sort of line.) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/25 "2008-08-08T18:20:12Z")
[QUOTE=Goblinboy] My parents have an ice pick and use it all the time. They freeze ice in gallon milk jugs and then use it for in coolers or when making ice cream. Why buy it when you can make it yourself? [/QUOTE] I’m dense, but do they then cut away the milk jug and chop up the jug-shaped ice block? ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/26 "2008-08-08T19:30:11Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] I’m dense, but do they then cut away the milk jug and chop up the jug-shaped ice block? [/QUOTE] Apparently, you’re not so dense – you got it right. RR ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/27 "2008-08-08T20:00:35Z")
[QUOTE=Valgard] Yes, most of us use ice cube trays. A lot of folks have fancy fridges with ice cube dispensers built into the front door. A psycho murdering someone by stabbing them with a plastic tray (or a refrigerator) is somehow less menacing from a cinematic standpoint. [/QUOTE] I dunno, someone who manages to stab you to death with a plastic tray… imagine what they’d be liable to do with an ice pick, teaspoon or pencil :eek: ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/28 "2008-08-08T20:24:43Z")
We had two in the house when I was growing up in the 70s. The seem to date back to when hard liquor was common at parties and large chunks of ice were used in either punch bowls or tumblers. They are easy to buy today: [ice pick - Google Shopping](http://www.google.com/products?q=ice+pick&hl=en) gave back Results 1 - 100 of about \*\*16,114 \*\* for **ice pick.** (0.50 seconds) ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/29 "2008-08-08T20:50:44Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] My dad has an icepick in his toolbox. I’ve never seen it used for anything. [/QUOTE] What was his job? I’ve used the same one for over 40 years and they are commonly used in aircraft maintenance. Useful for aligning bolt holes for instance during assembly. I’m sure the same goes for many similar industries. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/30 "2008-08-08T21:23:30Z")
[QUOTE=Vetch] What was his job? [/QUOTE] I’d like to put $20 down on “hit man.” ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/31 "2008-08-08T21:31:43Z")
Go back 50 years and you have ice picks in the American home. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/32 "2008-08-08T21:42:26Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] My dad has an icepick in his toolbox. I’ve never seen it used for anything. [/QUOTE] We had one in the toolbox too. The only time I ever saw it used was when my granpa gave 10-yar-old me his old belt and we used the ice picks to make extra holes so the belt would fit. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/33 "2008-08-08T21:53:44Z")
[QUOTE=Vetch] What was his job? [/QUOTE] A purchasing agent for General Motors, before he retired. The toolbox is the one he keeps around for household repairs. Dad has all kinds of old stuff of questionable utility. You know that guy who has little jars full of rusty old screws, and maybe 2% will ever get used for anything? That’s my dad. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222/34 "2008-08-08T22:48:32Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] A purchasing agent for General Motors, before he retired. The toolbox is the one he keeps around for household repairs. Dad has all kinds of old stuff of questionable utility. You know that guy who has little jars full of rusty old screws, and maybe 2% will ever get used for anything? That’s my dad. [/QUOTE] Apart from the purchasing agent bit I do all those things too. Anyway, never underestimate the versatility of a good icepick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-picks-and-basic-instinct/459222.md?page=1)