# Lye is not an acid, you Yahoo! hacks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 28, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583 "2013-02-28T02:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/1 "2013-02-28T02:24:20Z")
The homepage headline: Acid attack victim gets face transplant. The second line of the article: Carmen Blandin Tarleton’s face was unrecognizable after the lye attack, burned away in the frenzy of an estranged husband’s rage. Learn your basic chemistry, you hacks. Or is this kind of thing one of those problems you’re hoping to solve by getting rid of telecommuting? The idiocy of the comments are almost refreshing compared to the idiocy of the headline. Seriously, can’t anyone actually write a factually correct, non-misleading headline these days? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/2 "2013-02-28T03:24:00Z")
A similar degree of scientific literacy was displayed in the San Francisco Chronicle some months back when, in an article on local wildlife, they published a picture of a fully developed frog and described it as “newly hatched.” The text of the article also referred to “baby” frogs hopping around. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/3 "2013-02-28T03:24:28Z")
Decaf. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/4 "2013-02-28T05:00:27Z")
But if you call it a base attack, people are going to think you’re playing Starcraft ☹ ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/5 "2013-02-28T05:46:02Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Seriously, can’t anyone actually write a factually correct, non-misleading headline these days? No. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/6 "2013-02-28T12:04:11Z")
This is kind of like how all shotguns, be they rifles, muskets, BB guns or whatever turn into “assault weapons”. It’s just a term used to lump a bunch of things together. Likewise, lye is corrosive, so it’s an acid. It’s stupid, it’s ignorant, and reporters should make it a point to learn the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/7 "2013-02-28T12:20:46Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > But if you call it a base attack, people are going to think you’re playing Starcraft ☹ This is why I will speak in favor of the headline. Base Attack - this sounds stupid Chemical Attack - better, but overly vague Lye Attack - this is very accurate, but depends on your audience knowing exactly what lye is and why it might be bad to be attacked with it Acid Attack - scientifically inaccurate, but gives readers an immediate impression of what was done to the woman. As to it being misleading, does it really matter to the news consuming public if this woman was attacked with lye or sulphuric acid? the narrative doesn’t change in the slightest. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/8 "2013-02-28T12:54:41Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > As to it being misleading, does it really matter to the news consuming public if this woman was attacked with lye or sulphuric acid? the narrative doesn’t change in the slightest. Compared to the “assault weapons” thing, it’s certainly less important. Few people are calling for a ban on all acids based on this lye attack. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/9 "2013-02-28T13:01:44Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > A similar degree of scientific literacy was displayed in the San Francisco Chronicle some months back when, in an article on local wildlife, they published a picture of a fully developed frog and described it as “newly hatched.” The text of the article also referred to “baby” frogs hopping around. Nitpick: [There are a few frogs that skip the tadpole stage.](http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/frog-guarding-froglets_pod_image.html) From the link: > [@](#): > > Like many of the Microhylidae family, these frogs bypass the tadpole stage, developing fully within the egg. /nitpick:D ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/10 "2013-02-28T13:08:53Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > This is why I will speak in favor of the headline. > > Base Attack - this sounds stupid > Chemical Attack - better, but overly vague > Lye Attack - this is very accurate, but depends on your audience knowing exactly what lye is and why it might be bad to be attacked with it > Acid Attack - scientifically inaccurate, but gives readers an immediate impression of what was done to the woman. > > As to it being misleading, does it really matter to the news consuming public if this woman was attacked with lye or sulphuric acid? the narrative doesn’t change in the slightest. Apparently they don’t have a thesaurus that points to “caustic”. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/11 "2013-02-28T13:12:58Z")
Insert “drop the base” joke here. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/12 "2013-02-28T13:35:00Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Apparently they don’t have a thesaurus that points to “caustic”. Unfortunately, they use Yahoo! Thesaurus. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/13 "2013-02-28T16:22:37Z")
while caustic would be an accurate word it is used commonly as an adjective referring to language or an adjective referring to a substance. it is not as commonly used as a noun. corrosive would also be an accurate word but that would throw off the headline. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/14 "2013-02-28T16:23:31Z")
Caustic is longer than lye or acid and I have severe doubts that anyone who doesn’t know what lye is knows what caustic means. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/15 "2013-02-28T16:27:00Z")
There are lyes, and there are dam lyes. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/16 "2013-02-28T17:05:42Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Nitpick: [There are a few frogs that skip the tadpole stage.](http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/frog-guarding-froglets_pod_image.html) Irrelevant to any species found in San Francisco, or the USA for that matter, and specifically to the western chorus frog, which is what was being referenced in the article. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/17 "2013-02-28T17:59:37Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > There are lyes, and there are dam lyes. and caustistics. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/18 "2013-02-28T18:11:23Z")
Basically, they’re saying it’s an acid but it’s a lye. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/19 "2013-02-28T18:18:33Z")
Link? Is it [this one](http://news.yahoo.com/photos/acid-attack-victim-receives-face-transplant-slideshow/)? See the AP logo down there? Is that an abbreviation for Yahoo!? Like Huffington, Yahoo writes some original content but posts a lot of content from elsewhere, like AP and Reuters. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583/20 "2013-02-28T18:19:36Z")
Wait, does the general public actually not know what lye is? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lye-is-not-an-acid-you-yahoo-hacks/651583.md?page=2)