# Tool for extracting a broken light bulb? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242 "2006-01-10T01:02:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/61 "2006-01-10T20:51:00Z")
> [@Scupper](#): > > Always use soap to wash your hands off after carving the potato. What kind of knife do you suggest for the carving? ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/62 "2006-01-10T20:51:47Z")
All your potato are belong to us. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/63 "2006-01-10T20:59:02Z")
> [@Nickrz](#): > > All your potato are belong to us. [Too late](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6980483&postcount=51). C’mon man, keep up! ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/64 "2006-01-10T21:09:24Z")
You need to use a 1920s-style “potato cannon”. When come back, bring potato pie. And so on. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/65 "2006-01-10T21:25:08Z")
> [@Mbossa](#): > > You need to use a 1920s-style “potato cannon”. > > When come back, bring potato pie. > > And so on. Did ‘potato ensue’ yet? I can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/66 "2006-01-10T22:09:58Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > You know, I’ve got insulated needlenose pliers up the wazoo (not literally–I keep my wrenches up there) but now I really want to try the potato thing, just on the off-chance someone will wander by and ask me what I’m doing. “Oh, just installing this potato into the light fixture.” Handy place to keep wrenches in case you want to tighten your nuts. Or get a grip on yourself? Box wrenches for girls though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/67 "2006-01-10T22:13:10Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Handy place to keep wrenches in case you want to tighten your nuts. Or get a grip on yourself? Box wrenches for girls though. 🙂 What do you use to tighten nipples with? My monkey wrench keeps slipping. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/68 "2006-01-10T22:17:29Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > What do you use to tighten nipples with? My monkey wrench keeps slipping. Are you using a right-handed or left-handed wrench? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/69 "2006-01-10T22:28:45Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > What do you use to tighten nipples with? My monkey wrench keeps slipping. [Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]That’s _right_, Monkey Nipples.[/WAoVW?] Nipple wrenches for nipples. Monkey wrenches for monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/70 "2006-01-10T22:31:10Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > Potato accomplished. Actually I used the wooden broomhandle technique, mainly because I didn’t have a potato and I needed the extra extension (it would have to be a mighty big potato to reach the ceiling.) Now I’m interested in finding out other vegetables that are useful in electrical work–I assume a sweet potato would have done as well (I had one of those) and you say a carrot is also good? Parsnip? Turnip? Rutabaga? Any old tuber? I would think a broccolo stalk would be almost the perfect size. Once you figure out which root vegetable is the very best, better than all others, you will have the **pseudotriton ruber ruber uber tuber**. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/71 "2006-01-10T22:40:19Z")
What? Nobody mentioned turning the power off? You IDJITS! **PRR** could have been sent to Marianas Jones’ Locker for a good 20 minutes! Why waste a perfectly good potato when you can wrap a medium size (or multiple small ones) rubber band around a broomstick OR on (loosely) a pair of needle nose pliers? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/72 "2006-01-10T22:55:18Z")
Speaking of potatoes, you know what else they’re good for? Removing cactus needles when you stick yourself. No, really. Gently put the cut side of a potato on the area and it will pull them out. Plus, you don’t need to turn off the power first. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/73 "2006-01-10T23:03:23Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Speaking of potatoes, you know what else they’re good for? Removing cactus needles when you stick yourself. No, really. Gently put the cut side of a potato on the area and it will pull them out. > > Plus, you don’t need to turn off the power first. I’d rather use needle-nosed pliers. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/74 "2006-01-10T23:22:04Z")
Ya know what I hate, Willie? When one of those–what do you call 'em? Cactus points, Frankie? Yeah, one of those sharp cactus points get stuck right in your ass, you know, where you keep your– Wrench sets, Frankie? Ooh, I hate that, too. And you try taking it out with a, uh, a– –a needlenosed pliers, Willie? No, not exactly. An Idaho potato, Willie? Yeah, that’s it. But you forgot to turn off the whatchamacallit– –the fuse box? Yeah, Frankie, so you get this, um,– –200 volts of electricity shooting through you? Oh, man, do I hate THAT. Isn’t that the truth? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/75 "2006-01-10T23:36:15Z")
> [@Scupper](#): > > suitable tuber Didn’t they open for Zappa at the Fillmore? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/76 "2006-01-10T23:45:09Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Didn’t they open for Zappa at the Fillmore? They sang their big hit, “Power to the Potatoes”. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/77 "2006-01-11T00:30:15Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > > [@twickster](#): > > > > Speaking of potatoes, you know what else they’re good for? Removing cactus needles when you stick yourself. No, really. Gently put the cut side of a potato on the area and it will pull them out. > > > > Plus, you don’t need to turn off the power first. > > I’d rather use needle-nosed pliers. Why not 1920’s style plasticine? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/78 "2006-01-11T00:34:01Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > Once you figure out which root vegetable is the very best, better than all others, you will have the **pseudotriton ruber ruber uber tuber**. And the very best one for removing those pesky broken light fixtures shaped like peanuts would be the **pseudotriton ruber ruber uber goober tuber.** ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/79 "2006-01-11T00:35:17Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > And the very best one for removing those pesky broken light fixtures shaped like peanuts would be the **pseudotriton ruber ruber uber goober tuber.** And if you had to use WD-40: **pseudotriton ruber ruber uber goober tuber luber.** ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242/80 "2006-01-11T00:54:20Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > And if you had to use WD-40: > > **pseudotriton ruber ruber uber goober tuber luber.** And, if by some chance you were trapped in the Nakatomi Plaza building when it was taken over by European terrorists, you could borrow it from their leader. Then you could use **Hans Gruber’s pseudotriton ruber ruber uber goober tuber luber.** Just a suggestion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-extracting-a-broken-light-bulb/339242.md?page=5)