What are these "universal symbols" trying to tell me?

Factual Questions
1

http://i12.tinypic.com/4mske8k.jpg

They are on the bottom of a bowl

2

Microwave okay
Freezer okay
Dishwasher okay

3

Microwave safe
Freezer safe
Dishwasher safe

4

Can go in the over, freezer and dishwasher.

5

My WAG:

Microwave safe, freezer safe, dishwasher safe.

6

Looks like floating the bowl in the ocean will result in an explosion of giant snowflakes causing traction problems for drag racers.
Or oven safe, freezer safe, dishwasher safe.

7

Can be used on waves, in the snow, or in the rain.

8

I have that one printed on my …

oh, sorry, GQ.

9

I think you’ve photographed them upside down. The first one is that it floats, the second that it’s flakey, and the third is that rain comes from round clouds.
[sub]Sorry, couldn’t resist, it’s been one of those kind of days.[/sub]

10

After 9 posts, I thought, “Well, that’s the end of that.” I just came here from the ocarina thread, though, so maybe there are more chapters to this tale. :stuck_out_tongue:

11

Is it oven-safe or microwave-safe?

12

I think it’s a pictograph of a the “Frog Haiku” by Basho:

A quiet pond
a frog leaps in -
splash; the sound of the water.

13

First you must purify the holy vessel with fire, and then with snow. Then you must place your testicles within the vessel and anoint them with the holy water sprinkler. Only then will you be ready to know the secrets of the cosmos.

14

One more symbol and it would be an “All Season radial”.

15

May be put in a rectangular box of water
May be used as a container to grow flowers
The circle and her child are happy to be outside in the rain.

16

Works in a submarine, ski slope, and rain forest

17

There’s a unit conversion error on the bottom of that bowl.

2.6 quarts is 5.2 pints and since 1 US pint = 0.473176475 litres then 5.2 pints equals 2.46 litres, not 2.5 litres like the bowl says. A mistake like that is worse than finding a hairline crack in it.

I’d take it back to the shop.

18

I think microwave

See here:
Microwaving with Plastics (www.plasticsinfo.org)

19

I seriously wish they’d come up with better or more intuitive symbols than those… The first one looks like it’s approved to be seaworthy and the last one looks like it’s safe in the rain. Are these really the best they could do?!

20

Well you have to prime your intuition with some knowledge on what type of information is relevant to dishes and food storage containers. Microwave and dishwasher safety is a commonly communicated property, seaworthiness and rain safety isn’t.