# What is the opposite of fire??? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313 "2013-04-10T11:43:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/21 "2013-04-10T13:19:07Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Potatoes. PotAHtoes! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/22 "2013-04-10T13:19:49Z")
Retreat! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/23 "2013-04-10T13:21:27Z")
It apparently doesn’t have a real-world analogue. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/24 "2013-04-10T13:23:38Z")
Fire is a form of exothermic reactions. Exothermic means it produces heat. Endothermic reactions are the opposite of exothermic. They absorb heat. Also, if fire is a burning plant, plant did the opposite by collecting sunlight using photosynthesis. So you can take your pick, the photosynthesis, or the lifeform (Eg plant) doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/25 "2013-04-10T13:29:10Z")
Rain; I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. If not that, then “cease fire!” ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/26 "2013-04-10T13:35:11Z")
Fire is a scalar, not a vector. Why does it need an opposite? There’s no opposite to “shoe” or “eggplant” and I think the world is happy to leave it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/27 "2013-04-10T13:37:34Z")
Fire extinguisher, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/28 "2013-04-10T14:07:55Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Fire extinguisher, obviously. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/29 "2013-04-10T14:11:45Z")
[moderating] I’ve moved this thread from GQ to IMHO and changed the title from “FIRE???” to “What is the opposite of fire???” **regor62** , please make your thread titles more descriptive. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/30 "2013-04-10T14:25:31Z")
A different fire, going in the opposite direction. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/31 "2013-04-10T14:28:15Z")
“Fire” by Authur Brown is the opposite of “Fire” by the Pointers Sisters. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/32 "2013-04-10T14:36:04Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Why does there have to be an opposite? Exactly. But so far as a meaning of “fire” has a true opposite, I would think “hire” would fit best. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/33 "2013-04-10T14:40:29Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > There’s no opposite to “shoe” The other shoe. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/34 "2013-04-10T14:42:06Z")
Fire bad. Bread good. Bread is opposite of fire. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/35 "2013-04-10T14:45:27Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Erif Stole mine. Grrr. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/36 "2013-04-10T14:50:48Z")
The opposite of “fire” is “fire.” Or reasonably so. Hold [fire](http://chineseculture.about.com/library/character/bl_zi00152.htm) up to a mirror. It’s not perfectly written, but still readily readable. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/37 "2013-04-10T14:53:49Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Fire is a scalar, not a vector. > > Why does it need an opposite? There’s no opposite to “shoe” or “eggplant” and I think the world is happy to leave it that way. Nonsense. The opposite of ‘eggplant’ is ‘monotreme’ ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/38 "2013-04-10T15:01:21Z")
> [@regor62](#): > > And please think harder than the normal answer of ice. This is always a very dangerous thing to say to Dopers. If you want a serious answer, this is it - [QUOTE=HoneyBadgerDC] Probably photosynthisis might be one example. [/QUOTE] Or, if you prefer - > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Smeghead > Fire extinguisher, obviously. My vote is for “reload”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/39 "2013-04-10T15:01:27Z")
An anti-matter fire. Or a time-reversed fire (turns smoke and gas into wood) Or a mirror-universe fire. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313/40 "2013-04-10T15:10:07Z")
backfire? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-fire/655313.md?page=3)