H2O, too: Watch out for poisonous homophones

(via Woosk)

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Category: Food & Drink, Language, Tech, z - Featured

151 Responses

  1. JoeS says:

    The importance of the word “also”

  2. Ross says:

    Such acerbic (ahem) wit is perfect chemist humor for Bunsen’s 200th birthday! (reminder via Google Doodle)

  3. Betsy says:

    ah hahaha!

  4. Carl says:

    I feel at little bit embarrassed because I don’t get it. Could someone explain it to me?

    • Dave says:

      H2O2, i.e. 2 hydrogen and two oxygen, makes hydrogen peroxide- commonly used as bleach

    • george says:

      he said ill have some h20 too like h202 which is a dangerous chemical

      • patrick says:

        actually H2O2 will kill you. the stuff you get from the store is 3% concentrated and stuff used for studies in high schools is 30%. the 30% will dis color your skin kill it and it will eventually fall off to reveil your muscles and anything else under your skin. so imagine what it would do inside of you.

    • bun says:

      H2o is water you probably knew that, but I’m telling you again.

  5. Zachary says:

    @Carl

    The second stickman said “H2O too”. To the waiter that comes out as “H202″ which is Hydrogen Peroxide.

  6. Matt Verhoog says:

    My brother, who will remain nameless, once was really thirsty and found a bottle labeled with masking tape H202 and took a big swig.

    Didn’t kill him though…

  7. MARK says:

    Hey Carl!

    H2O2 is Hydrogen Peroxide. Get it now?

  8. Mick says:

    I’m a little worried the waiter knew exactly where the bottle of H2O2 was.

  9. Tom says:

    Carl, dude!

    Here’s my explanation of the joke:

    The first guy orders H20 or hydrogen dioxide, commonly known as water.

    The second guy orders ‘H20 too’ but the waiter thinks he’s ordering ‘H2O2′ because ‘too’ and ‘two’ are homophones, which means they sound the same but mean different things.

    H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, also known as bleach, which is not very nice to drink. The guys head in the last panel is greatly inflamed because of his mistake!

    Uh Oh! LOLOLOLOL

    • Andrew says:

      Ummm H2O is most definitely not hydrogen dioxide (‘di’ meaning two refers to the element directly following the prefix) I believe you’re looking for DIhydrogen MONoxide (2 hydrogen 1 oxygen)… Why you gotta make me go all chemistry troll on you? You’re confusing Carl XD

    • Graham says:

      NaClO is what is commonly known as bleach and H2O2 is more commonly referred to as a bleach alternative. that is unless you are in the paper making business and H2O2 would be know as your bleaching agent.

      • sam says:

        Or, if you’re a hair stylist peroxide is also referred to as developer used to make the hair color and lighteners oxidize and color or decolorize the hair.

    • oliver says:

      h20 is dihydrogen monoxide… not hydrogen dioxide.

  10. anthony says:

    h2o2 may be be known as a whitener, as an oxidizer, but I have never heard anyone refer to it as bleach. Bleach is a solution containing Chlorine to most people. Peroxides are usually called bleaching agents, but rarely bleach.

  11. Uncle B says:

    Good Gawd! America pulls out its finest minds to resolve a play on words! China Beware! The American intelligentsia are coming! Duck and cover! Duck and cover! Japan, it is too late for you, they have already struck with faulty reactor designs, Tokyo to become a wasteland like Detroit City. Where did all the Oldsmobiles go, long time passing?

    • Anon says:

      I feel like you were trying to be witty there, but I can’t quite figure out how you thought you’d accomplish it.

  12. Ciara says:

    oooohhhhh hahaha i get it hahha! LIKE ;)

  13. Elyse says:

    Well its certainly obvious that a chemist (or other severely-left-brained individual) *drew* the comic.

  14. Priss says:

    I’ve had peroxide gross me out, but I don’t think I ever started bleeding from my mouth because of it. Kind of removes the funny from the comic. Completely.

    • doboop says:

      Maybe for stick figures it works differently than real people. Cause they’re stick figures, drawn on paper…

      >.>

  15. Sid says:

    Yo Carl, my friend.

    It’s simple wordplay.

    He said “Lol, I’ll have some H2O too”. The waiter didn’t like him using ‘Lol’ in public and thus poisoned him. In the rain.

  16. erin says:

    hydrogen peroxide could either be bleach or the more watered down hydrogen peroxide in your home. in the comic they’re probably implying it has a higher molarity…ya know, from the death.
    but drinking the over the counter hydrogen peroxide will not kill you. actually, gargling with it kills lots of bacteria.
    but don’t drink bleach. bad plan.

    • troll23 says:

      higher molarity??? do you mean higher concentration?

      If we assume the waiter literally gave the customer what he asked for, then it’s 100% H202, which is highly corrosive. Try drinking some and see what happens.

  17. lol.pwnd says:

    didn’t get it :(
    why am i so stupid?

  18. Joey says:

    This is as bad as H3O bottled water. I saw it in the grocery store years ago. Like this comic, I had to explain it to her.

    http://www.goh3o.com/

  19. sam says:

    umm can u explain it to me

  20. Killer says:

    It would be funnier if he said H2O also for me and the waiter thought he said H2SO4 me and it was sulfuric acid and he died in agonizing pain. So funny.

  21. The_Sadist says:

    “Johnny was a chemist’s son
    but Johnny is no more.
    He drank what he thought was H2O,
    but it was H2SO4″

    That one was always my favorite. And before anyone can ask. H2SO4 is sulfuric acid.

    • Nark0tik says:

      Read it, still funny.

    • So, one person on the planet does something terrible with a chemical, and suddenly all puns about chemicals are forbidden? I bet you win the Internet all the time.

      Even Carl knows the difference between tragedy and comedy, don’t you, buddy?

    • Rembrandt says:

      I did read your link.

      Yes, the cartoon is still funny.

    • Spencer Collins says:

      A sad story about a woman with a mental illness doesn’t diminish the fact that someone has made a chemistry joke. This type of joke is very rare and as such should be celebrated.
      So Al, get down from your high horse and for Science’s sake, get a sense of humor!!!

  22. Pat says:

    Well actually, i did a quick search on hydrogen peroxide and found out that almost all living things contains enzymes, know as “peroxidases” that break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. So the guy in the comic wouldn’t have died anyways

  23. Carl says:

    Sooooo, Your Saying i can bleach my hair with H20?

  24. He should have said “also”. Haha, h202 is a very dangerous chemical

  25. carrie says:

    im sure if the waiter was smart enough to know what H2O2 is he probably wouldn’t be a waiter.

    • Kaiti says:

      Wow, you’re kind of dumb, aren’t you? Lots of intelligent young people work as waiters to put themselves through school. And in this economy, you take what you can get. Sorry if you think you’re better than everyone else, you’ll get over it when you grow up.

    • Hannah says:

      Aside from the fact that intelligence doesn’t necessarily have any bearing on your job, it doesn’t really take a lot of intelligence to know what H2O2 is. It doesn’t take a lot of education, either. I understood this comic completely, and I only took science in my first year of school. So what I gather from this is that you’re an idiot.

    • Wolfie says:

      If you think you have to be particularly smart to understand something as simple as H2O2, or if you think that a (very) basic comprehension of chemistry will infallibly land you a good job, then you’re probably not smart enough to be a waiter… or anything else for that matter, except possibly a reality show cast member. Call every TV network NOW and ask for an audition. Hurry up, with these changing tides stupid might go out of fashion.

  26. Ivy says:

    Goddamn I love chemistry puns

  27. John says:

    I like Chicken!

  28. tom says:

    I’m actually really proud of myself for getting this on the first read.

  29. Jazzalyn says:

    Darn. I actually had to Google H2O2. I did Chem in Year 11 and 12, so I should know it…but then that was back in 06/07…

  30. SerfDerty says:

    @ Carl:

    H20 is the most common of all the elements and makes up just under %50 of your body, which is water. It’s the key to life and that’s why we think Mars has some but not the moon.

    H20 Too sounds like H202, which is hydrogen peroxide, which is the main ingredient in clorox Bleach. They used to use it in coal mines when the miners had accidentally eaten coal but now it’s just poison.

    I don’t know EXACTLY what would happen if you ate some today, but I think the extra oxygen atom breaks free, which would explain the guy’s bloodshot eyes and “enlarged head”.
    Hope this Helps!

  31. izutrollin says:

    So wait, not only did I not get this joke, and am in serious need of yet another detailed explanation, but COULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HECK HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS?

  32. Raicky says:

    Anyone notice that all the Carl jokes are much funnier than the comic itself ? :D

  33. Ralph Einstein says:

    How was the waiter suppose to know that the dummy wanted water, too? You can’t blame the waiter. I’m an waiter ina resterant and you buttwipes that blamed the waiter can just kiss my a$$.

    • Spencer Collins says:

      And with spelling like that mate you will always be a waiter in a crap restaurant.

    • doboop says:

      Having read all the previous comments I have to wonder who you think “blames” the waiter. And where will your behind be in the event that such people wish to step up and kiss it?

  34. Carl says:

    I still don’t get it.

  35. anactualscientist says:

    H20 is an impossible construct. H2O is the delicious beverage. The former would be twenty atoms of hydrogen all bonded together, which would be tough since they can only possibly form one bond each. H202 would be even less possible. If you did try to put 202 hydrogen atoms together, you would get a very small amount of a rather explosive gas.

    Also, I approve of the menisci. Well done.

    • barista girl says:

      I don’t think anyone noticed what you were trying to say.

      This is a hilarious comic! (to me anyways) And yeah, I only took a year of chemistry in high school, but I got the “H2O too” right away.

  36. Tony C says:

    This whole comment section reminds me of when my 3 kids conspire and go goofy on me and in Borg-like fashion completely take over a discussion. Highly amusing!

  37. T.oll says:

    Bleach is way better than naruto

  38. T.oll says:

    just saying

  39. leo says:

    haha he drank bleach

  40. Tony McGurk says:

    Ha Ha Funny comic. I guess the waiter failed chemistry. Wonder what he got them???

    • Snide says:

      “Wonder what he got them???”
      — Either you missed the joke or your trying to start the entire comment string over – He got him H2O2 – you get it “H20 too” vs “H2O2″ – hence title “Watch out for poisonous homophones” – If you are unfamiliar with H2O2 – there are lots of comments about technical points, comparison to bleach, level of toxicity and even the appropriateness of the entire comic.
      I hope the explanation can enhance your enjoyment of a very clever comic.

  41. Pio says:

    This is really a very good comment thread…

    • Kathleen says:

      As an AP Chem student, and a 22 Words fanatic, I agree totally.
      This is an awesome thread.
      And H2SO4 is awesome also.
      :D

  42. Justin says:

    i get it but it but its not funny

  43. Killer Kay says:

    He said H20 too. As in H202. That’s the joke. Come on people.

    • Chemist says:

      Use the letter ‘O’, seriously. Not a difficult concept. Refer to H20 does not exist above, nor does H202. That would be 20 hydrogen atoms, or 202 hydrogen atoms. Neither can exist, and both would explode on contact with absolutely anything.

      • That guy says:

        …wut? I can easily have a container with exactly 202…okay not easily, but it would be physically possible to have a container with exactly 202 hydrogen atoms in it, and, while hydrogen is flammable, it isn’t volatile. You would have to give it an ignition source for it to explode, and there are many, many things it could come into contact with that would render it inert, such as oxygen, for example.

  44. jayjay says:

    theres a bad feeling i get when i am able to understand it and be 14 while adults have to get it exlained

  45. John says:

    not funny at all

  46. Michelle says:

    I found the thread to be way funnier than the comic.
    Rock on comment thread.

  47. LuLu says:

    Hahaha! That’s actually kinda funny, onder how many people got it…

  48. random says:

    Epic comments.

  49. azzteke says:

    What the heck is H-Twenty?

  50. Vieve says:

    There is so much chemistry fail in this thread.

  51. Christen says:

    To whoever keeps saying it refers to 202 hydrogen atoms, you’re an idiot. You think the 202 is a coefficient? That comes BEFORE the chemical/compound in an equation, not after. The comic is referring to the subscripts of the compounds, which are always constant. So either, you go to restaurants and say, “I’ll have a coke, 2″, in which case the waiter will look at you funny if you’re alone, or if you’re with someone, they will assume you want a coke also, and still only bring you one coke. Or, you just were trying to sound really smart because you had nothing else to add to the conversation and failed epically. Not only that, but you posted it twice, as though someone would approve of you the second time.

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