This thread about two bowls stuck together got the internet hooked – 18 funniest pieces of advice

We’ve doubtless all had those infuriating moments when two glasses or bowls (or similar) got stuck inside each other and the only way to get them apart was to break them.

Not everyone is moved to share their dilemma on Twitter but not everyone’s efforts to prise them apart are quite so epic as this.

It’s a thread by @whatchiddid that went viral because, well, have a read for yourself.

Twitter, I need your help. I stacked a ceramic bowl into another one while doing dishes and now they are stuck. How do you remove the smaller bowl without breaking both of them?

Why am I so invested? I’ve tried to fix this for 2 days, and I cannot give up now. pic.twitter.com/ONfuw7L9dH

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 6, 2022

Things I’ve tried so far and no dice:
-warm soapy water
-hot water on outer bowl, cold water + ice on inner bowl
-oil on edges
-microwave
-aggressive shaking
-WD-40

Will try next:
-hair dryer
-freezer then running hot water

Thank you for being as invested in this as I am.

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 6, 2022

Update: Bowls are currently in the freezer and thanks to the replies, I will not be running hot water on them!

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 6, 2022

Still no dice:
– Freezer, then cold water
– Freezer, then rubber mallet
– Passive-aggressive comments to either/both bowls
– Tap lightly onto the table

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 6, 2022

Still very stuck:
– Cards, toothpicks, and straws not getting through to break the seal
– Water submergence

Up next:
– Long game of gravity
– Dishwasher

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 6, 2022

Update: Still stuck
– upside down, twisting inner bowl, tapping outer bowl
– upside down, submerged under water, tapping outer bowl with mallet
– hot out of the dishwasher
– googled autoclave

Let us all rest tonight knowing these bowls will still be together tomorrow.

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 7, 2022

In the last 10 hours:
– upside down, soap around the edges, overnight submergence
– made self-deprecating joke about the sunk cost fallacy (not one chuckle)
– thread, paper, knife around the edges

Still stuck.

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 7, 2022

Update:
– electric toothbrush
– mini plunger (no go, circumference is bigger than smaller bowl)
– compassionately, but firmly threw bowls onto pillow
– no easy way to say this: smaller bowl has a chip now

Still stuck. pic.twitter.com/5diGPZvhTy

— Chi Nguyễn (@whatchidid) June 8, 2022

And if that wasn’t gripping enough, the advice people had to offer made it even better. The responses were occasionally helpful but mostly very funny and here are our 18 favourites.

1.

Maybe…they don’t *want* to be separated? They are not spooning, but are bowling.

— J. Ellen Scott and OTIS (a cat with a salty bite) (@JEllenScott) June 6, 2022

2.

Have you tried leading the small one into an existential crisis, so that it shrinks from the dread and anxiety?

— Joe BigIron (@grumpylibtxvet) June 6, 2022

3.

Switch it off, wait 30 seconds, then switch it on again.

— Ian (@neomano) June 6, 2022

4.

Have you tried politely asking the smaller bowl to leave?

— Trapper Bob MD™ (@Bobbakiah) June 6, 2022

5.

Why are we blaming the small bowl? Why not ask the bigger bowl to let go?

— Partly Cloudy Patriot (@BBRteach) June 6, 2022

6.

Probably not helpful in this economy. Is there a decent size mountain nearby? Take a road trip. The altitude might expand the air enough.

— Lauren Hough (@laurenthehough) June 6, 2022

7.

I HAVE DONE THIS VERY THING! The urn with my mother’s ashes was stuck in a vase.

— Bosco, Cracker (@BiscuitBosco) June 7, 2022

8.

A bit unconventional but dildos with a strong suction cup might help to gently pull it loose. I’ve gotten a get stuck items unstuck this way 🤣

— Landa (@lleafox) June 6, 2022

9.

Have you tried just putting them on a very high shelf. One that is out of view. Then you don’t need to check on them till you next move.

— CR (@cbrowell) June 6, 2022