/r/explainlikeIAmA
If you are anything BUT 5 years old, and you're confused by something, this is the place for you.
Now that /r/eli5 clarified that they want simple explanations, (fake) 5-YEAR-OLDS ARE NOW WELCOME TO THE SUBREDDIT. But not in a creepy way.
welcome
Easy Start Guide
Comment: Explain [whatever the topic is] in [whatever the context is].
Post: Explain [whatever] like IAmA/You Are A [anything you want, literally anything, like so literally anything that you can say "nothing" like "the existentialist void" and that is completely acceptable].
Example: Explain how silly putty picks up ink from comics like IAMA Nigerian email scammer slowly falling in love with you.
Rules (READ THESE)
- Don't be an asshole.
- Top-level comments must respond directly to the prompt.
- Top-level comments must be 150 c h a r a c t e r s or more. Posters can allow an exemption by including the [SHORT] tag in the title.
- Top-comments must be your own writing.
- Use proper spelling and grammar unless the question explicitly calls for something else.
- Prompts and responses should be well-thought-out, not low-effort karma-grabs.
- Prompts likely to start flame-wars ("Explain freedom like I'm Donald Trump") may be removed at the mods' discretion.
- Responses that could offend or start a flame war may also be removed. See recommendation 3, below.
- Please clear metaposts with the mods before making them.
- When in doubt, refer to rule 1.
Recommendations
- Answers should be comprehensible to an English-speaker. That is, replying 'WOOF WOOF WOOF' to 'ELIAMA dog' will get your comment removed. Foreign language with translation is fine.
- Prompts should not be 'lazy', as seen in rule 6. That is, no joke prompts such as 'Explain like I am AutoModerator'; these will be removed.
- If what you are writing is liable to offend any group, its satirical point should be clear.
- Remain in character for the duration of your response. This is implied by rule 2.
The mods have the final say in removing posts, comments, or anything not following the rules. Good answers will get love, karma, & a secret present (flair).
Rule-breakers face removal, flair of shame, and/or bans.
How flair works
This sub gives out special kinds of flair that denote different things. Please see the wiki page for information on the various types.
Examples
Here is a list of comments that represent why this sub exists. They're good; read them!
Other Awesome Subreddits
I kinda hope every question ends in "...like I am a stripper"
- jonnybegood
/r/explainlikeIAmA
104,882 Subscribers
Explain r/BatmanArkham subreddit like you're the SCP Foundation cataloguing a highly contagious memetic anomaly
18:31 UTC
Explain the difference between anxious and nervous
I have adhd and autism so i often take things literally. I tried to search it up on Google but the results were really vague and confusing. Please be detailed as possible when answering.
17:10 UTC
Explain TTRPGs like I'm a 19th century British Anthropologist who will write a five part encyclopedia about it that will be misinterpreted for the next 200 years.
"Hmmm, so these 20 sided stones control your fate, yes?"
23:47 UTC
Explain why you're against the Superhero Registration Act like I'm a member of the Black Lives Matter movement.
02:00 UTC
Explain to an autistic kid why this is trolling
I posted this on r/Japan and I got permanently banned, when I asked what rules I broke and how considering this would be my first strike why it was a permaban. They said that they have no patience for "low effort trolling" then muted me so that I could ask how it was trolling. I'll put what I posted that got me banned in the comments. Thanks in advance
21:55 UTC
Explain stock trading to my dating prospects
I have heard some funny variations of this and I wanted to see what everyone else could come up with for a laugh.
Would love to see some explanations of technical and quantitative analysis too.
I’ll start. Two part format:
I am NOT “gambling on red and green dildos on a chart hoping for tendies”
I AM “allocating capital to securities and financial derivatives in an actively managed portfolio to generate alpha based on quantitative , technical and fundamentals analysis.”
14:18 UTC
Explain To A Caveman what the demon core is
Grog heard about Demon Core, what is Demon core?
18:47 UTC
Explain Seth Brundle like you're an SCP document
03:43 UTC
Explain like I'm your grandma this face: :3c
20:15 UTC
Explain how twitter works like I'm roman emperor Caligula and I'm looking for ways to better propagandize my people.
04:02 UTC
Explain why I didn't make the basketball team like you're the coach who just gave the last spot on the roster to a dog named Air Bud.
23:22 UTC
Explain Galvin from Ben 10 as if you were the Mass Effect codex.
05:29 UTC
Explain Rod Serling vs David Lynch like as a Epic Rap Battles of History episode from 2012
Please????
02:51 UTC
Explain twin Peaks like you're Rod Serling in an episode of The Twilight Zone???
Please anyone can do this please
21:12 UTC
Explain the Splicers from Bioshock as if they were in Mass Effects codex.
19:29 UTC
Explain George Orwell vs David Lynch like as a Epic Rap Battles of History episode from 2012
01:20 UTC
Explain omori the game from 2020 like you're Rod Serling in an episode of The Twilight Zone
04:29 UTC
Explain 1984 by George Orwell like you're Rod Serling in an episode of The Twilight Zone
02:39 UTC
Explain the collapse of the Soviet Union like you're Miu Iruma
18:49 UTC
Explain Tom Fischbach's comic, 'Twokinds', like I'm a new player joining the group and you're the DM catching me up on the homebrew campaign
22:14 UTC
Explain this video to me like I know anything about multiplayer shooter games
The video in question is here:
It's about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 but that's all I can really tell, and only as it says it under the video.. I was sent it by my friend as if I should understand something about it, like it's cool or stupid or something, but I know nothing (I mean nothing!) about multiplayer shooters, and I don't watch streaming, so I completely don't get it.
I don't want to reply to my friend and sound ignorant or stupid, so can someone please give me some pointers about what this video is? I want to be interested and able to talk to my friend about it.
What's the context? I think they win in the end, is that it? They had to do "THIS to win", is there some in joke I just don't get? I have zero understanding so any help is gratefully received.
22:58 UTC
Explain QAnon and why it's bullshit like it's an episode of The X-Files
23:47 UTC
Explain the entire plot of a movie like you're a weaboo who just learned a few Japanese words.
04:19 UTC
Explain how weird your life is like you're your favorite anime character and Im the guy next to you at the bar
03:01 UTC
Explain the pricing difference between motor oil and oil change prices.
Why the discrepancy between motor oil prices and oil change prices?
When you go to get your oil changed somewhere, it's around $24.99 for a regular/ conventional oil change, and $39.99 for semi synthetic and $59.99 for full synthetic, but when you purchase a 5qt plastic jug of oil the prices are more like $17.99 conventional, $19.99 semi, $25.99 full synthetic. So why the discrepancy in pricing structures? If you pay $24.99 for a regular oil change why isn't the full synthetic only a few more $ instead of double (or more) the price?
I tried posting this in ELI5 but it got taken down, but here is some additional context from that thread....
Let's make some numbers up, say conventional oil is wholesale $1 per quart, semi is $1.05, full is $1.25. The labor is the same rate no matter the oil type. So if the business needs $10 per service for labor to make a profit then the cost to the company (just for material and labor) assuming 5 quarts per service is $15 for conventional, $15.25 for semi, and $16.25 for full.
So at a cost to the consumer of $25/40/60 that is a "profit" (I know there are other business expenses) of $10/24.75/43.75. The scaling is way off, the labor doesn't increase due to the type of oil, only material cost changes.
19:23 UTC
Explain who the HAMAS are and what their conflict is with Israel?
18:50 UTC
Explain Inspector Gadget like you're an SCP Document.
07:38 UTC
Explain Alternatino sequence
Explain the "he shoots me i shoot you sequence". I am comfused as hell.
04:07 UTC
Explain the Song of Solomon from the Bible as if you were an episode of Veggietales
19:21 UTC
Explain what to do when someone's having a seizure like you're SCP-6599
07:19 UTC