Editing 3186: Truly Universal Outlet

{{comic
| number    = 3186
| date      = December 26, 2025
| title     = Truly Universal Outlet
| image     = truly_universal_outlet_2x.png
| imagesize = 264x358px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = Building Inspectors HATE This One Weird Trick
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a 110 VOLT BRITISH PLUG.
*Need to add pictures of the different outlets and maybe even overlay them onto the comic?.}}

This comic shows a layout for a universal outlet which would theoretically fit any mains power-plug. Throughout the world,  countries and regions have [https://www.dimensions.com/collection/electrical-plugs-sockets their own standards for outlets], including their shape, contact amount, and voltage. When traveling, or otherwise using devices from other countries, it is often necessary to have an adapter to connect one type of plug to a different outlet. 

The comic shows an outlet with fifteen sets of holes merged together, so that any of those plug types might fit. In reality, it's possible that a plug may not be held securely, and it may fall out or lose contact. For example, the hole for types D, M, and O at the top of the outlet has three distinct holes, some of which are entirely contained within others; a prong for a smaller type would not make contact with the walls (without particularly spring-loaded contacts). Different outlets can also mean different voltages, which can risk damage if devices do not account for it<!-- and some combinations may reverse Live and Neutral contacts compared to others??CHECK THIS, SOMEONE??, which some equipment may not work properly with-->. Although universal plug adapters [https://internationalconfig.com/icc6.asp?item=30250 actually exist], none of them are as 'universal' as the one shown in this comic, most likely due to these safety concerns.

The comic also seems to misrepresent type E sockets — it seems like Randall wasn't aware of (or ignored) the fact that type E sockets have a grounding pin that protrudes out from the socket, and represents it as if it were a hole in the socket instead. In reality, it would be difficult to make a socket that safely grounds type E plugs without being simultaneously incompatible with a large number of other plugs that aren't designed to accommodate the grounding pin, probably requiring the prominent socket-pin to be a spring that retracts far into the socket when pressed by a plug's ground pin.

The comic also seems to not notice the lack of grounding for full compatibility with F plugs. This leaves them in the same state as type E, above. This could be fixed by adding the extra pins for grounding. Given that most plugs in E and F regions are compatible with both standards (CEE 7/7) and have the E ground connected to the F ground through a front plate bigger than the hole for the E standard, it would theoretically be possible to make a mostly universal plug (with the exception of pure CEE 7/5 Schuko and some pure French-style CEE 7/6 that don't have the external metallic plate, but both of those are vanishingly rare, phased out by the CEE 7/7).

The title text references the classical clickbait format "<organization/role> hate this one weird trick," implying <organization/role>'s services will be no longer needed if the trick works out as it claims to, and therefore (according to the clickbait) they do not want you to find out about the trick. In this case, however, building inspectors likely hate the design solely because of its grotesque safety problems.

While this comic is not part of the [[:category:Cursed_Connectors|Cursed Connectors series]], it does follow a similar theme of unorthodox or dangerous ways to make electrical connections.

==The sockets==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!|Socket type
!|Appearance
!|Standardized/Primarily used in... ([https://www.dimensions.com/collection/electrical-plugs-sockets Source])
!|Details of plug
|-
|A (NEMA-1)
|
|USA, Canada and Mexico (older installations), Japan
|Blades (L-N) 12.7mm apart, no Ground, blade widths differ for where correct orientation is essential
|-
|B (NEMA-5)
|
|USA, Canada, Mexico, and Japan
|Blades (N-L) 12.7mm apart, Ground blade 11.9mm downwards, accepts type-A<!-- despite opposite polarity? -->
|-
|C (Europlug)
|
|Europe, South America and Asia
|Pins (either polarity) 19mm apart, no Ground<br/>''May'' be accepted by type E, F, J, K and N socksts, depending upon pin-radius tolerances and any Ground-pin 'shuttering' by socket.
|-
|D (BS546)
|
|India, previously Britain with legacy use for stage-lighting
|Pins (N-L) 19mm apart, Ground pin 22.2mm upwards
|-
|E
|
|France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia and Czechia
|Pins (N-L) 19mm apart, Ground pin ''from socket into plug''<br/>May be cross-compatible with Type F, in a dual-format plug.
|-
|F
|
|Germany, Spain, broad compatibility with rest of Europe (excluding UK or Ireland) and Russia
|Pins (either polarity) 19mm apart, Ground via paired clips<br/>May be cross-compatible with Type E, in a dual-format plug.
|-
|G
|
|UK, Ireland, Malta, Malaysia and Singapore
|Blocks (N-L) 22.2mm apart, Ground block 22.2mm upwards
|-
|H
|
|Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip
|Angled blades<sup>[legacy]</sup> or pins (N-L) 19mm apart, Ground (blade/)pin 9.5mm down
|-
|I
|
|{{w|AS/NZS 3112|Australia, New Zealand}}, China, and Argentina
|Angled blades (N-L, except in Argentina) 13.7mm apart, Ground blade 10.3mm down
|-
|J (SN441011)
|
|Switzerland and Liechtenstein
|Pins (N-L) 19mm apart, Ground pin 5mm down
|-
|K
|
|Denmark and Greenland
|Pins (L-N) 19mm apart, Ground pin 13mm down
|-
|L
|
|Italy and Chile
|Pins (either polarity) 19mm ''or'' 26mm apart (historically, only narrower version is illustrated), Ground pin in-line
|-
|M
|
|South Africa, legacy (e.g. stage) use in Britain
|Pins (N-L) 25.4mm apart, Ground pin 28.6mm up (typically)<br/>N.B.: varying specifications exist; none<!-- that I've found--> match the illustration, which is proportionately too small.
|-
|N
|
|Brazil and South Africa
|Pins (L-N) 19mm apart, Ground 3mm down
|-
|O (TIS156-2549)
|
|Thailand
|Pins (L-N) 19mm apart, Ground pin 11.9mm up
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A diagram of an electrical outlet is shown, merging the holes of many international outlets. Dashed lines indicate individual standards' holes, which are labeled by their corresponding letter from A to N. The entire outlet is the combined area of these holes.]
:Wiring tip: To make your building friendly to international visitors, cut holes in your outlet plates to make them compatible with all fifteen IEC plug types.

==Trivia==
*This comic was released on {{w|Boxing Day}} during Christmas of 2025, but makes no reference to Christmas. 
**The previous comic, released on Christmas Eve, [[3185: Sauropods]] also made no reference to Christmas.
**This thus marks the second year on a row without any [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comics]] released during those days, see this [[3029:_Sun_Avoidance#Trivia|trivia]] from the comic [[3029: Sun Avoidance]] released on Christmas Day in 2024 (first time such a day was not given a Christmas comic).

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