The MacGyver F.A.Q.
The MacGyver F.A.Q. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
The MacGyver F.A.Q.
Version 1.1
(last updated 08 February 1995)
MacGyverisms compiled by DXS (DXSMac[AT]aol.com) and Allan Liska (hstaub[AT]bss1.umd.edu).
***WARNING: The MacGyverisms List contains many spoilers which would reveal important plot points for new viewers. So if you don't want to spoil the ending for yourself or anyone else, don't read this.
Introduction
MacGyver was conceived as a nonviolent action-adventure hero. Faced with danger, his first reaction was always to stop for a moment and think. With a little imagination and whatever materials happened to be lying around, he applied common sense and/or basic principles of science to outwit his adversaries and keep his fans entertained for seven seasons.
This list of MacGyverisms has been compiled as a testament to the inventiveness of the program-makers in their commitment to showing the potential of the mind to triumph over brute force.
Disclaimer
For safety reasons, we strongly advise against experimenting with any of the combinations listed below. In general, the makers of "MacGyver" took care to omit key ingredients from MacGyverisms, especially where explosives, smoke devices, and the like were concerned. Attempts at reproducing these MacGyverisms are irresponsible and potentially injurious, and are not recommended. The writers, compilers, and distributors of this document are not responsible for any injuries or damage resulting from the attempted reproduction of any of the ideas or concepts contained herein. The purpose of this document is to inform and entertain.
001 PILOT (untitled)
Disarmed missile with a paper clip
Matches, rope, & rifle made diversion
Smashed flare-launcher barrel used as rocket thruster
Found hidden laser, got it to "sting" itself
Milk chocolate candy stopped sulfuric acid leak
Raised fallen I-beam with knotted fire hose
Sodium metal & cold capsule explosive
Signaled status by blinking light system in Morse code
002 CRUSHER/GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Alcohol & fire ash in bamboo pipes made tear gas
003 PEGASUS/THIEF OF BUDAPEST
Light bulb faked tire blow-out
Weed killer bomb
Magnifying glass using hairpin & white wine
Messed up traffic signal with slices of credit card
004 MAP/THE GAUNTLET
Used map to retrieve key, as peashooter, as a weapon
Used map & duct tape to patch hole in hot air balloon
Used camera timer to set off plastique explosive
Made car drive itself with a belt
005 THE HEIST
Disabled camera to trick staff into opening door
Wired fuse box lights to alarm clock hands
Rerouted laser beam with tube, limbo'd under it
Faked musical notes with wine-filled crystal goblets to open lock
Piece of glass lamp funneled diamonds down drainpipe
Parachuted out a plane in a car
006 WHITEWATER/TRUMBO'S WORLD
Used knife on a string to hook a towel
Used twisted rope to lift canoe off of native woman
Jumper cable, generator, two half-dollars made arc welder
Turned hose, metal pipe, gasoline into flame thrower
Nitrate, cellulose, acid = nitro manite explosive
Melted garden hose spread on net = ant-repellent suit
007 LAST STAND
Bike bars, rust, flare used as torch to melt lock
Cotton, engine starter fluid, fertilizer = bomb
Light bulb and ice cubes to break door lock
Created a diversion with model airplane
008 HELLFIRE
Made fuse with foil gum wrapper
Rigged device to safely transport unstable dynamite
Fixed truck with pen spring
Devised mechanisms for delivering nitro into well
009 THE PRODIGAL
Hot-wired car with paper clip
Soda, fizzies, dry ice simulated smoke
Distracted bad guys with buzzsaw, vacuum, sawdust, and other stuff
Made a harpoon to get out of locked room
010 KITCHEN MAGIC/TARGET MACGYVER
Used kitchen equipment to trap bad guys
Reeds under wood to "fake" breathing
Made blowdart, using reeds & anesthetic-type plant
Pine cones & pine pitch as "land mines"
Used "loco weed" as anesthetic
Grain dust down a funnel, light it
Harry used pine nuts as "blasting caps"
011 NIGHTMARES
Piped water down belt into electrical outlet to short it out
Cot springs & cot used to ram the door open
Hit iron bar on fire hydrant to make magnet
012 FUNERAL IN BERLIN/DEATHLOCK
Casket became a jetski
Metal bowl & electric juicer, kitchen appliances jam TV signals
Vinegar & Baking Soda smoke screen
Rigged a cart to draw automatic sentries' gunfire
013 FLAME'S END
Overdrove time lock's timing pulse to speed it up, open door
Used a pistol as a wrench
014 COUNTDOWN
Made a robot to open refrigerator and grab eggs
Turned cargo net into a rappel line
Defused a vacuum-trapped bomb
015 THE ENEMY WITHIN
Fixed brake line while car was in motion
Made nylon with adipic acid, hexamethylene diamene, & iron filings
Mirror, wires, spiral-painted ash tray for hypnosis
Made defibrillator (heart-starter) from candlesticks and electrical cord
016 EVERY TIME SHE SMILES
Chair tied to conveyor belt broke through wall
Made explosive with kitchen cleaners
017 TO BE A MAN
Used satellite parts & plastic shield to make hang glider
Used butane tank as torpedo
Fire extinguisher, water, & spike broke off boulder
018 UGLY DUCKLING
Speaker & oscillator hurt bad guys' ears
"Kateism"-made transistor radio into SAR-SAT
"Kateism"-jumper cables & battery burned off burglar bars
Cooled hot bars with hydrocarbons from a spray can
Electrolytes in cactus juice powered a transistor radio
Used triangulation to locate source of radio signal
Headlight, mirror, binocular lens focused sunlight to heat rifle
cartridge
019 SLOW DEATH
Made a lie detector from sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff) &
alarm clock
Rigged train's starter to shock
Devised hypersonic whistle to spook horses
020 THE ESCAPE
Made hot air signal balloon from papier-mache and a ball
Spatula attached to ceiling fan simulated helicopter noise
PCP & "volatile liquid" on clothes for explosive
Wire, washtub, ice, PCP for timed explosive
Emptied grenade powder on cement for explosive
021 A PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
Blanket, gas, rope, life jacket jammed boat gears
Hanging bucket with mop slid through simulated "mopping"
Caulk & "hardening agent" = superglue trap
022 THE ASSASSIN
Put board across exit "wheel gougers" to drive over safely
023 THE HUMAN FACTOR
Got past a "high tech" security system
Used jeans to escape acid waste disposal system
Magnets, matches, & paper confounded heat seeking robots
024 THE ERASER
Used wire to short a keypad combination lock
Rewired car phone to lock car doors on incoming call
Metal tube, rag, & gas = torpedo
Faked Jimmy's death with mirrors, Mylar, red paint
Used foil & a comb to simulate police siren
025 TWICE STUNG
Flashlight battery & matches connected to floodlight
Reversed wiring to short out lock
026 THE WISH CHILD
Radio-controlled toy used to distract guard
Watch crystal, firecracker to burst crate
Rope & umbrella used as grappling hook
Used powder in 9mm cartridge to bust a lock open
Filled room with CO2 from fire extinguisher for "smokescreen"
027 FINAL APPROACH
Made parachute into a tent
Log bark used as water trough
Tube and earpiece from headset used as stethoscope
Made a theodolite (sighting tool) from branches & earrings
Hollowed log as front ski on airplane
028 EAGLES
Used mirror to distract helicopter pilot
Made dog leash and clip into extra carrabiners
Ball bearing, propane stove & grinder blew up shed
Used bicycle tire's inner tube as sling shot
Cooking oil & furniture stuffing to incubate eagle eggs
029 JACK OF LIES
Slung an oxygen cylinder at the bad guys' Jeep
Plugged fuel leak with stick
Rigged propeller rotor to net as a trap
030 THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Animal fat & kerosene in can as flare
Used rosary beads to focus sunlight and trigger a slingshot
Fertilizer and rag in can inside bamboo for rocket
031 SILENT WORLD
Plastic trash bag, branch made delayed starter
032 THREE FOR THE ROAD
Used ball-point pen case to fix fuel line
Muffler, seat stuffing, gasoline, steering wheel knob used as cannon
Horn, handle, horseshoe, battery, wire made alarm
033 PHOENIX UNDER SIEGE
Made electromagnet to remove "New York lock" from door
Used hockey ticket to prevent bomb from detonating
034 FAMILY MATTER
Wire & rope made remote starter for engine
Made explosive with gas can & oil soaked rag
Bamboo bazookas filled with methane mud
035 SOFT TOUCH
Wheelchair magnesium, rags, pipe heated freezer door lock
Microphone became bolo/tripwire
036 BIRTH DAY
Made driving ramp with boards & barrels
Lifted Jeep with boat crane
Made signal balloon with a bag, signal flags, helium
037 PIRATES
Shot polystyrene balls with vacuum cleaner
038 OUT IN THE COLD
Made signal parachute with zipper pull, ski pole, and handkerchief
Used water as magnifying lens on broken microscope
039 DALTON, JACK OF SPIES
Used hooked bar to pull the wrong switch on the trash compactor
040 PARTNERS
Shoestring, wrench, door handle attached to gas pedal made car drive
itself
Oil can, pantyhose, battery, exhaust pipe blew off trailer door
041 BUSHMASTER
Used rock & string to make rifle shoot by itself
Used freon to shatter cell lock
Put egg whites in radiator to plug holes
042 FRIENDS
(just clips of old MacGyverisms)
043 DOA MACGYVER
Muriatic acid & ammonia made fog screen
044 FOR LOVE OR MONEY
Made fake bloodstains from red wine and ketchup
Carbon, oxygen, & glove smoke bomb in potato dish
Crushed nitroglycerin tablets & alcohol made explosive
Used toy plastic tube as weapon against knife
045 LOST LOVE (two-part episode)
046 Found hidden laser with powdered cleaning agent
Hydraulic suctions, plastic tube, remotely controlled winch lift glass
Used clamps for pressure to "fake out" weight lock
Wrote on fogged glass to tell Jack the lock combination
047 BACK FROM THE DEAD
Used fire hose to slide across high wire at stadium
Threw spear to shatter dial, hit bad guys with steam
048 GHOST SHIP
Made oars from branch & tent bag
Extracted water from wet soil with metal tube
Fishing reel & line made trip wire
Fishing pole used as slingshot
049 FIRE & ICE
Attached hose to rake head, used it as climbing rope
Graphite from pencil to make fingerprints show up
050 GX-1
Made shoes from duct tape and plastic mat
Made hot air balloon from shed, tent, gas cylinders
051 JACK IN THE BOX
Made explosive acetylene gas from carbide & water
052 THE WIDOWMAKER
Car antenna, jump cable, battery used as arc welder
Cut phone wire, tapped morse code with bracelet
053 HELL WEEK
"Rymanism"-Fixed leak with gum
Acetic acid & ammonia smoke screen for motion detector
Defused bomb by vaporizing mercury with current
054 BLOW OUT
Tear gas from hot water bottle, soda, vinegar, spices
Moved desk to displace weight for weight bomb
Filled bombed truck with cement
Escaped bombed office by jumping into metal cabinet
055 KILL ZONE
Used transmitter from satellite as a radio
Bunsen burner and freon gas used to seal silicone gasket leak
056 EARLY RETIREMENT
Steam pressure hose made smoke screen
057 THIN ICE
Replaced solenoid spring with flashlight spring
>058 THE ODD TRIPLE
Wine helped wriggle out of ropes
Gas canisters tied to great big wine cask made a battering ram
Daltonism: Smoke bomb in the suitcase
059 THE NEGOTIATOR
Used chemical fire extinguisher to get rid of chase car
Used jumper cables to zap Deborah
060 THE SPOILERS
Made smoke screen
Inflatable inner tube made diversion
061 MASK OF THE WOLF
Copper & zinc mixture, lit by fuse, to lift tomb door
062 ROCK THE CRADLE
Fixed plane's hydraulic landing gear while in mid air
Built a baby crib from hockey sticks
063 THE ENDANGERED
Matches & rum for diversion
Forked branch, pegs, fishing line shot a dart
Logs & limonite made pointing arrow visible from the air
Rope, matches, and coat on vine simulated "approach"
Flashlight barrel & cord used to shoot dart
064 MURDERER'S SKY
Hi-fi speakers & cable simulated sonar to find secret door
Knocked out lights with window cleaner spray
Hid behind fake paper "rock" walls
065 THE SECRET OF PARKER HOUSE
Pencil erasers & clay on skull remade Aunt Betty
Lit candle detected draft to find secret door
Placed pipe on boiler to torpedo the wall
066 BLOOD BROTHERS
Young Mac made a cart from a bicycle
Drain cleaner & phenolphthalein solution made fake blood
(which could never work because PHTH solution would turn pink, not red)
067 THE OUTSIDERS
Used barrels to support dirt tunnel
068 ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Patched sea-plane gash with lifejacket material
Rigged rockets as seaplane boosters
069 COLLISION COURSE
Silver nitrate tested for chlorine in water
070 THE SURVIVORS
Used climber's pick and ropes to slide between rock walls
Stuffed a coat to look like a person
Developed surveillance film using first-aid kit chemicals, orange juice
071 DEADLY DREAMS
Used motor oil to see through frosted window
Wetted matches to prevent matches from igniting propane
"Zitoism"-torn book cover plastic used as cup
"Zitoism"-drain cleaner & water simulate heart attack
"Crossism"-taped matches to door to light propane
"Crossism"-phosphorus firestarters in plastic jugs
072 MA DALTON
Used lug wrench to disconnect himself from van's shackles
073 CLEO ROCKS
Tested for sulfur on spoon over butane torch
String & SAK released wire set to trigger Pete's deathtrap
074 FRATERNITY OF THIEVES
Sodium thiosulfate (photo fixer) antidote to prussic acid poison
Rewired helipad signal lights to confuse bad guys
075 THE BATTLE OF TOMMY GIORDANO
Tapped phone for listening to calls in next room
Alcohol-ammonia-acid used with Capsela toy for smoke screen
076 THE CHALLENGE
Used rubbing alcohol to test ink on printed label
077 RUNNERS
Tied pimp's car to garbage dumpster with cable
078 GOLD RUSH
Used pin and map to amplify old dictaphone recording
Vodka, string, oxygen to blow out snow
Disarmed weight-triggered mine with backpack pole
079 THE INVISIBLE KILLER
Remote sling shot to throw leaves & dirt in guy's face
Shot vinegar & pepper through the telescope
Rope snare trap with pulley in fire lookout
080 BRAINWASHED
No MacGyverisms, just figured out the "programming"
081 EASY TARGET
Replaced grenade pin with lift ticket wire
Took explosive & detonator from grenade, blew out door
Rigged walkie-talkie to short out, make diversion
Made the EMP generator "short" itself
082 RENEGADE
Light bulb aimed at motion detector to hide motion
083 UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Used telescoping fishing pole to grab stuff
084 LEGEND OF THE HOLY ROSE (two-part episode)
085 Built a two seat ultralight for rescue
Used his shoes to escape from pendulum
Used decorative bellows to signal Zoe
Distracted bad guy with camera flash
086 THE BLACK CORSAGE
FROGISM-dog rerouted Mac & Colton out of fish chopper
Rigged cord to shut cover when jewelry was picked up
087 CEASE FIRE
Wire, battery, jumper cable as arc welder
Used knapsack as climbing harness
088 SECOND CHANCE
Shot a syringe through rolled up paper
Exploded a gate lock
089 HALLOWEEN KNIGHTS
Pool chalk, candle wax "copies" thumbprint impression
Repelled snakes with kerosene
090 CHILDREN OF LIGHT
Vise grip forced heavy pipe to burst down door
Used antenna to slide down cable
091 BLACK RHINO
Figured out what was in the sugar
092 THE TEN PERCENT SOLUTION
Earring, tube, light bulb broke through metal door
093 TWO TIMES TROUBLE
Camera lens made magnifying glass
Picked up fingerprint with tempera paint and tape
While underwater in tank, breathed on bubble pipe
Kicked light bulb, cut straitjacket on broken glass
094 THE MADONNA
Rolled the stage on barbells
095 SERENITY
Tossed whiskey & cigar down Wilt's pants for diversion
096 LIVE & LEARN
Glycerol & water recovered a burnt paper
Raised concrete slab with I-beam, help of construction workers
097 LOG JAM
Squirted fire hose at chainsaw-armed attacker
098 THE TREASURE OF MANCO
Stood on stone to activate Inca mechanism
099 JENNY'S CHANCE
Used intercom's power supply to figure out the microspeaker's purpose
100 DEEP COVER
Flare, oxygen, wire popped submarine cover
101 THE LOST AMADEUS
Lit kerosene lamp in trash, activated fire extinguisher
102 HEARTS OF STEEL
Used electromagnet to lift car
103 RUSH TO JUDGEMENT (sic)
Made soft drink dispenser spit out cans for distraction
Spilled perfume to put dogs off their trail
Dressed mannequins in perfumed jackets to fool dogs
104 PASSAGES
HARRYISM-Gum wrapper fishing lure
Fire hose threaded on boat axle forced door open
PETEISM - Spread talcum powder into a tray for Mac to write on
105 TOUGH BOYS
Roped a bomb w/electrical cord
Used Uzi as wrench to turn on fire hose
Threaded fire hose through ladder to support, direct it
106 HUMANITY
Phone & speaker listened to "clicks" in combination lock
107 THE GUN
Explosive from grenade detonator, copper wire, dry cell
108 TWENTY QUESTIONS
Lamp, small figure, table = shadow on curtain
109 THE WALL
Signal flare to detect laser beam
Used "slimy goo" toy to slip ropes off hands
110 LESSON IN EVIL
Jumped on bell rope, caused bell to hit Zito
111 HARRY'S WILL
Used inflatable dinghy and air compressor hose to escape from under car
112 MACGYVER'S WOMEN
Made wind-operated trip hammer for blacksmith
Escaped from noose with sharp-edged belt buckle
Roped awning supports, horse pulled awning down
Alcohol poured on pine nuts in stove mimics gunshots
113 BITTER HARVEST
Sunglasses, nail polish remover, lamp = polariser
114 THE VISITOR
Ammonia, napalm, wires = chemical plasma
Spear salted wires to power lines = chemical plasma
115 SQUEEZE PLAY
Recorded speakerphone dialing to figure out phone number
Pitched Reilly a home run ball to drop sign on bad guy's car
116 JERICO GAMES
Mac escaped cops by hanging on under truck
Metal rod broke window out of incinerator
Used same rod to push incinerator handle to OFF
Rod & string to open latch on incinerator door
117 THE WASTELAND
Rigged parasail from wind tunnel fan, wire, tent material
118 EYE OF OSIRIS
Used sugar water to dry sand impression for plaster mold
119 HIGH CONTROL
Faked bike breakdown, fixed it to get in with biker gang
Sprayed ether through pump hose to knock someone out
Mixed explosive, put it on bike, hit car with it
120 THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE
Stapled bad guy's coat to ground to hold him
121 BLIND FAITH
Used generator, jumper cables to make a "stunner"
Used steam hose to shoot gravel, make a diversion
122 FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY
Made a crutch from a coat rack
Made wheelchair from an old baby carriage
Stunned a bad guy with a mop full of pepper
Reversed vacuum cleaner to shoot hot chili
123 STRICTLY BUSINESS
Used a rifle to prop up booby trap wires
124 TRAIL OF TEARS
T-Bar inside steam tube broke door down
Used feather quill as cotter pin to stop bomb
125 HIND-SIGHT
(Just clips of old MacGyverisms)
126 HONEST ABE
Used flashlight morse code to access helicopter
Broke door down with old brandy, bellows, cobweb fuse
Fired helicopter weapons by "shaving" & flashing mirror to activate
helicopter
127 THE 'HOOD
Speared skeleton hand to pull lever
Candle wax preserved printing on burned matchbook
Used fire hose to bring down scaffolding & bad guy
128 OBSESSED
Used his boots to pull cart with gas tanks toward him
Used compressed nitrogen to freeze, break rope
Stuffed cloth in the intake of rocket to mess it up
Sprayed cleaner at light bulb to break it, distract bad guy
129 THE PROMETHEUS SYNDROME
Pulled bomb pin and motion sensor with fireman's badge
Used walkie talkie magnet to prevent bomb circuit from connecting
130 THE COLTONS
Got the dog to bring acid to him to cut rope
Used ruler as lever to catapult bottle of acid into his hands
131 WALKING DEAD
Escaped from coffin
Rigged oil barrels to roll out, trip bad guys
132 GOOD KNIGHT MACGYVER (two-part episode)
and Made poison antidote with eggs and charcoal
133 Isolated vanadium from the poison
Mixed soda & vinegar in bag for a fire extinguisher
High pitched dog whistle from the Royal Favor
Burning gunpowder made letters show up on rock
Homemade kite attracted lightning bolt to blow off cell door
134 DEADLY SILENTS
Used Swiss army knife & wallet to slide down canvas backdrop
Used shoe as a grappling hook
Re-created Tiny's trademark stunt to foil bad guys
135 SPLIT DECISION
Constructed homemade boxing training devices
Made sodium thiosulfate & water "chill bag"
136 GUNZ 'N' BOYZ
Lit whiskey-covered kindling in wastebasket for flame
Used flame, duct pipe, cinch belt to torpedo a beer keg
137 OFF THE WALL
Used heating coil & coat hanger to melt plastic hand ties
Sent bomb down a trash pipe
138 THE STRINGER
Made pressure-washer "jetpacks"
Sent a smoke shell down a funnel for a distraction
139 THE MOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Used a test tube & scarf to split wire
Put rubber stopper in door so it wouldn't lock
140 LOST TREASURE OF ATLANTIS
Replaced Medallion of Solon with same-sized lens cap to avoid trap
Balanced on wooden chair to avoid electrified floor
Filled lock with butane, blew it out by smashing lightbulb into it
Put rockets on engine-less car
Used car-mounted bazooka to destroy gate and escape
Used the booby trapped stalactites to cut rope ties
Set up a diversion with string, armor, & lit candle
Used SAK to start the plane (this is TV, folks)
Got out of the volcano by threading rope through a homemade pulley
141 TRAIL TO DOOMSDAY
Used air compressor hose to blow powder into bad guy's face
Made gas mask out of a wet rag, charcoal
Used eyeglasses as a magnifier
Ran through sewer on socks to make less noise
Climbed onto motorcycle in front of driver so police wouldn't see
him get on from behind
Used belt to climb drainpipe
Wore insulation to crawl on hot pipes
Knocked out bad guy by turning on vacuum pumps
Jammed door with screwdriver
Used frequency generator to make high-pitched noise
Improvised a trivet wrench with tennis racquet, voltmeter leads
Acknowledgments
The MacGyver FAQ previously appeared at www.uplinktech.net/macgyver/ which has closed: many thanks to Melissa for giving me permission to re-post it here. Many, many thanks also to the people who wrote the information in this FAQ and put it together.
The MacGyver F.A.Q. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
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