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“What Is This Thing?”: 50 Times People Stumbled Upon Mysterious Objects And The Internet Offered Them An Explanation (New Pics)
If you ever—and we do mean ever—need a mystery solved, ask the internet for help. The amount of collective wisdom, combined with the Holmesian skills of amateur sleuths, is absolutely staggering. And you’re likely to feel your jaw drop at how quickly they find the answer to your question.
The r/whatisthisthing subreddit is a 2.2-million-member-strong online group that solves mysteries. And quite successfully, we might add! Internet users share a photo of an odd, bizarre, and often vintage item that puzzles them. Then, the community comes together to explain what it is, what it’s used for, and (if they happen to know it) share the broader context. It’s honestly one of the most interesting digital communities out there. You’ll find their latest successfully solved queries as you scroll down below.
Here at Bored Panda, we’re pretty big fans of what the r/whatisthisthing community has been doing for the past 12+ years. When you’ve finished upvoting the posts in this list that you think are very best examples of unraveled mysteries, consider taking a peek at our other recent articles about the sub here, here, and here.
More info: Reddit | Wiki | FAQ (Frequently Asked Things Archive) | Guide
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Iron Cone On Either Side Of A Gate Outside The Entry To A Building In Bath England
Answer: It's a snuffer. A visitor to your house would use it to put out their torch.
Bored Panda reached out to Matt Johnson, Ph.D., a professor of consumer psychology at Hult International Business School and Harvard University, and he told us about the apparent functionality of products, as well as the law of the market. Moreover, he explained the difference between market-driven and market-driving products. Johnson is the host of the Neuroscience of Branding blog and is the author of 'Branding that Means Business: How to Build Enduring Bonds between Brands, Consumers and Markets.'
According to consumer psychology expert, whether it's vital for an object to have its function apparent from the moment someone sees it depends on the product itself, the industry, and how it's sold. "While consumers will always use a product in the greater context, they don’t always encounter them in this way, especially if its a product they’re unfamiliar with," he said.
"If, for example, the product is being sold via online marketplaces, the 'apparent functionality' can be an important factor in consumer decision-making. Consumers want to understand, intuitively, how to work the product. If they can simulate this in their heads, they can imagine using it, and if they can imagine using it, they can imagine owning it."
RELATED:
#2
What Are These Medal Things On The Corner Of These Stairs And What Is Their Purpose?
Answer: Corner dust guards. They make it easier to sweep dust out of the corners.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Should be in every house with stairs! Those corners are an absolute b***h to keep clean.
Margaret H 3 years ago
I have a golden retriever who sheds hair with gay abandon. You have no idea how much I agree with you!
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juice 3 years ago
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=corner+dust+guards&adgrpid=131239177810&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7O3LoPzw-wIVVcDICh1HlQtIEAAYASAAEgKlXfD_BwE&hvadid=595155237827&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9060223&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15620916439145131833&hvtargid=kwd-1661191902879&hydadcr=14008_10958195&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_12dt30sh0y_e
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#3
Small Elephant Filled With Water Left At Flat After Party. Debating With Flatmates Over What It’s Purpose Could Be
Answer: It's a melted reusable ice cube
Cassie 3 years ago
This has been driving me nuts ever since its original posting on reddit. I can find flamingos and pineapples, globes, and cubes, but no adorable freaking little elephants!
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JoJo Anisko 3 years ago
Only problem is the plastic they are made out of smells funky, and yes, it transfers to the beverage.
George Williams 3 years ago
I had the worst Gastro-enteritis after using one of these that had burst and contaminated my drink.
Walter Brameld 3 years ago
I bet you save a ton of money with that! Think of how much you waste by having to make whole new ice cubes from scratch for every drink.
Electra Complex 3 years ago
I have these but shaped like fruit... But why would you bring them to someone else's house and then leave them there?
glowworm2 3 years ago
Shh. We don’t talk about the tiny elephant in the room.
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However, when it comes to digital products like "mobile apps and digital interfaces with high substitutability," immediate functionality becomes especially important.
"User experience is, of course, very important for digital products and experiences. Being able to 'see' this in the product is typically a reflection of its general intuitiveness," the creator of the Neuroscience of Branding blog told us.
Bored Panda asked Professor Johnson about the extent to which the products that we use are a reflection of our needs as a society, and how much brands themselves influence these needs.
"To a large extent, the products we use follow the 'law of the market': they reflect consumer demand and companies’ ability to capitalize on it. Ultimately, many of the products that have gone out of use have become obsolete, given other technological advancements. We don’t need stationary phones in houses anymore since nearly everyone has mobile devices, etc.," he gave an example.
#4
What Are These Blue Reflecting Markers For? Mounted On A Pole, Facing The Field
Answer: They are reflecting the headlights of cars to the fields, so that deer avoids crossing the road. So it's for safety of cars and animals.
BravePanda 3 years ago
You might be able to encourage your local and state Departments of Transportation to use these. My state, Colorado, is surprisingly responsive to citizen requests.
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Geoffrey Scott 3 years ago
by the way, it's not the deer you see that causes problems, it's the cousin behind it. You have one run out...guaranteed there is another behind it.
Mr. Sourcrowd 🧐 3 years ago
A few years ago they started putting them up everywhere since someone said the blue light would stop animals crossing the road. But there are also studies that deny any effect...
Carol Emory 3 years ago
And if you see smaller ones in the middle of the street in the USA, they mark the location of fire hydrants on the side of the road so that fire trucks can easily find them in an emergency and at night when visibility is low.
Peruvian Chick 3 years ago
I am sending a request in my town right now !!! Shenandoah Valley, Virginia !!
#5
Object Found While Hiking Off-Road In Bosnia. Notice The Spikes Near The End! Wondering What It Is
Answer: DON'T GO HIKING IN BOSNIA IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE ARE YOU GOING. it is full of unmarked mine fields.
ginger a. freckleburger 3 years ago
Yeah, I don't want to be smelling the flowers and all of a sudden I am a human splat.
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Marek Čtrnáct 3 years ago
But it would be so convenient to get to the end!
Load More Replies... UselessKnowledgeFont 3 years ago
Omg! Do not go near s**t like this in a heavily fought over area unless trained!
Falcon on Dizzy 3 years ago
it's just a single use cleaning device! step on it and it clears everything in a 20 foot radius
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Hey honey, you get a lovely view from here... Here, here, here up there, over there and riiiiiight over there
Ryan-James O'Driscoll 3 years ago
The advice given in this entry notwithstanding, in Europe (and elsewhere, tbh), if you encounter an unexplained metal cylinder in or on the ground, stay away from it, do not touch it, and call the police. Generally speaking, you're pretty safe to wander around Europe, but the continent is still absolutely riddled with unexploded munitions that will take generations to uncover and clear.
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
Well, it kinda depends. Pretty much the only way you can still find dangerous WWII ammunition is if you are engaged in a major construction dig. So for the vast majority of people and countries, this isn't a risk in Europe, really. But sadly there's been some wars since in some parts of the continent...
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#6
Old Ruler. I Don’t Know How It Is Used Or What Does It Measure
Answer: Slide rule, logarithmic calculating device. These put humans on the moon.
Kate Haslam 3 years ago
Asked my parents (71 & 69), who were both math teachers, how to use a slide rule. They don't remember. XD
patricia patricia 3 years ago
I'm sure there must be a tutorial in Youtube
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Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
We have several of these in a drawer. My husband is an engineer and although he's retired he's had them since university and used them too. I'm chuffed I knew what something in this list was. 😊
Randolph Croft 3 years ago
I had one from my Grandfather, who was a biochemistry researcher in Nigeria in the 30's. It was ivory. I donated it to my local museum some years ago. But when I was 12, he taught me how to use it.
Brett Hughes 3 years ago (edited)
I used one in University engineering before calculators came in. Double sided, it had over 30 scales. I also had a round / circular one, which solved the problem of running off the end of the scale occasionally (true!)
Mary Hammett 3 years ago
I am charmed in the movie Apollo 13 when the folks at NASA all pull out their slide rules to calculate how to get the crew home. As Tom Hanks has said, This movie is about going to the moon, yet it is a period piece.
Phil Green 3 years ago
Anyone remember Napier's Rods? I made some for my son in the 90s to show him the "calculator" I had in school in the 60s.
Michael Largey 3 years ago (edited)
When I was in high school Napier was the only adult I had any respect for.
Load More Replies..."These are called market-driven products: they reflect the ability of companies to serve existing needs and capitalize on existing consumer demand."
However, there's also another influence—market-driving products. "Brands also have the ability to create needs that didn’t already exist, and then create and market products that serve these needs," the author of 'Branding that Means Business' said.
"The classic examples are luxury brands, which have an outsized influence on what society deems cool, attractive, and aspirational. However, other popular brands have the power to 'create' needs as well; Nike, Apple, and even Starbucks are great examples of brands that do this at relatively more accessible prices. There’s no deep-seated human need for a pumpkin spice latte. And yet, every Fall, there’s a massive market for PSLs, of which Starbucks created and continuously dominates," Johnson explained.
"All in all, the products on the market reflect commercial technologies best abilities to serve existing human needs. At the same time, the consumer world shapes these needs, and delivers products that purportedly assuage them. It’s a complex interplay between brands, consumers, culture, and market forces."
#7
Found On The Dashboard Of An Old Gmc. A Lucite Like Material, With Ridges
Answer: It's a traffic light viewer. Traffic lights back in the day were mounted on the same side you stopped on which sometimes made it difficult to see the light if you were first in line, this helped reflect the light from above so you could tell when the light changed.
Will Cable 3 years ago
On a side note to this, one things really making my p**s boil is in the UK how councils are only putting street name signs on one side as you drive down the road, so you haven't a clue what the street name is until you've passed it if you are driving in the wrong direction to see it
Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 3 years ago
I need one. There is a traffic signal on my commute that sits above my car if I'm first.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
I was actually wondering the other day what they did back when they only had one traffic light per intersection, so this is good to know!
David 3 years ago
It's a neat little object to solve a problem. BUT... I'm kind of slack jaw this was ever a problem. "Smart" people figured out how to make traffic lights work and engineer / install them but didn't think to put them where the drivers using them could actually see them. That just feels like a "DUH!"
Adam Pokorny 3 years ago
i need one of these, traffic lights in the czech republic are mounted like that and if you are first in line you have to either crane your neck or wait until someone honks at you
Nannychachi 3 years ago
Is it just me or does anyone else like the smell of the inside of a really, really old car with the horsehair seats? Is it horsehair? It looks like stiff hay.
#8
Sunset Pic I Took From Jfk Airport. Could These Shadows Be The Manhattan Skyline?
Answer: I live near Mt. Rainier and this happens too, only at dawn. The mountain casts its shadow on the underside of the clouds. This is just as impressive as that.
Julie 3 years ago
AZ has the most gorgeous sunsets. I remember trying to get photos on my 35mm but it just couldn't capture them.
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Walter Brameld 3 years ago
I don't understand this. Could someone explain it? It looks like the Sun is in front of the camera, but it looks like the shadows of buildings are being cast from behind.
William J Dougherty 3 years ago
That is NYC shadows, Brooklyn & north NJ could contribute also depending on time of year
Walter Brameld 3 years ago
I don't think the caption is correct. It looks like the shadows are being cast by bumps on the underside of the cloud layer itself. If it were buildings then wouldn't the shadows start down at the ground?
Slap Shot 3 years ago
This is my view of Mt Rainier casting a shadow at dawn. Lucky me. FF9B27C9-0...9-jpeg.jpg 
#9
Came Across This While Hiking Behind An Old Mine In Southwestern Pennsylvania. Several Miles Off Of The Old Access Road. Appears 40 Feet Long, Nothing Written On It, Appears Nothing Is Inside Of It. 25 Feet Or So Off Of The Ground. No Sign Of Life Around It For Miles
Answer: That, my friend, is the daddy of all deer stands.
Porpoisepower 3 years ago
Could be a contractor office, possibly for the mine. Probably got use as a deer stand too
Lena Flising 3 years ago
I thought of a hunting tower when I saw it. Where I live, it's mostly moose that are hunted.
Created all the way back in September 2010, the ‘What Is This Thing’ subreddit has a very orderly, neat, and systemic approach to solving mysteries. Members of the moderator team have created a series of pages detailing solutions to pretty much any question you might have about becoming a member of the community.
They have a fully functioning Wiki, a great FAQ, as well as a guide for new members. The FAQ, in particular, is fascinating: it’s a compilation of commonly perplexing objects. Check it out before posting anything and asking for help: someone else may have already answered your question years ago.
The subreddit has been so successful that some members of the community actually work with international law enforcement. They are, in a very literal way, making the world a better place using their amateur sleuth skills.
#10
Random-Ish Straight But Not Paralel Lines Next To My Office Building… What’s Happening Here?
Answer: You probably live in the UK, where planning authorities often require developers to do "evaluation trial trenching" to make sure there are no important archaeological artifacts that might be destroyed by excavation. If the trial trenches turn up anything interesting, a more serious archaeological dig may be required before building can begin.
VonBlade 3 years ago
It's the end of day 3 and Bob has found some tiny pottery fragments, whilst Jeff has found a series of small walls.
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Mystery Egg 3 years ago
Kind of sad. Means they are planning on creating a concrete monstrosity on that beautiful green land.
Minath 3 years ago
We have a bit of housing shortage at the moment so development's are springing up everywhere. It's depressing.
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MissMePhoenix 3 years ago
So the answer is actually, if nothing interesting turns up, you'll be losing that pretty view 😢
BobTDG 3 years ago
But it's the UK so they'll probably find an unexploded bomb and a Roman villa.
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Schtroumphette Zezekof 3 years ago
Greek here: imo, for archeological artifacts, they need to dig a bit deeper
Marguerite Janiszyn 3 years ago
Say goodbye to those beautiful fields. Sounds like it's all going to be developed.
Spooky Scary Skeletons 3 years ago
I don't think the Teletubbies are gonna be happy when they get back home and see this.
Riley Quinn 3 years ago
Kind of look like the trenches some DIY guys I knew would dig in their yards so they could work on the undersides of their vehicles. Didn't always work out as they expected, but I know other men will follow their lead regardless.
ownedbyrats 3 years ago
Yep, those are archaeological trenches. Topsoil is placed on one side and subsoil on the other to avoid mixing them - very important if you're working on farmland.
#11
4m High Funnel With 3 Outlets Near A Playground And A Beer Garden In Germany
Answer: It's a three-way basketball hoop (Balltrichter mit drei Ausgängen). You can score, but you don't know who gets the ball next. My kids school just got one. The kids love it.
Dozingdahlias 3 years ago
It’s interesting that it’s on grass though, seems harder to dribble on. All the ones I’ve seen are on asphalt.
RafCo (he/him) 3 years ago
In this game, you play with smaller balls anyways. You don't dribble. The kids throw the ball back and forth to each other or just run around and toss the ball in the air. The hoop is way bigger than the ball, to make it easier for the kids to score, and because you don't know where the ball will go next, it's harder for one kid to keep hold of it the whole time.
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StrangeOne 3 years ago
I see these everywhere but never knew the point of them. Whatever happened to tetherball. That was the s**t.
Heather Talma 2 years ago
OH. There's one of these at a school near my house and I always wondered what it was!!! Thought it was some kind of speaker.
#12
Brass Or Copper Like Thing In Bathroom Door Handle
Answer: Copper kills bacteria and germs.
Couldnt_find_a_decent_name 3 years ago
Ooh now I know what to get my germaphobe friend for Christmas!
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Save the money and just remove the door handles
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Noyfb noyfb 3 years ago
Bacteria in a toilet room could easily out-reproduce the tiny antibacterial effect of a single copper objet. Don’t worry, people. Our immune systems co-exist easily with the bacterial populations inhabiting our WC’s, assuming we use reasonable hygiene. And what many people do not seem to understand is that ordinary soap and detergents are quite effective anti-bacterial substances compared to germ-phobes’ copper trinkets and unnecessary alcohol/chlorine solutions.
Bunzilla 3 years ago
Oh, for sure, hand-washing with soap and water is the best way.... however... you're forgetting the fact that you have to then touch the door handle afterwards. And not everyone washes their hands. A copper sleeve could help, it's better than nothing!
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Slim 864 GVG 3 years ago
Plus, if your hands are filthy, the long handle gives you enough leverage ro open the door easily with your arm, so your hands never have to touch the handle.
Allison Riley 3 years ago
This is because of the oligodynamic effect a lot of metals have this although not still it's to refined. No one is still exactly sure how it works (possibly the metal ions affecting bacteria's protein mechanisms) , however some hospitals are using this with copper alloys like bronze or tin to cut down on hospital acquired infections. It's probably not more widely used because copper is expensive but a copper doorknob will disinfect itself in an hour or two. Silver also works like this, as well as zinc, gold and and some others. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodynamic_effect
Allison Riley 3 years ago
Although not still. God I wish I could edit this. I also meant copper alloys like bronze or brass not tin. Tin is its own element and it also exhibits this effect.
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Esme Weatherwax 3 years ago
As a copper alloy brass does the same thing. It's why all our door handles are brass.
Tiggy Darling 3 years ago
I believe these were tested in a hospital and they cut the infection by half.
Everyone can take part in helping solve the mysteries. However, if you do that, it’s best to provide a source to back up your claims. That helps filter out facts from opinions. On the flip side, those searching for answers ought to do their best to provide as much info and context about the object as they can. “Help those trying to help you. This will help to eliminate vague posts,” the r/whatisthisthing moderator team notes.
Meanwhile, members who get the answers they were looking for are encouraged to reply, ‘Solved!’ in their threads. They’re also reminded not to delete their posts after this. The idea is to slowly create a massive internet archive of answers. Deleting your posts can lead to a (temporary) ban.
#13
What Is This Growth On My Mugs After I Microwave Them?
Answer: Ceramicist here. So clay bodies are porous, depending on the material. Porcelain is dense, and earthware and stoneware is less. Either way liquids can move through fired clay. Glaze that goes on the outside can look solid, but can have hundreds of tiny cracks and holes. When you microwave liquids or just let them sit in a ceramic vessel they can seep through and crystallize in the cracks and holes. This usually only happens with hand made or cheap ceramics.
#14
Found At A Used Book Store. All Parts Rotate And The Markings/Months Makes Me Think It Could Be For Mapping?
Answer: An astrolabe, the ancient times GPS. Used usually for navigation, also for time measure and other science uses. I got one similar as a keyring.
🇳🇬 Asi Bassey 🇳🇬 3 years ago
I just feel like we should not forget how to use these older devices, slide rule especially.
Alan Christensen 3 years ago
When someone you don't want to deal with asks you a question, you can whip this out, fiddle with it for a while, pretend to study it thoughtfully, then give them them some BS reply. Then you're ready to begin a lucrative career as a consultant.
Happy Panda 3 years ago
I thought it's something that leads to a treasure spot or something :D
Steve Robert 3 years ago
It's a Little Annie Secret Decorder coin. On the reverse side it says Be sure to drink your Ovaltine!
#15
What Is This Hatch I've Seen On The Outside Of Houses In The UK?
Answer: It's a boot scraper, for getting the mud off your shoes before going in. They are pretty common.
beautiful plumage 3 years ago
not true! the fairy community has been monitoring bp for years! it's how theya akla287#%5sd;ljw. yep. it's a boot scraper. nothing more. move along.
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
Another one I knew. Only in old houses though. We had a few in my childhood neighbourhood. Too bad they aren't still installed.
One of the moderators running the subreddit previously told Bored Panda that there are a wide range of reasons why someone would want to become an amateur detective on the internet. For some, it’s the “thrill of the chase,” as people want to show off their talents and skills. Others, however, are drawn in by their curiosity.
“Many [people] have unique and obscure knowledge and they like to use it. Get enough of them together and they cover most things,” the mod said that this is a very extensive group of knowledgeable individuals. Less than 1 in 10 cases go unsolved on the sub. Most people get an answer within 15 minutes. These redditors are incredibly good at what they do.
#16
A Scissors Like Device I Bought Years Ago On Flee Market
Answer: It’s a vintage umbilical clamp. That’s why it’s shaped like a stork! Eventually this style did evolve into several types of embroidery scissors that the midwives would use while awaiting labor.
D. Pitbull 3 years ago
Oh. My. Gawd. THAT'S why all those embroidery/thread scissors are shaped like storks??? Dayam.
Well-Dressed Wolf 3 years ago
I have a pair that look exactly like this (sans the clamp part, of course) and I thought they were bird-shaped just for looks!
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Lena Flising 3 years ago
I was just about to say "That looks like my sowing scissors". Interesting to know where the imagery came from.
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 3 years ago
"may" have been. This feels made up. There are no real proof to it, other than heresay.
#17
Blue Glass Thing Found At Goodwill. About 5 Inches High With A Hole In Top
Answer: That is a whale oil lamp. Hand blown glass. Very odd blue color. Not cheap !
#18
Sliding Tray With Holes On Both Sides Of This Sofa
Answer: Tray table. It has another piece to it. It’s a tray with matching pegs. Tray goes on top and the pegs slide in. They fit together so the tray sits tightly. Then you take the tray back to the kitchen and put the sliding part back so it’s not in the way.
Fraxinus excelsior 3 years ago
But you just know that some doofus might stick their peepee in it and get it stuck,makes for an interesting call to a&e.
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Let’s Be Kind 3 years ago
Mid century modern, my favorite style. Nifty gadgets! Or Fred Flintstone’s tv remote.
#19
This Little Hole Appeared In My Parents' Bedroom
Answer: Was a kid. Shot my parent’s window with a bb gun once and got grounded for a month. Hole was exactly this.
Rachel Mion 3 years ago
Sometimes people shoot a bb through a window to see if house has security system before they rob it.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Also could be caused by a birds beak when it flies head first into the window. Have had this a few times. I would sit outside with a saucer of water and some dried mealworms and watch over them as they recovered so as cats wouldn't get them.
Gustav Gallifrey 3 years ago
Had one like that in my bedroom window. Came from a pebble squeezed out under the tyre of a passing car.
#20
This Is A Steel Wire Frame With Two Glass Marbles. It Was Found In An Old Garage Among Various Stuff. The Marbles Can Turn Inside The Frame
Answer: It's a razor blade sharpener.
BravePanda 3 years ago
I had no idea! I found one in my attic when I was a teenager, and was sad for the earlier generations of kids for having such boring toys.
Julie 3 years ago
I don't understand how glass that could turn with the blade would sharpen it.
Funhog 3 years ago
That's what I thought at first, too. Maybe it just removes the small pieces of rust that form on the razor blades..?
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Riley Quinn 3 years ago
This YouTube video shows how to use it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhoDQQvwgnc
#21
Thumb Protector Possibly, But For What? Found At A Yard Sale
Answer: Old timey fish monger/butcher thumb guard.
D. Pitbull 3 years ago
NOT the appendage I thought this went on. I... I need to go scrub my brain. I am so sorry.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Not really old timey, given that chainmail gloves and guards are still in common use by butchers today.
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I saw a butcher working once, and he had an entire chainmail glove!
Joshua Melchert 3 years ago
Also looks like it could be an old hand corn sheller/shucker, used to remove feed corn from the husk.
Satan Laughs 3 years ago
I was thinking it went a lot lower than that on a guy. Thank god for BP explaining things.
Heather Talma 2 years ago
I thought it was one of those things to get kids to stop sucking their thumb but I guess it's too big for a child's hand.
#22
These Little Specs On My Bed? Every Time I Dust Them Off, They Reappear Within 2 Hours And I Have No Idea How. They Just Kind Of… Spawn? It’s Really Grossing Me Out
Answer: The shape (slightly oblong) looks like termite frass (poop). It's likely they are eating the wood beams in your ceiling and have made a hole through the non-wood material of your ceiling to have a place to dump their poop. You should get the place inspected ASAP.
JoJo Anisko 3 years ago
A house we rented had termites. I knew because I could hear them chewing in the ceiling, but no one believed me until the sawdust poop started showing up.
Susan Bosse 3 years ago
I'm not sure if I'm more disturbed by the photo or the fact that they're sleeping directly on the mattress.
Pizzagirl 91 3 years ago
Maybe they took off the covers because of the "dirt" and then realised that the dirt came back.
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EP 3 years ago
Um, I’m more concerned with the level of stain on that mattress. It’s seriously disgusting BEFORE factoring in the pest poop particles. The bug poop might be the least gross thing happening to that mattress. Take care of your mattress! It’s a lot of fabric and material that doesn’t go in the washing machine… I just had to shake off the heabby geebys!
Anon822209 3 years ago
This is what waterproof mattress protectors are for. Mine has saved me a ton of aggravation. And disgust.
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#23
What Is This Thing Used For? A Book With Black Blank Pages Alternating With Thin Translucent Pages
Answer: Photo-Album. You stick paper photos on the black pages. The transparent pages are for protection.
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
I didn't realize young people wouldn't recognize this. Sigh.
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Catherine 3 years ago
As an 80s baby who remembers these from my childhood, this made me lol until I realized I'm getting old 😅😒
Tui Tasman 3 years ago
I know right, I was thinking "how can this be here?" and then I remembered I'm OLD
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Ali H M Salehuddin 3 years ago
I suspect this is more of a troll post. If he really do not know, he'll show the front cover too to provide more context. The front cover will have some wording "Album" or "Sweet memories" or "Our Big day" or something. He deliberately chosed not show it.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
These are still sold everywhere. Can't help but think this one's for a joke
Phil Green 3 years ago
Hahahahahah!! Even at a young 64 I feel like my time has finally come! Photo albums were stock family entertainment when Grandad and Grandma visited!
#24
What Is This Big Round Well-Type Thing In The Middle Of The Women’s Restroom? It’s In An Older Bathroom And It Doesn’t Seem To Have Any Water Running To Or From It… Just A Big Cylinder With A Drain In It
Answer: It's a sink. For washing your hands. You step on the ring to start the water.
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
They were very hygienic, they should have them back again, only your shoes touched anything so no cross contamination.
Marie Dahme 3 years ago
I remember we had one of these in my elementary school in 1983. Charles Lindbergh Elementary School in Dearborn Michigan. Wonder if it’s still there.
Geoffrey Scott 3 years ago
Supposed to be a short tower shower with that powdery soap dispenser. Must've been repurposed
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Brian Droste 3 years ago
I believe it is called a bird bath sink. Had a half one in a factory I worked in many years ago.
StrangeOne 3 years ago
I can smell this. Smells like fluoride. The last time I saw these was in Junior High. We had them in the hall, just outside the washrooms next to the office. I guess they really wanted to monitor our washroom time.
PolymathNecromancer 3 years ago
I used one every day in a factory I worked for a time in. I loved it. Wish they were more ubiquitous; very, very useful and user friendly.
D. Pitbull 3 years ago
... for some reason I feel like I saw a sink like this in one of the Harry Potter movies...
Amy S 3 years ago
You did. There is a similar (but more ornate) round sink in the bathroom that moaning myrtle haunts.
Load More Replies... #25
What Are These Sets Of Seven Dimples On Styrofoam?
Answer: While many plastic objects have little marks on them where the liquid plastic is injected into the mold, expanded polystyrene objects ("Styrofoam") aren't made this way. Instead, small granules of plastic are pre-treated with steam in a large hopper, which causes them to expand into little foam pellets. These foam pellets are poured into the mold, and then additional steam is injected in, causing the pellets to swell even more until they completely fill the mold. The little seven-dot marks are steam injection points.
#26
Found A Large Metallic Cylinder On The Beach Of Husavik, Iceland. What Is This?
Answer: Solved! We asked around and it turns out that these are submarine detectors, nothing to worry about, no explosive inside!
JB 3 years ago
But did you have to reset the numbers every 24 hours or the smoke monster would eat you (or whatever, that show made less sense with every episode)
Old Roadie 3 years ago
Long time ago, I was anti-submarine warfare electronics tech. I'd be giddy finding one of these on the beach. Mostly just found com helmets from ship crews.
#27
Small Plastic Pouch With Red Gel And A Metal Disc Inside
Answer: Hand warmer. You can "click" the metal piece and it will start a chemical reaction and heat the pad.
beautiful plumage 3 years ago
the great thing about this variety of hand warmer is that they're re-usable. most commonly available ones today are basically iron powder in a sealed filter-like bag. as the iron reacts with oxygen in the air, it rusts forming iron oxide. that process is exothermic--it gives off heat. to stop it if you want to use a pack later, seal it in a zip loc bag with as much air squeezed out as possible. but they're overall disposable and come wrapping in plastic packaging. the kind pictured here is a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate in a sturdy plastic bag. when you click the little metal disc it precipitates the formation of sodium acetate crystals to form throughout the solution. that process is exothermic. but unlike the iron powder kind, you can "reset" the reaction by just immersing the bag in a bowl or pot of really warm water. that will cause the crystals to go back to the liquid phase ready for another cold day of use.
John Topper 3 years ago
No idea why this got a negative vote, it's perfectly accurate.
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Lena Flising 3 years ago
I have a red heart-shaped one. I ought to put it into my handbag now during the cold season. It's of no use in my wardrobe...
DC 3 years ago
These are pretty common today ... ? They're great, but you can't store them crystalized! They will lack reliquidication performance afterwards, if. The only downside they have against those asbostos-lined coal ovens for your pocket is, if the heat is used up, you can't just refill. Any else - these are best!
Mary Jeffries 3 years ago
We have something similar in the hospital for warming veins for blood draws.
Purplescales 3 years ago
I had one and a coworker bent the disc instead of “ popping” it like you’re supposed to. And I was just a bit upset every time I saw my damaged piece because if I hadn’t offered it, if .I’d kept my excitement about these to myself it wouldn’t have been bent.
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
These are great! They fit in your trouserpockets as well, keeping the blood going through those major arteries nice and warm. Downside... They don't last very long, so you'll need a bunch of yours going to be outside a long time.
#28
What Is This Drain In Front Of The Door Of This House? Living In Snowborne Areas, I Never Saw A Drain Like That Anywhere. Anyone Know The Purpose?
Answer: To kick snow off your shoes.
juice 3 years ago
yes, i'd be worried every time i entered or left my house!
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Fajus Nedmen 3 years ago
There could be another reason for this. In situations where the door of a building sits at or slightly below grade, installing a drain - with a grate cover like this one - allows water and snow run-off to drain before entering the cracks around and under the door. It also keeps puddles from forming in front of the door.
Brian Droste 3 years ago
Could it also be to not let water or snow not seep under the door jamb?
kkathleen517 3 years ago
Dude, your cat is sitting outside in the cold and snow. Stop taking pictures and let your damn cat in.
#29
What Is This Thing? Several Surgical Instruments Were Found Nearby, But It Might Be Not Related To Them At All
Answer: It looks like it was a primitive tool used in the past to assist in birth. Yeouch. A bit of further googling tells me they were used to reduce the size of a babies head if it was too big to deliver, by drainage of the cerebrospinal fluid. Known as destructive delivery. Generally (I hope) for cases where the fetus is already non-living. Frightful.
Rebelliousslug 3 years ago
That is the most horrifying explanation I’ve ever read in one of these articles
Marla 3 years ago
It's an aquatic dueling spear used by seahorses, jellyfish and assorted smallish fish
Load More Replies... D. Pitbull 3 years ago
OMG. You... you just... deflated the head like a damn water balloon? AUUUGH.
Shana White 3 years ago
So lucky we have early screenings to detect this now...oh wait I forgot our rights have been taken away and we may have to go back to this...silly me!
Minakshi Pharswal 3 years ago
These posts are soon turning from fifty shades of grey to a horror movie
Brenda Leigh 3 years ago
Yeah, destructive delivery. The baby must be dead and Cesarian not an option. Still in use.
Daffydillz' Cold Contagious 3 years ago
The most shocking and disturbing thing I've seen yet on one of these posts. This one is trauma inducing.
#30
What Is This Silver Metal Thing With Narrow Bridge And Spoon Like End?
Answer: Ear cleaners, use them to scoop wax more common in eastern countries. Might be confused for a drug utensil by American police as they imagine people snorting the tiniest cocaine hit ever.
Dynein 3 years ago
I wonder if the last sentence was said from experience (of owning such a utensil while staying in the US)
Load More Replies... D. Pitbull 3 years ago
HAHAHA omg... I remember as a child my mom used these eenie-weenie ear cleaning spoons... I can only imagine if a cop busted in... what're they going to think? She's snorting out of her child's EAR? come on... there have got to be better storage places.
Burnt Bagel 3 years ago
American police will find a reason to call just about anything paraphernalia!
Well-Dressed Wolf 3 years ago
I use these to clean out my ear wax regularly. They work wonders.
WoodenLion 3 years ago
in 1976 mcdonalds came out with tiny spoon on the end of coffee stirrers - height of cocaine time as i was in florida and involved in it. didn't take long to pull them - they were fun though.
Margaret H 3 years ago
They're actually very useful for quilting - you can wax the quilting thread as you go. It makes sewing easier. But the idea of teeny tiny cocaine spoons is much more entertaining.
#31
What Is Using This Little Wooden House In My Garden?
Answer: It's for any of the solitary bees, like mason bees.
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I have a bee house a lot like that on my wall! Mostly it was settled in by wasps and spiders, but then this *is* Australia. Everything is spiders.
smugdruggler 3 years ago
The question, though, asked what is using it. Looks like leafcutter bees.
RafCo (he/him) 3 years ago
was about to say the same. very cool bees, super docile.
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Britches are for everyone 3 years ago
These are ultimately very bad for solitary bees because they can get moldy and introduce disease into the bee population. If you want solitary bees in your garden, leave a brush pile in the corner of the yard and don't disturb it. They will find places to live. Solitary bees in Minnesota are native and are pollinating superheroes, able to pollinate much more effectively than (non-native) honeybees.
Erin Eubanks 3 years ago
I've never understood these. Wood bees (mason bees) are aggressive. I don't want to attract those anywhere near my house. I'd anything I'd put it on the back edge of my property to lure them away.
Daffydillz' Cold Contagious 3 years ago
We have 3 bee houses similar to this at my home. They love it.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
Every preschool and school I've worked in has made one.
Load More Replies... kkathleen517 3 years ago
Oh my God I love this!!! I'm getting one!! Spiders and all kinds of little guys can make a lovely safe home for themselves, that's really cool.
#32
This Piece Of Brass And Possibly Lead Is Embedded In A Piece Of Planed Wood. It Has Been Sitting On A Shelf For Years And I Have No Idea What It May Have Been
Answer: That's a bullet. Someone shot it into a tree and cut it in half. The rough part of the wood is the bullet path.
Couldnt_find_a_decent_name 3 years ago
Ya a little snoot, ready for booping
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Edgar Rops 3 years ago
There are several beams with shrapnel inside in my house too. I buy from a local sawmill, there was intense fighting in my are during WW2.
T. Unnamable 3 years ago
I worked in a cabinet shop in South Carolina in the 60s. We often hit lead shot in the larger, thus from older trees, pieces of wood.
#33
What Is This Large Vessel I Found In The Basement Of An Old Psychiatric Hospital?
Answer: Looks like a great big autoclave.
Tuna Beach 3 years ago
.....which uses pressurized steam to kill bacteria. It's like a pressure cooker for sterilizing things.
Carol Emory 3 years ago
Should we be concerned that it looks like it can be opened from the inside as well at the outside?
Lihn Song 3 years ago
Same. Nothing good usually comes out of the basements of old psychiatric hospitals
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Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
Tattoo parlours use miniature ones to sterilise their equipment! In fact it's almost always in their advertising that they do autoclave sterilisation, to reassure customers it's safe. (You do NOT want an infected tattoo).
Jesus Ortiz 3 years ago
No, it's an autoclave. A sterilizer. It uses high pressure, heat, and humidity. It's pretty cool, since all laboratories, most hospitals, and other various places havethem.
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#34
Bunk Beds (?) In A Crawlspace Of A Home From 1959
Answer: Yep, bomb/fallout shelter. For 1959, effectively the same thing.
Jane Ellen 3 years ago
The term 'sleep tight' comes to mind. It's when to have a more firm sleep you have to tighten the straps of the bed holding the mattress.
#35
Older House 1960. Chimney But Opening Is On The Outside Not Inside ?
Answer: Looks like a chimney cleanout door.
RJ 3 years ago
Can Confirm. Chimney cleanout. Remember to sweep your chimneys regularly folks.
Caro Caro 3 years ago
Have one here on one of the chimneys. When we first bought the house we had it cleaned - it was FULL. I mean the sweeper had to get another vacuum there was so much..
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Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 3 years ago
1960s is "older?" My house is from 1902 and might just now be considered "older."
Pharmtechgurl 3 years ago
My fireplace has this. There's a "door" on the bottom of the fireplace that opens and you push the ash into it. Easy cleanup, the just empty the outside cleanout door
Carol Emory 3 years ago
There are many fireplaces where, to clean the ash out, you shovel it towards an opening to the side. Then you go outside and open the door and shovel it out to the garden or into an ash bin. My father had one on his chimney but didn't know what it was until a couple of decades later. Would have made it easier for us kids to clean the fireplace. His technique was shoveling the ashes into paper bags and then tossing them in the trash. Messy, messy job.
The Short Lady 3 years ago
We had a door like this on a chimney. After using the fireplace, we could get rid of the ashes through it.
Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago
We had one of those in our old house in West Seattle. I actually had to tell my Mom what it was since she only grew up with a woodstove. It was always kind of fun (?) to clean out the fireplace. We used the ashes in her AMAZING rose garden.
John McLeod VII 3 years ago
We had one in our chimney. There's a door in the floor at the back of the fireplace. Flip the inside door open. Shovel the ash into that door, close the inside door. Walk outside, open the outside door. Shovel out the ash. No chance of an ash spill in the house.
Wuggerhumphden 3 years ago
Get D**k Van Dyke round to have a look. Chim-chimeny, Chim-chimeny, chim, chim, cheroo...
#36
Signs On The Truck Say ‘Radioactive’. Metallic Dumbbell-Shaped Container
Answer: It's a radioactive waste transport cask.
Todd Campbell 3 years ago
We’ll never end up with the Teenage Mutant Turtles with that attitude!
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VeryDarkMatter 3 years ago
rumor has it, that they still drive around.. because nobody knows where to put this waste the next 10 million years
#37
Seen While Walking Down The Street. A Ziplock Bag Tacked Above A Door. Seems To Contain Water And A Few Pennies. What Could This Be For?
Answer: Homemade mosquito/fly deterrent. The light reflecting off the water and pennies is supposed to scare off pesky bugs.
Amy T 3 years ago
Wasps purposely seak out my husband, and mosquitoes carry nastiness and make you itch a lot.
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Kristie Yuill 3 years ago
This is one of those "life hacks" you see on Facebook and Youtube that is just click-bait.
#38
Piece Of Silver Found On Mustang Island Right Off Of The Gulf Of Mexico. It Was On The Beach
Answer: Definitely a coin. For a second there, I thought you hit the jackpot, too bad its just a replica.
Steve Robert 3 years ago
As a retired numismatist, it's either a very rare coin, if real, or a button.😁
Graham Berry 2 years ago
It is a replica coin. You can sometimes get them at sca/ren fair's and a couple of different museums. I personally found one at the bottom of a used washing machine once. It's still neet even if it not worth much.
#39
These Bakery Window Decorations From Kiki's Delivery Service
Answer: Knäckebröd. The movie's aesthetics is heavily inspired by a trip Miyazaki took to Sweden. Yes just to clarify its a Swedish/Scandinavian hard bread.
Panda Kicki 3 years ago
Usually you baked Knäckebröd in large quantities and hung them in the kitchen ceiling, to keep away from mice.
Emily Ducat 3 years ago
According to google Knäckebröd is a kind of cracker/savoury biscuits/crisp bread. I think it is very similar to Ryvita.
Elin Stenqvist 3 years ago
Knäckebröd is a staple food in Sweden. You can eat it as a single dish, with butter and toppings like for breakfast, or as a side dish for lunch or dinner. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispbread
Lena Flising 3 years ago
I've seen the movie several times (I even named our robot vacuum cleaner after Kiki), but I never noticed the knäckebröd in the window. Probably because they are not that exotic to me, being Swedish. Now I must watch the movie again soon, perhaps during the Christmas vacation...
Sue From Michigan 3 years ago
I grew up calling this "hardtack" it's still pretty easy to find in big round shapes around here IKEA carries it too.
#40
I Found This Odd Set Of Disposable Cutlery (?) In A New Flat I Just Moved Into
Answer: Yes, definitely cake or clay modeling.
mummy pig 3 years ago
did you lost it? may be in an old rental place or somethink???
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D. Pitbull 3 years ago
my gawd, I have this exact set. Very useful!!! I got them for making stuff with polymer clay... and I've used them mostly for everything except that.
Pedantic Panda 3 years ago
Not as fancy as clay modelling but got this exact set with my kid's playdo set.
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
Some of those look like items in my ceramic tool set, so yes, to clay or other malleable material.
#41
What Is This House In The Middle Of Ocean? This Was About A Mile Off The Coast Of Mobile Al When I Went On A Cruise
Answer: It's the Middle Bay Light.
Geoffrey Scott 3 years ago
Yeah, since Mobile is technically a deep water port, there are spots in the bay that are quite shallow
Rachel McManus 3 years ago
The Mobile Bay Middle Lighthouse, located in Mobile Bay, began operations on December 1, 1885, and Mobilians could observe a white light with red flashes every 30 seconds out in the bay. The facility was built on an iron undergirding, and both the tower and the hexagonal keeper's house it supported were patterned after lighthouses operating in Chesapeake Bay. The Mobile Bay Middle light used a Fourth Order lens, (The Fourth Order lens was used in major harbor lights which lead the mariner into the channel at the entrance of a harbor mouth).The lighthouse was automated in 1935 and deactivated in 1967. After decades of neglect, the lighthouse underwent almost $350,000 in renovations under the guidance of the Alabama Historical Commission. The original iron tower and light were replaced with a modest pole topped by a solar-powered red light.
David Gripon 3 years ago
You'd think putting an obstruction in.the middle of a bay would be hazardous. Regardless if it light up or not.
Ela 3 years ago
The obstruction already exists: a shallow point in the bay that deep-drafted ocean going ships, like those monstrous cargo ships and such, could be grounded on. The lighthouse sticking out of the water just warms them it is there so they avoid it
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kkathleen517 3 years ago
Well hello Alabama! Greetings from your neighbor in Georgia! 😊
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#42
Black Stone Object Found Buried In A Garden In Somerset, UK. Ornate Carving On Front, Uneven Scratch Marks On Back
Answer: The material appears to be “Whitby Jet”, a material that occurs on the Yorkshire coastline. It was made extremely popular by Queen Victoria as mourning jewelery but it has been used and carved by people in the Bronze Age, Roman era, Viking era etc.. to me it looks like a Victorian amateur carved plaque in Whitby Jet but could be an earlier thing. You can tell if it’s jet by rubbing it-it will retain a static charge and attract dust or lint.
Edit-just realized how small it is. Probably part of a bracelet or necklace from Victorian era.
NetworkMan 3 years ago
Whitby Jet is also still commonly sold, especially in, you guessed it, Whitby, a small-ish seaside town along the east coast of England. There is a few shops there that specilaze in Whitby Jet. Whitby Abbey was also the inspiration of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Worth a visit if you have never been.
#43
Witt I Found A Bunch Of These Small Red Cylinders Under My Couch. They're Filled With Cement Like Material Wrapped In Paper Similar To The Paper Crayons Are Wrapped In
Answer: That is a firecracker my dude! Watch your fingers!!
makennag104@gmail.com 3 years ago
I had a kid in my grade blow up three of his fingers with one of those I was in 5th grade
#44
Witt I Found At A Thrift Store? Compass, Clock (?) And Springloaded Slots
Answer: 80s car insert. Compass for use with maps Slots for holding coins for tolls. Ford or mazda is my guess.
CD King 3 years ago
It's funny, I was thinking "how can anyone not know what this is????" but then I realized, just like you, I'm old LOL!!
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TeaAndWhimsy 3 years ago
Omg i used to have one of these in my Mazda 323 - man i loved that car!
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
Damn. Another thing we actually still have in a drawer. Exactly the same but it just stuck on the dash, it didn't have a designated spot. No use now with different coinage and gps. Fun toy for kids is all.
Let’s Be Kind 3 years ago
And under the word “Quartz” was a digital clock display. Very modern and cool back then!
#45
Small Black Balls That Came Out Of My Cat’s Fur When Brushing
Answer: OK, hear me out, does the furminator brush yhat you have have a black handle with bumps and are some of those bumps missing? Because it looks like the grippy bumps on the handle of mine broken off...
Couldnt_find_a_decent_name 3 years ago
Is it though? I feel like there isn’t really an answer lol
Erin Hazard 3 years ago
If you zoom in, it does look like broken off little rubber nubs
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Dierdre Main 3 years ago
It looks like the rubber pellets from under artificial turf. We used to lie on a soccer field turf in the sun and we'd always get a few of these stuck to our hair. Does your cat have a space with artificial turf where he rolls around?
The danish woman 3 years ago
I got a rubber doormat, little "pearls" like that is falling off of it when I use it. Annoying as h...
#46
Thin Decorated Metal Plate, 7 Inches Long
Answer: From the catch tray for a Kuerig coffee maker.
Skullface VonHornhelm 3 years ago
The catch tray on mine can hold up to 8 ounces of liquid but is only useful if it is installed on the coffee machine and not still in the dishwasher from the last time I forgot to put a mug under the spout.
Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago
Hahahaha. I JUST cleaned ours so I recognized it immediately. We have the "Slim" version now, but when we had the full sized Kuerig, I wanted a K-Cup holder/stand. Happened to go to Goodwill and found one for $4.99 (US) because they had no idea what it was. Cheapest one I found on Amazon was $39.99. Score!
#47
Weird Symbols In Saskatchewan Taken From 21,000ft
Answer: Here’s your answer: Ducks Unlimited waterfowl habitat.
Jill Bussey 3 years ago
Just for fun, check out this Wikipedia link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines
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Alan Christensen 3 years ago
The idea of creating more duck habitat so you have more ducks to kill is rather sick to me.
Ela 3 years ago
Hunters are often big conservationists. It isn't exactly so you have more ducks to kill. It's that the destruction of the environment that supports wildlife directly and immediately impacts the hunter's way of life. Sport/trophy hunting makes little sense to me. But growing up I had a friend whose dad was disabled due to a chemical exposure in the military. Details unclear, even though my dad was exposed, too. They are good at keeping their secrets. Anyway, he and all his kids could shoot, and they lived on what they could hunt. Especially while the lawsuit was going on and they were fighting the military for compensation and that took over a decade. So, hunting to eat makes sense to me.
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#48
Hotel Room Bed Leg Has Red Flashing Light Coming From Rubber Piece…
Answer: There's a YouTube video that says it's a mesh bed bug detector. Video calls it Wirepas.
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago
Not a lot of action under the bed to record though
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#49
Paper-Wrapped Substance Inside Plastic Box Inside 60s Czech Military Bag
Answer: This looks like the soap that was used to prevent a gas mask from fogging up.
AJay 3 years ago
Does it work on glasses to stop them fogging up when you wear a mask with them? I had that problem a lot during the covid restrictions, I would go out shopping and be wiping my glasses often or I could not see.
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago
You can use regular bar soap for that, just buff gently till clear. Shaving cream works too.
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Allen Scherr 3 years ago
The soap also works on bathroom mirrors. After a steamy shower the mirror is not fogged up.
#50
I Was Watching A Remastered Clip Of Netherlands In 1919. What Are These Reflectors On Their Caps?
Answer: They're called 'oorijzers'. Started out as hat pins, became their own bit of pointless fashion.
Caro Caro 3 years ago
Initially, the ear iron was a metal bracket to hold the caps in place. It was worn over an under cap and a luxurious over cap was attached to it. Over time, the ear iron grew into a showpiece. Decorated gold plates or curls protruded from the front of the ear irons. Hat pins were used to attach the hood to the ear iron.
Jack Holt 3 years ago
Were they worn as a fashion item, with pride? Or was it a religious thing?
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Catananche 3 years ago
The 'oorijzers' also were an indication of marital status and/or wealth. For a video about two sisters who wore traditional clothing their entire lives and a detailed look at the oorijzers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSDWZyl4gQ8
Niels Veldhoven 3 years ago
There is a joke that say's the ladies could watch the sea and still keep an eye on the rivers..
#51
What Is This Thing? Someone Is Sticking Them To Walls And Doors Around The Office
Answer: Security check-in. When security roams the floor they use a device to scan the code to indicate they have patrolled the area.
Mystery Egg 3 years ago
They could have at least stuck it in straight. It’s annoying me being on the wonk
Mike Sanchez 3 years ago
I was a security guard and had to carry a giant Flava flave style clock with like a roll of receipt paper inside and I'd go around where there were keys on the wall that would make a mark on the tape when inserted in the clock. Back in the day!
#52
Friend Found Both Together While Diving At Makaha, Hawaii. Orange/Brown, Hard, And Looks Like They Have Layers
Answer: Mouth plates of some kind of fish, possibly pufferfish!
#53
There Are Two Of These Large Xs On Our West Texas USA Ranch. They Are Next To County Roads. There Are No Other Markings. Someone Came And Put Them In Earlier This Year Without Telling Us. They Are About 4 Feet Square. Thanks!
Answer: Aerial survey targets for photogrametry.
#54
Bought A Coat Dress From Vintage Store In North Eastern Us And Found Brown Powder Sewn Inside While Letting Out Seams. Haven’t Touched It But It Appears To Be Sewn Into The Entire Garment. Think The Coat Is From The 60s Or 70s
Answer: Some plastic/rubber foam where the polymers have broken down.
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
Yes, we had several old cushions I decided to recover and inside was a foam square deteriorating like that. Garbaged of course.
#55
Two Wires On Busy Suburban Street, Reappears At Fixed Intervals
Answer: Pneumatic traffic counter.
Kate Haslam 3 years ago
With the two-wire setup, it's also measuring average speed as well as number of cars.
Telepathetic 3 years ago (edited)
Not wires---: Pneumatic tubes (as noted) Tires cause a pulse of Air to register on a sensor Edit to add Were used to ring a bell to alert the gas station of a waiting Fill-up (WAY back in the day LOL)
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Measures numbers and calculates average speed based upon how long it takes for the wheel to pass over the wires. It's used to monitor and see if the location should install traffic calming measures.
Carol Emory 3 years ago
When you see these on a road, chances are, a traffic light will be going in soon.
Geoffrey Scott 3 years ago
Or counting traffic to see if a class a road is warranted(paved shoulder county road). did this on our road...not enough traffic, narrower lanes
Load More Replies... Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
Featured in an episode of Corner Gas. Fitzy wanted to put a traffic light in, due to the increase in traffic.
#56
What Is The Small White Plastic Tube, It Has A "Lot" Number Stamped On The End And Unscrews To A Smaller White Tube Inside. The Inner Tube Smells Minty But Does Not Open Further
Answer: An "inhaler". It's supposed to smell strongly of mint and menthol or eucalyptus, and open blocked nasal passages.
Minakshi Pharswal 3 years ago
Is this inhaler that uncommon? I used to have these as a kid, still available though. I like having the one with keychain attached to it.
TeaAndWhimsy 3 years ago
I still use these! Though I understand they are now banned in some countries, Japan if memories serves.
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Rebelliousslug 3 years ago (edited)
Popular among people with colds and ravers from the early 2000’s
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I have one of those right here next to me! They're great for a quick nose clearer when you've got a cold or whatever. This one has had the distinctive blue Vick's label removed.
DuchessDegu 3 years ago
I had mild asthma when I was much younger, and those helped, so I carried one in my bag all the time, just like this one, with the label removed. Once, during lunch, one of the popular girls took it out of my bag (it was open to be fair) and went around shouting to the whole restaurant I had a "vibrator". I smacked it out of her hand while one of my friends said to her "you'll be in a world of pain if you can't tell an inhaler from a vibrator!" We actually became friends the next school years so we laughed about it!
#57
The Liquid Rises When You Hold The Bottom. We Don't Know Where It Came From. Supposedly It Measures Blood Pressure But Idk
Answer: It is just a toy or a demonstration of a liquid with a very low boiling point.
Pedantic Panda 3 years ago (edited)
Got one of these as a physics gift. Liquid didn't actually boil but expands slightly due to the heat of your hand causing it to rise up through the glass. Same effect then causes the air to expand and bubble up through the liquid giving the effect of boiling.
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
To me, this looks a lot like a thunder glass. The operation is simple and precise. The air pressure raises or lowers the water in the spout. When the air pressure rises in good weather, it pushes the liquid in the spout downwards. If the air pressure drops extremely, such as during an approaching storm, the water sometimes rises so far that it drips from the spout.
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago
I had one of these growing up, inhad completely forgotten about it!
Phil Green 3 years ago
These were popular in the 70s when I lived in Germany. The liquid warms up and fills the top bubble.
#58
Made Of Metal About 5 Inches Long
Answer: It’s more accurately a cobbler’s shoe anvil for repair. They come in different sizes and fit onto a stand interchangeably.
Timothy Peterson 3 years ago
A last is for shaping the shoe - they were usually wooden and shaped like a shoe. This is an anvil for setting the nails holding the sole and heel on.
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#59
What Is This Thing? An Inflated Plastic Bag Sticking Out Of The Window Of One Of The Houses On My Street
Answer: It's a positive pressure vent. It's used when mold is being remediated. When demo of the affected area is being done, it causes dust with mold spores in them. The tube is hooked up to an air scrubber machine and that tube sticking out is the machines exhaust.
Carol Emory 3 years ago
We had to have one of these in our master bathroom at our apartment when the third floor sprung a leak and rained water down on us flooding our bathroom. They opened up the ceiling, hooked up a dryer unit, then followed it with one of these to make sure no spores were growing. Nothing worse than mold and mildew inside a wall.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
I only recognised this because one of the schools I worked at recently had one (and a hole cut out of the floor, with plastic all around it) because of mould in their flooring. Thankfully the school is set to get upgraded buildings via government grants asap!
#60
Small Pointy Curved Metal Attached To Bicycle Frame, Point Facing Front Of Bike
Answer: That is to hold an air pump. There should be another one on the opposite side.
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
We all had those on our bikes once upon a time. Included with the bike. Have a slow puncture in the back of beyond you could get home to fix your inner tire with enough stops to pump it up. This thread is becoming a history lesson. I wouldn't mind but it makes me historical knowing this stuff.😎
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
Lol, I hear you! I keep thinking with a lot of items "Why is this a question?" Then I realize I'm my parents age when I was at the age of learning all those things 😁
Load More Replies... Phil Green 3 years ago
One day, years hence, someone is going to post on a future BP a picture of the lugs on an old mountain bike frame that held a water bottle cage!
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
Am I really this old or are some people just so young they haven't seen these? I'm guessing I'm getting old 🤣
#61
A House Warming Gift. It's Half Wood, Half Marble, Two Semi Circle Dips, Mini Spoon. What The Heck Is It?
Answer: It's salt & pepper "pinch pot".
Boris’ Mom 3 years ago
Why is half wood and the other half porcelain? Which side does the salt or pepper go on and why?
#62
At An Airbnb In A Beach Town On East Coast, Us. Kitchen Island Has These “Indents” With A Handle? Seems Like Repurposed Wood But Curious If There Is A Purpose In The Kitchen Or Just A Design?
Answer: It was part of a hatch door, on a barn or a ship.
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago
Oooh, I knew this one! Growing up my good friends had an old shop door for their coffee table, it was thee coolest!
#63
What Is The Red Pointy Plastic Used For? I Can’t Get A Straight Answer
Answer: It's for opening old style, push tab style cans... so you don't cut your finger.
Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago
Hey, I have that exact one! Used for opening paint cans years ago so it's beat up but recognisable.
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
You had to make another hole on the other side of the can so air could get in.
Noyfb noyfb 3 years ago
Love the doggo’s expression. Looks like you asked the pup, who could only answer, “Sorry, hooman. I don’t have a clue.”
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 3 years ago
omg. Sudden remembrance of these cans! I'd completely forgotten they existed. ha ha
#64
What Are These Small White Boxes Around The Base Of Our Bed At The Excalibur Hotel?
Answer: Bedbug monitors that they monitor remotely.
KAM 3 years ago
Count yourself very lucky. I got them by using a furniture movers when moving house in Wellington.. knew straight away as first came across them - aka bitten - at a 5 star hotel in Paris a decade ago. Yes they're here. Yes they're in Scotland. They're tiny and will make your life super super stressful!!! As a last resort before forking out hundreds for a fumigator, I tried diatomaceous earth (helpful tip for anyone going through this nightmare). Cheap, natural, easy and takes them out. Honestly such a stressful situation. They eff with your head as well - Aby tiny itch and youre stripping your bed or trou looking for one. Never found a live one. They're quick, small and horrid. Be careful when buying second hand furniture esp and as was in my case (I strongly suspect), the protection covers that removers use to protect your bed etc. Obviously due to the length of this rant you can tell how much they messed with me (and cost $$$$$$). diatomaceous earth - for anyone dealing with them.
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Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
So the bedbugs were in prison? They must have gotten early release due to COVID.
Purplescales 3 years ago
If you mean the sudden population explosion it’s because the pesticides that were in use the last time a big wave of bedbugs swept the world were really strong like kill everything to moonscape level of life and then they got banned and they wore off boom bedbug population explosion again
Load More Replies... #65
Recently Moved Into A Older House, There Are 2 Of These "Outlets" In The House With This Weird Device Behind Them, What Is This Thing?
Answer: I would say motion sensor for an alarm system the two placed should be directly across from each othe to make an electronic trip indication.
#66
Pyrex Globe With Ceramic. Found By A Relative This Morning
Answer: Glass Toilet Tank Float.
DuchessDegu 3 years ago
Oh my mum had one of those! Looks so weird but when you know what's for makes perfect sense
Load More Replies... Daffydillz' Cold Contagious 3 years ago
This is a circa 1890 to 1910 Pyrex number 4 glass water closet (toilet) float. They only have a value of about $75-$100 if someone is interested in them. They are hand blown, which I thought was interesting.
#67
Plugged In And Secured With A Screw In My Airbnb (USA)
Answer: It is a NoiseAware party detector.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Airbnb offers discounts on noise detection devices, because some people rent rooms or houses for a party and leave them a destroyed mess or nick stuff. All they do is detect loud sustained noise and message the owner, they cannot record, so are not privacy intrusive.
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DC 3 years ago
Screwed to the outlet ... I don't know if this is supposed to be done, but in an area that not only the owners/inhabitants - bearer of the right of house - use, it may violate safety regulations. I would most certainly not do this, and I'm fine with a lot of violations that prohibit things that only impose danger under certain circumstances, in the cases I can rule them out and I am the only one doing any maintainance, therefore know what and what not to.
Adam Jeff 3 years ago
There is already a screw in that position to hold the outlet cover in place. Unscrewing that screw and reusing the same screw to hold the device in is probably OK. Definitely do not just randomly screw into the outlet.
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#68
Heavy (Brass?) Part. Discovered In The Belongings Of A Wwii Veteran. Can Rotate And Unscrew Parts, As Displayed
Answer: It's an artillery fuze.
#69
What Could This Be? It's Made Of Wood And Contains A Wheel Full Of Sharp Spikes. I'm Thinking A Grinder, But What Could It Grind?
Answer: Cheese grater.
Mia Black 3 years ago
It reminds me of a "drum carder", but is actually a fancy cheese grinder sold by an Italian Company called TWERGI
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Kevin Humble 3 years ago
I've seen two paddles with spikes like that as part of the process to comb sheep sheerings into wool. Could this be an automated device to do the same?
#70
Almost Looks Like A Fridge With A Seat In It, And An Opening For Your Head?? About 4 Or 5 Feet Tall I Think
Answer: Personal sauna.
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
One appeared in that episode of Futurama where Dr Zoidberg goes mating crazy and trashes the gym! There's a guy in there with just his head poking out, and Amy Wong tries flirting with him.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
There was a video game I used to play, like diner dash but set in a hospital (don't remember name) and this was one of the 'therapies' for patients.
#71
~10” Long, Ball Comes Off, Tool Or Part
Answer: Yep, hip replacement.
Sandy D 3 years ago
The spike end gets jammed into your femur! I know because I watched an entire hip replacement video just before I had my hip replacement done. It's s pretty brutal procedure. Thankfully I was not awake when they installed mine
Mary Jeffries 3 years ago
Ortho docs are usually pretty fit. I think they need to be to ram these in place.
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Exquisite Spam 3 years ago
There should be a number or code etched into it. You can potentially look up who owned it.
#72
Guy Wearing This Ankle Thing At A Vacation Resort In The Caribbean… What Is This Thing?
Answer: For mosquitoes as a repellent.
#73
Found In Remote Northern Alaska, Machined Metal With Hoses And Wires Running Through The Center
Answer: It's literally a segment of the rocket.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
The rocket being part of one of the two rockets used in the Clemson research project.
#74
My Dishwasher Wasn’t Working And The Repair Person Pulled Out This Substance From The Filters. It Was A Little Soft And Malleable When He First Pulled It Out. Now It’s Getting Hard As It Dries. He Accused Me Of Putting Paper Towels In With My Dirty Dishes Which I Do Not Do
Answer: Labels on items can disintegrate and wind up here. Surprising that he went straight to paper towels.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Yep, if you don't get all the label off a jar you're reusing, does this. Those labels are a pest to get off.
LK 3 years ago
Run a hair dryer across the glued section of the label. This will soften the glue and allow you to remove the label.
Load More Replies... DC 3 years ago
Labels caught there usually still look like labels ... I clean them out every time I wash something with it still on, as putting them into the machine is easier than peeling off myself, and as I know where I find them afterwards and take them out, I don't mind them being there - I don't throw in hundreds at a time, so it can't get clogged on the amount I throw in...
Alan Christensen 3 years ago
Looks like shredded chicken that has been repeatedly washed and heated.
#75
Found On The Grass In A Suburban Business Park. Lightweight Like Paper Or Dried Mud, Crumbles Easily, Yet Holds Its Shape In Water. Square Holes Run All The Way Through To The Other Side
Answer: Inside Part of a catalytic converter.
Vanessa Richardson 3 years ago
From the interwebs: “ It is important for the catalyst materials to have the most surface area possible. That is why a honeycomb design is used for the catalyst converter. A lot of people compare the converter to a honeycomb because of its many tiny passageways. This honeycomb is constructed from a ceramic-based composite and lots of precious metals.”
Couldnt_find_a_decent_name 3 years ago
Nope we get an inferior little penny
Load More Replies... DC 3 years ago
This may also be part of a soot trap, but these are often combined with a catalytic surface. The square channels would then be closed on entry end or outlet end, each on one end, forcing the exhaust gas through the walls, that then act as a filtering element, catching soot. But, the size of the holes here indicates it rather is only a cat, likely a common threeway as used on gasoline engines with external mixture, or older direct injection engines. The soot from DI gas engines is a lot finer than from DI Diesel or even bychamber Diesel, therefore, they need more surface area of the channels, here acting as flow area, to catch the soot sufficiently and not have it clogged too soon. Those are, as of today, not only stolen for monetary interest, but also to cook some drug in third world countries ... one that really fracks up your brain.
#76
This Gold Arched Decoration With A Crystal In The Middle. Wife Found It At A Goodwill And I Feel Like It Has Religious Backgrounds
Answer: It's a "New Age" crystal energy piece. The center "pendulum" crystal came from an antique electric table lamp (It is right behind me...I'll post a pic). It's been worked and ground down to have those curves (likely done with a Dremel tool. The rest of it is bits and pieces from candle holders or incense/oil burners.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
I'd be careful with it near a window - glass or crystal with sunlight hitting it can track a hot beam inside that can set fabrics and furniture on fire.
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I own a beautiful clear polished orb of volcanic glass, and one hot day the sun hit it just right and it left a small burn mark on my desk! I'm lucky it didn't go any further, because there was a lot of paper on that desk. D:
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CHRIS DOMRES 3 years ago
New Agers believe that crystals produce healing energy, which is nonsense. They require external forces and then react, like pressure can produce electricity with the piezo effect on some crystals, and then refraction of light which requires the sun's energy to produce a hot concentrated beam of light, light a magnifying glass.
soakingwetbread 3 years ago
i think that if people beleive that crystals can make them happier or use them for non medical reasons then the placebo effect could kick in and they shouldnt be ridiculed for it. but the people who use crystals for healing cancer or smthn are crazy
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#77
I Just Noticed Some Very Fresh Feeling Marks On My Front Door… I Moved In A Month Ago And I’m 90% Certain They’re New Since Then
Answer: It's def sap or glue being compressed out of the door as it expands/retracts.
#78
Does Anyone Know What This Is? We Found It In Our Airbnb, It Is Heavy, Carpeted, And Has Two Inflexible Wooden Posts
Answer: That is a stool designed to look like a camel saddle. It's a fairly common design motif.
VonBlade 3 years ago
I still don't understand why people book in to an AirBnB purely to go through all the draws and cupboards. I thought they were for sleeping in *shrugs*
Vanessa Richardson 3 years ago
Aside from the pure speculation on your part, this is a piece of furniture in the middle of the room?
Load More Replies... #79
Rusted Metal Sphere Found Buried In Beach In Sligo, Ireland. It Seems To Be Around 2-3 Meters Wide. Nothing Is Written On It, And No Electronics As Far As I Know
Answer: This page identifies it as a marine buoy.
#80
Little Fence Piece Jutting Out On Bridge, I See These Everywhere In The Midwest
Answer: It's so people can't climb on that side of the fence easily or commit suicide.
David A Paterson 3 years ago
It's for stopping the fun of climbing on the outside of the bridge.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
In our city, it's to stop people from dropping objects onto cars passing underneath.
#81
Antenna Like Thing Found In A Back Yard Near A Golf Course?
Answer: That is a ham radio loop antenna made in Italy by Ciro Mazzoni company. It's quite an expensive antenna, around $2000.00 USD. There is an antenna rotator located below the antenna.
Todd Campbell 3 years ago
Yes. They do and it requires an operating license. And if you misuse it other ham operators will find you at your house and shut you down. Too weird for me.
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I'm.Just.A.Girl 3 years ago (edited)
Oh yes, I have a good friend who uses ham radio. He has so much equipment and it is a huge part of his life. He has several friends on there and they help each other out and hang out irl all the time.
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
Recognized it immediately! My SO is a fervent listener of ham radio, plus world radio frequencies. He builds his own loop antennas to catch signals from all over the world. Good thing we have football field seized gardens because with those antennas it's like tattoos, you don't have just one 😁
#82
It's Just A Little Cage With A Sphere, 3-4cm. I Don't Know If It's Use To Clean Something Or To Avoid Bubbles In Hot Liquids, Like Milk Or What, Can You Help Me ?
Answer: It goes inside a whisk.
Alex Boyd 3 years ago
Yeah, my grandma's cat had one just like this, with a bell inside. Could be that the cat toy was based on a kitchen item, I guess?
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Wubbleyew 3 years ago
Goes inside a whisk? Colour me confused. Looks like the shaker bit from a protein shake bottle
Connie Martin 3 years ago
Yeah, this was a s**t answer. Either it's the business end of a whisk with the handle missing, or it's something completely different. I've never seen a whisk with a ball in it. I wish BP weren't so sloppy.
Load More Replies... Pharmtechgurl 3 years ago
Maybe to be used when mixing protein powder; you put it inside the vessel with the powder and liquid, shake it and it mixes it.
#83
Groove In Granite Countertop Next To Cooktop
Answer: Just searched the very specific "egg groove on countertop" and it is indeed a thing.
DonnerDinnerParty 3 years ago (edited)
But why? Edit: Just Googled it and it is intended to temporarily store room temperature eggs until ready to use
Purplescales 3 years ago
I get that the egg groove is it’s name but would it have killed the author to just say it keeps eggs from rolling off the counter?
#84
Found While Cleaning The Couch, No One Knows Where It Came From. Noted It Says “Credit Swish”, Not Swiss. Back Side Is Blank. It’s Metal But *probably* Not Gold
Answer: It's a longshot, but it might be a promotional trinket from Swish, which is a mobile payment system, like Venmo, in Sweden.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Curtain weight. Swish sold them with their pull cord curtain rails and these were put in the hem at the bottom of the curtains.
Connie Martin 3 years ago
Too small I think, and why would a curtain weight have this writing on it?
Load More Replies... #85
Bought A Purse At An Estate Sale. It Was Filled With These Small Cylindrical Metal Pellets. One End Of A Pellet Is Wider With An Indentation In The Center, And The Other End Is Narrower With A Hole In The Center
Answer: The are primers for shotgun shells, the part that the firing pin hits to set off the charge. All the ones I see are spent (they have a divot in the one side), so they are not dangerous.
D. Pitbull 3 years ago
Worryingly enough... I recognized what these were... even though I've never handled any sort of firearm... because I watch WAY too many Forensic File type shows.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
I recognize these as my uncle uses them in his gun as blanks whenever he performed at wild west shows
#86
Aside From It Obviously Being A Hammer, What Is This Extra Bit For?
Answer: Straightening 2x4s during framing.
RJ 3 years ago
In case anyone needs more clarity: Imagine a 2x4 that is twisted. You nail one end in place and then position the twisted 2x4 in between the claw of the hammer and that metal bit near where you want to put your next nail and twist it into position. Then continue down the board, twisting and nailing. You'd probably use a few extra nails on that one board to keep things square (-ish).
#87
We Found This Metal Detecting. I Believe It Is Thin Brass, About 3 To Four Inches Long. It Seems Too Thin To Be A Belt Buckle. Definitely Stamped
Answer: If its real, that is the front of a Union belt buckle. Maybe the back is nearby.
#88
What Are These Glass Things Attached To The Ceiling? They're All Over The House By The Windows. House Was Built Between 2010-2015
Answer: It prevents another sprinkler from getting wet, which would prevent its activation.
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
Looks like it is preventing the light from getting hit by the sprinkler
#89
Long Tool With A Metal Dial On The Top That You Can Twist. Possibly Related To Calligraphy Or Type Setting
Answer: It's a drafting pen.
Chiara Lago 3 years ago
It's also called a ruling pen. I used one when I was a production artist when creating mechanicals to create crop marks before computers. I now use mine to create straight lines using masking fluid when I paint with watercolors
Alan Christensen 3 years ago
I had a whole set of these, including compasses.
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Carol Emory 3 years ago (edited)
When doing drafting, you may use different graphite to make markings on the paper. This allows you to switch the graphite and keep it sharp by allowing you to remove them and sharpen them on sand paper. Used them in Middle School drafting class a long long time ago.
#90
Wooden Block With What Looks Like An Aux Chord Coming Out. Found In My Hotel Room In Rome, There Are Four Of Them In The Room Next To The Beds
Answer: Uncle Jimmy installed a "headphone distribution amplifier" or whatever his jerry-rigged version of one was. The wood hemisphere is just covering the hole for the cable pull. The hook at the top would hold the headphones. Watch TV without disturbing other guests, I guess.
#91
What Is This Wooden Contraption Sitting On The Ledge Of A Second Story Apartment Window?
Answer: It's a crow/bird trainer/feeder.
Dynein 3 years ago
Looked at the original reddit thread, and, while this is certainly the top answer, it's apparently *not* the answer. The answer accepted by OP is "stevenson screen" - something to protect weather measuring instruments from sunlight and rain. They look like stacked cups and buckets and this might well be a very basic DIY version.
rodger coghlan 3 years ago
I want one! I am trying to recruit some crows to be my henchmen - so far I have about 7 hanging around my balcony waiting for more peanuts
Ent Hugger 3 years ago
lol same! they've started showing up to my office and hanging in the trees EVERY afternoon... my co-worker was like "why??" when he caught me feeding them... to do my bidding, duh! totally gonna try this lol
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SaneMinotaur (she/her) 3 years ago
Not sure how it works, but the point of it is to befriend crows. They are very smart birds, and can be very valuable to have around. I've read articles about crows literally guarding people and chasing away unwanted guests.
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#92
I Found This Soviet Device In The Balkans. It’s 130 Kg, About A Meter Long And Made In 1963. Looks To Be Some Sort Of Telescope/Spotlight. Any More Information Would Be Appreciated
Answer: It's a Soviet made collimator from 1963 with rudimentary night sight.
BravePanda 3 years ago
col·li·ma·tor /ˈkäləˌmādər/ noun a device for producing a parallel beam of rays or radiation.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
Egon: Don’t cross the [b]eams. Peter: Why? Egon: It would be bad. Peter: I’m fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean “bad”? Egon: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. Raymond: Total protonic reversal. Peter: That’s bad. Okay. Alright, important safety tip, thanks Egon. (Only one word changed from the original.)
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#93
Came Across This Cleaning Today, Its About 1” Tall Maybe The Same In Diameter, Made Of Plastic, Has Holes All Throughout And Looks Like It Has Grooves To Stick Into Something, Does Anyone Know?
Answer: That's half a chastity cage.
You Should Do Nothing with the Fence 3 years ago
Kind of looks like a bobbin case for a sewing machine?
Coyote Osborne 3 years ago
That is the part from a sewing machine that goes over the bobbin under the needle.
Goth Mouse (he/they) 3 years ago
I dont think i want to know but… why is someone putting their d!ck in a tiny cage??? Its attached to u its not going anywhere 😳
Chucky Cheezburger 3 years ago
Some folks find pleasure in pain and discipline.
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KombatBunni 3 years ago
It should have a ring base and a lock to hold it together. It’s also known as a sissy cage..you don’t want to know how I know 🤦🏻♀️
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#94
Robot Drove Itself Down The Sidewalk From The Corner, Then Docked At This House. No Visible Operator, And The House Seems To Have More Units In The Garage
Answer: Solved. I’m just going to give credit here, as this is the closest one. I agree that it seems not to be a commercially available robot and is probably made/developed by the homeowner.
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
I would befriend this neighbor, as they are probably an intelligent nerdy type.
Passerby 3 years ago
And maybe they will spare your life when their army of robots inevitably rule the world.
Load More Replies... Daffydillz' Cold Contagious 3 years ago
Building his robot army to take over the world, hahaha.
#95
Small Red Flippable Plates Outside Windows In Montreal, Canada
Answer: It is exactly a survey prism. They use them to locate exact locations/elevations for upcoming construction projects (i.e. the new wall needs to be exactly 4 feet off of this wall, but the new wall being built is down the street). They can also be used to measure movement over time, if they leave the prism there for a while it is more than likely measuring the building settling (or even moving horizontally).
#96
Around 1m High Made Of Glass, Probably Originated From A Rafinery Or A Power Plant Before The 90s
Answer: Mercury arc rectifier.
BravePanda 3 years ago
"A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction. The reverse operation is performed by the inverter." Wikipedia
Connie Martin 3 years ago
"Rafinery"?? Really, BP? Anybody there have even rudimentary English spelling and grammar skills? Or SPELLCHECK MAYBE?
Dillon Brown 3 years ago (edited)
That's not very nice. If you get five downvotes you will get banned by the BP. Just an FYI 🤗 I have you an upvote in an effort to prevent ur banning but pweas be more careful!
Load More Replies... #97
What Are These Little Ornate Houses Outside Greek Houses? Spotted In Santorini
Answer: I believe that particular one is a shrine to Saint Raphael, patron saint of various things including healing. Raphael was the Abbot of a monastery in Karyes and was martyred by the Ottomans in the 15th century.
Todd Campbell 3 years ago
Everyone thinks of gods as big, but Greek Gods and Godesses are teeny tiny people with big egos. These are their homes.
#98
What Is This Dried Black/Grey Ooze Showing Up In A Neighbors Field? Amount Seems To Be Increasing The Past Few Days
Answer: Treated wastewater sludge. Land application is a common method of treatment/disposal.
Lyone Fein 3 years ago (edited)
Yuck. If that is coming from underground, some corporation needs to be held accountable.
Chucky Cheezburger 3 years ago
More than likely it's from the municipal water treatment plant. If it's what I think it is, this is what comes put of the water that goes to folks homes.
Load More Replies... #99
What Are These Markings Found In A Field On Google Maps?
Answer: Usually these are surveying trenches used to check if there is anything archeologically significant under a field before developers come in and build houses. If they find something then they dig extra trenches before deciding if it's worth a full dig.
Esme Weatherwax 3 years ago
I love WM designs. The pomegranate eater is my favourite
Load More Replies... #100
What Is This Black Stuff That Keeps Appearing On All My White Containers?
Answer: Airborne dirt is sticking to the oil from your hands and as a result, your fingerprints are showing up.
#101
What Is This Thing I've Seen Attached On The Back Of This Toyota? Appears To Have Some Lasers Or Lidar System
Answer: My conclusion is it's a mobile direction-finding system, most likely used by a government or military agency, for locating unlicensed or otherwise problematic radio transmitters.
David A Paterson 3 years ago
It looks like a storm chaser to me. For measuring wind speeds, humidity and detecting lightning. I could be wrong.
SaneMinotaur (she/her) 3 years ago
That was also my first thought. I watched Twister :D
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Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
According to my SO, it looks like an amateur radio antenna mast plus satellite dish. But it could also be from a government agency doing the same.... But, he could be wrong 😉
#102
Large Gray Plastic Dial With Aa Battery On Top, Worn By Older Man Around Neck Like A Necklace. He Had Normal Behind-The-Ear Hearing Aids Which Didn’t Seem Related. Saw Him Turn The Dial ~4 Times Over Couple Of Hours. Didn’t Want To Be Rude & Take A Pic, So There's Just A Masterful Sketch Done By Me
Answer: Check out T loop receivers. They do a wide range of them but a image search may turn it up. In this case likely the sennheiser infrared hearing system?
#103
My New Neighbors Just Put This Out On Their Back Patio, The Coaxial Connect For The House Is Right Inside The Door. I Am Guessing This Is Some Kind Of WiFi Extender?
Answer: It looks like an RTL SDR antenna. SDR is software defined radio and is used for picking up a wide range of radio frequencies. Sometimes ADSB airline signals an many others.
Dillon Brown 3 years ago
🤷🏻 I feel like an effort was made to describe what it was but I didn't feel like I learned anything 🤷🏻
#104
Found These In A Bin In My Backyard After Doing Some Yard Clean Up. They Are Metal And Round On One Side. Approximately 2” Diameter By 4” Long. On The Flat Side There Are Six Circles
Answer: While these are 40mm practice rounds, they aren’t for the 203 or 320. These are for mk19’s. The length and bases are different. Fun fact, the mk19 practice rounds also don’t disperse chalk.
OmBoyGanesh 3 years ago
How does one have a back yard with this and not know? Is it a massive back yard or was it once a junk yard???
#105
Around 2' 10" Long. Looks Handmade, Entirely Out Of Metal. No Markings And Nothing Found On Google
Answer: Campfire roastery accoutrements; marshmallows, hotdogs, rabbit parts, etc. over open flame.
D. Pitbull 3 years ago
Soo... you can now have a fencing match with your toasted marshmallows!
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Have at you, you white sticky blaggard! So, you want s'more do you?
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#106
My Friend Has Found A Bunch Of These Weird Little Plastic Things While Cleaning Up The Beaches In Maine. We Have No Clue What They Are And We Aren’t Having Much Luck With Google, Does Anyone Know?
Answer: They are Evolution Aqua K1 Filter media. For pond/koi filters.
Gionanna 3 years ago
They're also used to purify tap water so it can be drunk (though I've seen larger ones) but sometimes something in plants break and they end up in the ocean
Load More Replies... Exquisite Spam 3 years ago
This turned up in the news in the UK recently. They're media from a sewerage treatment system. The system was overloaded and the media got flushed out to sea with the poops.
#107
Small Metal Object, Flattened On End Like It Landed On Concrete At High Speed, Found On Sidewalk
Answer: Definitely a bullet. The grooves from the barrel's rifling give it away. I suspect it's no bigger than a 9 mm.
Dillon Brown 3 years ago
Yikes, what goes up must come down! That's why you don't fire straight up in the air people!
#108
These Two Things Floated To The Ground Just After A Large Plane Passed Low Over My House. They're Gritty And Rubbery, Almost Like Dried Paint. They Also Have A Strong Overly Sweet Smell
Answer: Reminds me of the flame retardant powder they have big planes fly over fires and drop, maybe a congealed chunk of it.
#109
What Is This "Brain Sensor" Iga Swiatek Used Before Her Semifinal Match?
Answer: Apparently, her psychologist is an important part of her success. Monitoring her brain and heart activity to guage her stress levels is part of this.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
This one, connected to the forehead only, reads the person's drowsiness levels. Had this one done a few times. There can be up to 32-35 sensors connected and reading the electrical impulses of the brain at once. Had it done twice
#110
North Texas - Crossbow Bolt? What Weapon Fires This?
Answer: Looks like a blowgun dart missing the round plastic end.
Casey Fenstra 3 years ago
Not a blow gun dart, they arnt shaped like arrows more like really thick needles. This look like it could be for a hand crossbow if it had the end part.
#111
Massive Ring Gear On Semi, Maybe 12ft Dia
Answer: That's a ring gear for a rotary dryer.
David A Paterson 3 years ago
It's a ring gear, yes. Large rotary dryers are used in lots of industries such as paper making and cement manufacture. I have seen similar ring gears used on a radio-telescope, on a crane, and on a dragline.
#112
Plastic And Metal Bullets? Some Are In A Chain Together Like In A Machine-Gun Some Are Loose
Answer: That’s plastic blank ammunition, most commonly used in re-enactments.
#113
A Man Stopped Me In A Corner Store Parking Lot To Ask Me What This Thing Is He Found Under His Car Seat. Worried It’s A Mic. Any Ideas?
Answer: That is a condenser microphone connected to a push button momentary switch. If that's all there is, nothing to worry about. Could be someone trying to make something look scarry, or a small part of something broken, like a cheap Bluetooth headset.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Looks like part of an old dictaphone. Just the condenser microphone and manual mute button
#114
Answer: What Are These Chains Under An Ambulance?
They are automatic snow chains for traction control.
C L 3 years ago
Instead of manually installing snow chains around a tire, a driver flips a switch inside the cab to activate a solenoid, which positions a “chain wheel” to contact the inside truck tire. When the truck is rolling, the chain wheel rotates to “fling” lengths of chains under the tires for traction. For truckers who spend time manually installing snow chains on their trucks in the winter, this product can help not only save time and save money, but also save lives and injuries.
JoMeBee 3 years ago
? I don't think that answer is correct. The chains just dangle on the ground; they're not part of the tires. Ambulances have chains that drag on the ground to disperse any static electricity; keeps the onboard electronics from shorting.
Ray Perkins 3 years ago
Folk would put conductive rubber strips dragging on the ground to dispel static (doubt they did much). Never chains. These are for traction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2IQNsLuikw
Load More Replies... #115
Big Concrete Object With Mysterious Text, 4 Holes And 4 Loops Along The Rim, Has No Bottom
Answer: AN ASSYRIAN STYLE CAST STONE URN: modeled for the restoration of the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, second half 20th century, With sloped sides cast with Assyrian winged deities, inscribed on both sides.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
If you stand on your head and read the writing it will translate as 'This Way Up'
#116
Box With Vent, And Crosshair Symbol Stamped On Side. One Of Two Similar Boxes Offloaded With Luggage On Plane. Didn't Look To Be Particularly Heavy When Lifted By Aeroport Employees
Answer: Reusable crate for machine parts. You send out to new part and the old part is placed in the crate and sent back to be retooled.
PastaNoodle Turduckin 3 years ago
So the parts don’t suffocate, of course!
Load More Replies...
#117
Around Half The Houses On My Street Have These White Posts On The Tip Of Their Roofs, What Do They Signify? (Brampton, Ontario For Reference)
Answer: It’s a roof finial, a decorative thing. Usually seen on colonial style architecture, or in the Far East.
#118
Backpack With Pressure Gauges And Tubing Coming Out Of It/On Top Of It
Answer: Air conditioning service manifold those are worth some money.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
Portable time machine. Watch a film called See You Yesterday to see one in action
#119
What Is This Sweet Smelling Brown Stuff Coming Out Of My Basement Wall?
Answer: I’m going to agree with the comments calling this caulk/sealant and marking this as solved! The rest of the cracks and gaps have sealant too, this one just looks like it’s gotten moldy or started to rot. It’s definitely not honey,
#120
Found These White Pole Looking Things On A Truck With A Sticker On It While On A Road Trip. What Is This?
Answer: Column lifts.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Skinny Daleks that say “Elevate!”, instead of “Exterminate!”?
Load More Replies... #121
I Have Found Several Of These Small Plastic Caps Around The Parking Lot Of Our Business
Answer: GUM proxabrush covers. It is a small brush used like dental floss.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
My mouth is too small to manoeuvre my fingers with regular floss. I buy floss picks that are biodegradable, made of corn starch.
Load More Replies... Jill Bussey 3 years ago
I have discovered water flossing. They are amazing. So much better than anything else I have tried.
funkybluegirl 3 years ago
I get so grossed out when I see discarded flossing tools on the street. Who is flossing their teeth while walking down the street?
#122
I Work In Recycling, And Have Found Multiple Objects Like This. It Is Made Of Some Kind Of Silicone, It Has A (Weak) Magnet In It, And It Is Kinda Phallic. What Is This Thing?
Answer: Magnetic bottle holder strap.
Karma Black 3 years ago
The loop goes around the water bottle. It contains neodymium magnets so that you can attach it to workout equipment, metal door frames, etc to keep it off the ground. The end of the strap clips into the little hole so you can attach it to a belt, backpack, etc.
Load More Replies... #123
Moved Into Dorm, No Ethernet But Wondering About These Ports
Answer: Token Ring. You need an E connector. Used to have hundreds of them at work before they redid the network.
D. Pitbull 3 years ago
I read that as Tolkien Ring. Sauron?? THAT YOU? - damn... must put in eyedrops...
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
The one on the left is for a landline telephone, like we used to have in the ancient of days when I was a child.
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago (edited)
It's a simplified type of connection technology used to create a local network.
John L 3 years ago
An archaic networking tech. It lost to ethernet, but in the early 90's token ring and ethernet competed in LAN use. Been in the field a LONG time. ☺ It competed with 16 MBPS to Ethernet's 10MBPS. When 10/100 cards came out, most places dropped token ring as 100 mbps was considered a game changer. IIRC, token ring was IBM's network LAN implementation.
#124
Small, Dense Wood-Effect Plastic Piece With X Slightly Off Centre. No Other Marks. Aa Battery For Scale. Potentially A Game Piece?
Answer: It's one of a cheap rune set used for fortune telling. You can buy them in gift shops and "witchy" shops.
Karl Baxter 3 years ago
That’s one old battery. They haven’t been called HP7s since the mid-80s
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Might be a gift sold on its own. That rune is Elder Futhark "gebô", meaning "gift".
funkybluegirl 3 years ago
I thought the battery was the unidentifiable object... that battery has been through some stuff.
#125
Cage Room Thing On Top Of A Stream In Japan
Answer: After seeing everyone suggesting garbage collection, I am now sure that is it, and this seems like the likely use for the tools and why it’s so big.
Cyber Returns 3 years ago (edited)
I think it's for feeding the fish in the stream. The fish are probably dead or have left the area so it no longer serves a purpose until the fish come back
#126
At Boston Airport There Are Multiple Half Circle Devices On A Stand Which Are Made From Shiny Sheet Metal. There Are A Bunch Of Random Holes In Most Of The Panels That Look Like A Shotgun Blast
Answer: I'd say it's a practice section of fuselage. The holes are probably from using a fuselage-penetrating fire-fighting system.
Dillon Brown 3 years ago
I'd like to say that's it's a devise to re-rout sliders and catch them when they exit a portal. I'd say the bangs are from Q ball, Remmy, the professor, and Wade hitting the cage a little hard on their exit! Can't wait to see the sliders reboot, how bout choo?
karl briggs 3 years ago
Use to love that show, didn't realise doing a reboot!
Load More Replies... #127
Metal Bars Embedded Into End Of Driveway. I've Never Seen Them Used
Answer: It looks sort of like a bollard mounting point, used if you don't want people parking in your drive when you're away.
Jill Bussey 3 years ago
More likely a security detail, to chain a vehicle to, specifically a motorbike or trailer while you're not using it.
#128
Grill Of Rounded Spikes In A Very Small London Park
Answer: Bench of nails.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
https://www.williamwarren.co.uk/2010/04/bench-of-nails/ People sit on anything, that is the point.
Almostfoxlike 3 years ago
You say bench like im supposed to sit on it. That can't be accurate.
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Art installation plus actual bench, to prove that humans sit on anything.
Load More Replies... #129
Hello, I've Got This T-Shirt As A Gift But I Have No Idea What Those Extremities I've Circled Are For, Or How I Shouldn't Wear Them. They're Too Short To Tie Together
Answer: This is the answer! You thread the thread through the ends of the white flappy bits!
Zia Barrett 3 years ago
Because the actual answer was a link - this is apparently what it looks like - the lace goes through and makes a pattern - 8851741_1779756.jpg 
#130
Large Sand Table In The Basement Of A House For Sale In Nj. More Than 10 Feet Long, Several Curved Metal Bars Or Tubes Around The Side And A "Bridge" In The Middle. On The Right In The Picture Is A Movable Conveyor Belt Thing. That's All The Info I Have
Answer: They're lights, I was wrong. Water sprayers to keep dust down or maybe to make the sand have a clumpy, dirt-like consistency?
Cyber Returns 3 years ago
I've used one of these before! It's for mounting objects and camera equipment for 3D imaging that you don't want to touch so as to keep the result clean and sharp. The one I used was for laser photography to create holographs
Mat Hall 3 years ago
Whoever compiled this list did a terrible job copying it from Reddit.
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Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
pp horrendous 3 years ago
most of them are like "this is a cool tool that cool people use :) glad i could help :) god bless you" and then a few "M**********R THIS IS A GRENADE GET OUT" jumpscares
Well-Dressed Wolf 3 years ago (edited)
You could peruse the “what is this thing” subreddit!
Load More Replies... Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago (edited)
Interesting. At first it was neat knowing what something was until I realised I was showing how antique I am. Never mind, it's cool to know stuff and learn something new. At the same time. 🤔😉
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I actually got a handy tip from one of these lists. There was a picture of what looked like a big plastic syringe with a blunt rubber tip, and it turned out to be a device for giving pills to unco-operative cats - you fit the pill into the rubber holder, then quickly stick it into the cat's mouth and push down on the syringe to dispense the pill down the throat. Our small dog needed daily medication and hiding it in his food wasn't working, so you basically had to stick your entire hand in his mouth to get him to swallow the damn thing. So of course my first thought was "man, I could really use one of those". So I bought one and it really did the trick!
pp horrendous 3 years ago
most of them are like "this is a cool tool that cool people use :) glad i could help :) god bless you" and then a few "M**********R THIS IS A GRENADE GET OUT" jumpscares
Well-Dressed Wolf 3 years ago (edited)
You could peruse the “what is this thing” subreddit!
Load More Replies... Ruth Hempsey 3 years ago (edited)
Interesting. At first it was neat knowing what something was until I realised I was showing how antique I am. Never mind, it's cool to know stuff and learn something new. At the same time. 🤔😉
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
I actually got a handy tip from one of these lists. There was a picture of what looked like a big plastic syringe with a blunt rubber tip, and it turned out to be a device for giving pills to unco-operative cats - you fit the pill into the rubber holder, then quickly stick it into the cat's mouth and push down on the syringe to dispense the pill down the throat. Our small dog needed daily medication and hiding it in his food wasn't working, so you basically had to stick your entire hand in his mouth to get him to swallow the damn thing. So of course my first thought was "man, I could really use one of those". So I bought one and it really did the trick!
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