From time to time, people stumble upon something unfamiliar, leaving them scratching their heads and wondering what they are. These eight objects found their way to the internet when those who discovered them decided they needed the help of the public to identify them.
Once in a while, social media users post images of items that others have never seen before. Some of these objects boggle the mind with questions of what they are and what they are used for. Below, we've gathered eight such objects that kept people guessing.
8. Not What It Seems
In 2016, an X user took to the platform to share a photo of what appeared to be a plastic object with an interesting shape. The cylindrical object with a pointy end with a hole appeared strange, at first, calling to mind other images, but users of the platform eventually realized what the item was.
The Answer: The X user revealed in more images that the object was an apparatus used for Play-Doh, allowing different colored dough to be mixed and pushed out, like a syringe, to create fun mixes.
7. Could It Be a Kind of Underwear?
In 2019, Reddit user Merciman took to the platform's "What is this thing" subreddit to share an image of a strange-looking item, resembling the shape of underwear, next to a pair of jeans. The black item, which featured metal coils, prompted the poster to caption it:
"Found in my dad's room, really hoping it's not a sex thing."
An item Reddit user Merciman found in their father's room, shared on February 25, 2019 | Source: Reddit/Merciman
The Answer: Merciman later learned that the item is used to help give shoes a good grip when walking on ice, more popularly known as yak tracks,.
6. A 6-Centimeter Wonder
In November 2023, Reddit user dampenedhorizon uploaded three different images showing a six-centimeter-long metal object discovered in a kitchen drawer. The user said the "actuated metal part on the end is free-swinging, not spring loaded," but the pointed part toward the end is spring loaded.
A 6 cm long object found by dampenedhorizon in their kitchen drawer, shared on November 22, 2023 | Source: Reddit/dampenedhorizon
The Answer: The metal object is part of a jar opener, also known in Amazon as a Swing-A-Way Comfort Grip Opener.
5. A Tiny Spoon?
Danny_myrillo took to the same subreddit in September 2023, sharing a photo of a gold metal rod with a tiny scoop, no bigger than the length of a finger. The poster confessed to thinking it looked like a tiny spoon.
Reddit user Danny_myrillo shared an image of what appeared to be a very tiny spoon on September 23, 2023 | Source: Reddit/Danny_myrillo
The Answer: According to one user, the miniature rod with a scoop was a vintage toothpick and earwax spoon. Sharing an eBay link, another person said the item is an old brass ear-cleaning tool.
4. A Strange Urinal
In 2019, user jingjangjones came across a strange-looking urinal in a Brauhaus bathroom in Cologne, Germany. The urinal featured a silver panel above with handrails on either side, making the poster wonder what it was for.
Reddit user jingjangjones found a strange panel in a urinal in Cologne, Germany, on March 2, 2019 | Source: Reddit/ jingjangjones
The Answer: What the poster thought was a urinal is called a Papst, German for Pope, and a pun derived from "Stuhl Petri," or the seat or stool of the Pope of the Catholic church. The bowl is designed for use, not for urinating, but for vomiting. One person described it as a vomit depository, while another one hilariously called it a "spewrinal"!
3. In Your Face
Another Reddit user uploaded what appeared to be a set of teeth on a mold, designed to look like a face, with a leather case beside it. They were found in an estate sale. The poster initially thought it was made from baby teeth but found that it was something else.
Reddit user Streetguide found a strange item in an estate sale on May 13, 2019 | Source: Reddit/Streetguide
The Answer: A dentist explained that the object was made from dentures, not real human teeth. They were embedded in acrylic used for making dentures and was probably done by a bored student, dentist, or lab technician, who playfully made a face out of it.
2. Wheeled in From the Mail
This black steel object with two wheels and a pointy part arrived in the mail by mistake from Jamaica, New York. Luckily, some people in the subreddit knew precisely what it was.
A Reddit user found this strange object in the mail and shared it on July 10, 2020 | Source: Reddit
The Answer: Someone in the know said it is a weed remover. Another person shared a Zoro link showing a similar item, adding that the object wasn't worth it as the metal hook would end up scraping on bricks, akin to having fingernails raked on a blackboard.
1. Wood You Know What This Is?
The next object is made from wood with a rounded end and a pointy and carved front. One wouldn't have imagined what it could be just by looking at it, but the answer was simple and innocent.
A picture of a wooden citrus juicer | Source: Vecteezy
The Answer: It was revealed that the wooden object is a citrus reamer. Due to its interesting shape, a person joked that they would leave it out on the counter and see how long things got awkward when friends visited!