"What’s the orange thing on this motorbike? It’s attached to the front brake and hooked to the handle"
A: "Disc locks are quite small and either easily forgotten by the owner or not noticed by a potential thief. If you move a bike with the disk lock attached you can easily damage the brakes. The cable hooks round the disc lock and over one of the levers as a reminder to the owner that it needs removing before they ride off. Also it indicates to anyone trying to steal it there is a lock on the wheel."
"Kitchen utensil I’ve had forever I just don’t know what it does or how to use it."
A: "Corn stripper"
"What kind of antique scissors are these?"
A: "Bettlenut scissors"
"What is this small round object poking out of the wheel arch of this Adelaide City bus, I’ve not seen it on any other busses"
A: "It’s a guided bus"
"Found in an old garage. Thin layers of copper not very weighty"
A: "It’s a decorative ball"
"It is about 12 inches long, made of wood, and wrapped in leather. Maybe something to do with boots?"
A: "It’s a boot jack"
"Thought this might be for candles but the holes are rather small and I don’t know why one side is elevated above the other. Any ideas?"
A: "Looks like a manorah (sp?)- like the Jewish Hanukkah thing"
"Found in an old house built in 1914, the little gold pins spin if you pull the red cord through. Made by siemens btw."
A: "Razor blade sharpener"
"What is this green round object found in my grandparents garden. It is made out of plastic with a round plate and a separate cylinder on top of it and two straw like pipes both on top and bottom."
A: "That’s a slug trap."
"What is this small rubber thing I found in my throat when I coughed up a loogie after I woke up this morning? Earring for scale"
A: "A gum massager that broke off of a powered toothbrush."
"Flying over the Rocky Mountains I noticed horizontal lines across the snow on many mountainsides. What would cause snow to melt/accumulate in this pattern in the mountains?"
A: "Snow fences to control wind drifted snow in avalanches prone areas."
"I see these in tarmac pavements (sidewalk) everywhere. Always wonder what they are, what their purpose is. Possibly UK specific. They are approximately the size of a 10p piece."
A: "They are surveyors nails."
"Found in deceased WW2 Veterans Toolbox, no clue what it is but the guy loved woodworking."
A: "It’s a fire starting kit"
"What is the purpose of this thing in the middle of the ashtray?"
A: "Matchbook holder"
"Friend was given about 100 of these. About 30mm wide and 30mm tall. We think they may be to do with sewing but Google turns up nothing."
A: "The large hollow in the middle is to store the knotted end of the cord or drawstring. I have never seen this particular design, but I’ve seen similar ones."
"What is this structure under a jetty?"
A: "It is an art installation."
"I found in the trunk of my car? it’s dry and brittle. falls apart when you touch it."
A: "Looks like a dried whelk egg case."
"Steel rod sticking up from living room floor, it’s about two inches tall and can be moved left or right."
A: "It’s the gas fireplace globe valve."
"Concrete tower about three feet tall with a metal ring attached to the top. Another concrete block next to it, but shorter and no metal attachments. Found outside a home (adjacent to the street) in a historic district in Georgia, USA. I’ve seen similar things in front of other homes in the area."
A: "This is from back in the horse and buggy days. The tall “tower” with the ring on top is a horse hitching post. The shorter block is a mounting block, to help someone getting in or out of a carriage or getting on or off a horse."
"Found in a work room. Filled with the small copper cap things shown at bottom and dispenses them out of the end. End is squared and sharp."
A: "Percussion caps for a muzzle loader firearm."
"Moving into a new apartment and found this on the wall. It seems like a plastic plate that’s just hollow inside the opening. What could this be for?"
A: "It’s a port for hiding cables in wall"
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Everyone is a critic.
Stimpy hides his magic nose goblins there.