Everyone needs a little help from time to time when it comes to identifying the weird stuff we come across. Sometimes, we might find something so weird that it stumps even the most dedicated sleuths .
In these situations, there’s no better resource than the r/whatisthisthing subreddit . It isn’t a total guarantee that someone there will be able to identify something, but it’s still a near certainty.
“What is this rail thing on my friend’s car? It’s on the passenger side mounted next to the shifter.”
I was thinking it was some kind of security system, but it turns out it’s the mounting bracket for a space heater .
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“Flimsy plastic green insert.”
It’s either the world’s worst-designed paint roller tray or it’s part of some kind of plastic toy playset from back in the day. Turns out it’s the latter : specifically, it’s a part of Mattel’s ‘Strange Change Machine’.
“What is this metal thing sticking out of the water? We thought it’s to tie your boat to it, but it seems too wobbly and like an odd spot to dock a boat.”
I thought it was maybe a pipe for venting swamp gas, but it’s most likely the base of a larger platform to allow Canada geese to nest.
“Large item being carried by extremely long trailer. Seemingly very heavy. Had an entire fleet of vehicles in front of it and another large truck right behind it. It was holding up traffic.”
We’ve all seen these mysterious, shrouded things on the backs of trucks on the highway. In this case, it’s part of a full-blown nuclear submarine that’s en route to Connecticut .
“Found this bucket made of burnt clay under a sink of a kitchen in South East Asia. Sliding door on the side can be opened as shown.”
You can find things like this around the world. It’s simply a charcoal grill. This is the Thai version, but you can find similar devices elsewhere as well.
“Found in an old toolbox. You can turn the top to raise and lower the middle cutting wheel. The end is sharp like a punch.”
This thing is for cutting different types of tubing, like copper or stainless steel pipes.
“Item of cutlery made by Tudor Plate. Made of silver.”
The world of obscure and defunct cutlery could fill a book, and here’s yet another example. It’s a..food…pusher. It’s for, well, pushing food . Doesn’t seem like a very useful utensil to have, but what do I know?
“I found this in a parking lot where the taxis usually park outside of a train station close to Oslo, Norway. The small round circle on top is a magnet.”
Someone must have been golfing in the area because this is just a golf divot tool. It’s missing its ball marker from the magnetized section.
“Found in the basement. Some kind of a guillotine but it’s not very sharp, it doesn’t even cut paper.”
My guess began and ended with this being a paper cutter, so I guess I’m wrong. From all appearances, it’s a cheese slicer , likely from the Soviet era.
“What is this box plugged into an outlet in my closet!?”
This was found in a rental house and its purpose was unclear. Owing to the cables coming out of the bottom, it’s a power supply for something like an alarm system or doorbell.
“Cupboard with metal drawers and ventilation in the door.”
If you’ve ever lived in a certain kind of older house, you probably know what a root cellar is. This is simply the door to a root cellar, with some holes punched in it for ventilation.
“What is this small electronic device behind the glass tumbler?”
This is specifically the MX-3000 programmable touchscreen remote control. How do we know that? Improbably, one of the designers of the remote control saw the post and chimed in with the answer.
“Metal curved ornamental rod. No other markings on the box.”
My mind was racing thinking of all the things these might be used for, but the answer is surprisingly boring. These are simply bookmarks — fancy bookmarks, but bookmarks all the same.
“An old, dedicated cardboard box for holding but dozens of small, (3”x2” and 3”x1.5”) flat namecards on nice cardstock. The names are mostly uniform in cursive font, except for a few variable cards. Women’s names are on a bigger style card, and men’s on a smaller style.”
This is clearly some kind of old-timey organization device that’s been made obsolete by smartphones. Apparently these are calling cards, ones that you literally leave at someone’s house if they’re not home.
“4-metre high funnel with 3 outlets near a playground and a beer garden in Germany.”
If it’s close to both a playground and a beer garden, then it’s fun for children and adults alike. This is a just a simple game that’s found in many schoolyards : just toss in a ball and see where it comes out.
“Piece of silver found on Mustang Island right off the Gulf of Mexico. It was on the beach.”
This looks just like some sort of priceless silver coin from the era of conquistadors, right? Well, it does look like that. Unfortunately, it looks like that because it’s a cheap replica from a gift shop.
“What is this silver metal thing with narrow bridge and spoon-like end?”
Plenty of people viewed this as a drug utensil for a certain white powder, and it certainly could be used for that. But its intended use is as an ear cleaner — just use the end to scoop out the wax.
“Small black balls that came out of my cat’s fur when brushing.”
I thought these were the rubber pellets that make up the base layer of artificial turf, but I was wrong. These are apparently the grippy little bumps that come on the handle of Furminator brand pet brushes .
“Object found while hiking off-road in Bosnia. Notice the spikes near the end! Wondering what it is.”
Because of Bosnia’s long history of warfare, it’s reasonable to assume that these are unexploded munitions. It’s likely the propellant end of a rocket-propelled ordinance. In any case, it should probably not be touched.
“Hundreds of stainless steel pipes near a dam.”
These are most likely breather pipes at a landfill site. Since the decomposition of garbage results in gases being formed, these pipes allow the gas to escape, letting the underground landfill ‘breathe.’