Have you ever found some kind of object, gadget or whatsit and had no idea what it was? I think we’ve all been there.
The next time it happens, it’s not a bad idea to post it to the r/whatisthisthing subreddit. The intrepid sleuths of Reddit can help you solve the mystery.
“About the size of my hand. Found in the trash. (I’m a trash man). Any ideas?”
I’m needlessly impressed with myself that I correctly identified this as a perpetual calendar. Line things up just so and you’ll be able to tell what day of the week any future date will fall on.
“This was taken this morning. It’s a very odd shaped cloud, or maybe even vapor trail. I’m guessing it’s illuminated by the approaching sunrise.”
If you’ve ever witnessed a rocket launch, you may have seen something similar. This is the vapor trail from a relatively recent rocket launch.
“A small plastic and metal device, found in the card slot of an ATM.”
We hear about ATM skimmers that are used by fraudsters. This is a non-electronic version, but the purpose is the same. It’s known as a Lebanese loop and it’s used in ATM fraud.
“Old school chem set maybe? Found in Abandoned building with no info on it.”
When you look up the names on the labels, it’s all homeopathic stuff. This is essentially a collection of old-school snake oil, so to speak.
“Small scoop with alligator clip as the handle. Found it cleaning out the kitchen.”
This is a genius device, and I want one. The scoop part is just a standard coffee scoop, but the clip on the handle is designed to keep coffee bags sealed up.
“What are these vest with liquid pouches worn by Olympic sailors for? Worn by Dutch sailors Bekkering and Duetz during a post race interview.”
The little liquid pouches are designed to keep people cool. These cooling vests are very effective for people who work in hot conditions, or people who have to wear lots of equipment.
“Variable stop sign in Illinois.”
It looks like this is designed so the letters can change or be blocked, but that isn’t quite it. These are blinders, and are used when another road is nearby. Basically, they ensure that only people on the intended road will see the sign.
“Found these soft metal objects while metal detecting under a pier at low tide.”
These objects are Hindu offerings. They’re intended as prayer charms to give good luck and are tossed into the water.
“Two spoons attached to a wooden handle at the thrift store?”
![Image credit: reddit | [deleted]](https://diplycom5cc47.zapwp.com/q:i/r:0/wp:1/w:1/u:https://static.diply.com/ed1603f9-665b-4d6e-bffc-8bd56b9aef3d.jpg)
Have you ever seen someone play the spoons? This is how they do it. The spoons are just standard spoons, but they need to be attached to something in order to clack together.
“Strange device found among things left behind by tenant. Plastic lid screws onto rubber sack and contains… balls.”
This is a type of game where you use the stretchy rubber to shoot the ball bearings. “It’s intense, be careful,” warned one commenter.
“Found metal detecting in a Minnesota park where other objects around 1860s have been pulled.”
This was quickly identified thanks to someone who had the identical object. It’s a mold for casting toy soldiers.
“Found on my driveway. The RCMP arrested my neighbour last night; could it be related to that?”
This is most definitely related to the arrest, and is probably familiar to anyone who works in law enforcement. This is a discarded dart from a taser.
“Noticed a few of those mounds around, what are they for?”
![Image credit: reddit | [deleted]](https://diplycom5cc47.zapwp.com/q:i/r:0/wp:1/w:1/u:https://static.diply.com/4b406efb-1145-4457-b490-b3b06f951837.jpg)
This is simply a way to keep cars from parking here. It’s more complicated than a barrier or a fence, but it also eliminates the need for a barrier or fence.
“An unusually shaped sink possibly in a corridor, spotted in a property listing on an older house. Looks quite narrow, probably too small for washing boots.”
This is a butler’s sink. It makes it easier to fill up or empty buckets. It’s kind of like an old-school laundry room sink, only it’s narrower and mounted on the floor.
“Door with a hinged section a quarter through horizontally?”
This door is, in short, a big mistake. The hinge is designed so it can wrap around a corner and not jut out, but they cut it on the wrong side of the door.
“Full tub with deep front half. USA. Listing calls it a mailman tub.”
This is a mailman tub, but what’s a mailman tub? It’s a bathtub with a deeper front section. The idea is that the deeper section can be used for soaking or washing your feet.
“Found while trail running. What are these things? There’s rotten wood that goes along it that looks cut/altered by man. Would it be for making a flat surface to easily maneuver the mine?”
You can find all sorts of stuff in abandoned mines. These are the remains of a wood stave pipeline , which was likely in place to help keep water out of the mine.
“Found this in my bathroom in Germany…”
These appear to be meters for the hot and cold faucets, and that’s exactly what they are. Much like a power meter, these show exactly how much of each temperature has been used.
“Found this while cleaning out the attic. It’s wood, looks handmade, measures 20cm, but I have no idea what it is or does!”
This is most likely a Yacouba double spoon . It’s used to symbolize hospitality among certain cultures of West Africa. The two spoons represent two sides of the universe.
“Found on the beach near Myrtle Beach, SC. We just had a big storm. It’s very firm and breaks apart smoothly. Seems organic. Hypothesis is it’s a large chunk of fat.”
Some of you might be hoping this is ambergris — basically whale vomit that’s worth a lot of money. While it’s rare for someone to find a big chunk of ambergris, this is indeed ambergris!
