Look around your living space. You're familiar with every object in it, and what every object's purpose is.
But in the wider world, there are plenty of items that can be a tad confusing. If you encounter one, you can either choose to keep it a mystery, or you can head over to the r/whatisthisthing subreddit. Chances are pretty good you'll find your answer.
This is a vintage dice game that was handed out on Swissair flights back in the day. Delving into the rules is a bit complicated, but the two variants of the game are called "Chicago" and "Hölzeln."
Most of us make do with normal nail files, but for those who need more electrification in their lives, there's this thing: an electric nail file.
This is present on many types of uniforms. This is designed to have an epaulette or badge threaded through it.
One item in this photo is a cat, but what's with the other thing? It's actually an all-purpose, uh, sports ball holder. It can fit a basketball, football and two baseballs.
Here's a handyman's special: something used not for its intended task, but for something entirely different. This is just a mess of roofing tar that was used to glue down shingles, or possibly patch a hole.
If you've ever wondered how some parking garages know which spaces are occupied and which are vacant, this is how. It's a parking sensor.
We have no idea what's up with the Jeep branding, but this is part of a dog toy. It's made of durable rubber to withstand biting.
It looks quite a bit like a flask, but it's more likely that this is an old-school container for powdered tobacco snuff.
We can't be certain, as this might just be hair from a Barbie doll. But it seems likely that this is a seed from a Parsonsia heterophylla, which tend to look like hair.
This is simply a general purpose little bowl. There's nothing specific that's designed to go in here. It's basically a catch-all for bobby pins, hair ties, rings, or whatever.
Some of these objects are so specialized that it's miraculous anyone at all recognizes them. This is specifically for drying and filling small reusable bags such as Ziploc bags.
If you're serious about cleaning pots and pans, you've probably used something similar to these before. They're just scouring pads, or SOS pads, for cleaning tough-to-clean kitchen stuff.
Some objects are tough to figure out simply because they're incomplete. This is one such example. It's part of a gun cleaning kit, but much of it is missing.
This weird-looking device is a Masonic shot glass holder. It's for, well, holding shot glasses during Masonic meetings.
This one's cool, as it turns a drill into a new type of tool. It's designed for cutting or sawing, and allows an electric drill to function similarly to a jigsaw.
This is an interesting one, as it actually wound up getting the attention of the local police department's bomb squad. Turns out it's sodium metabisulfite, which is used as a preservative in emergency rations.
This old-timey device was a bed warmer. How did it work? Apparently you rested it in hot coals or a fire, then put it under the blankets. After taking it out, the bed was warm (and maybe a bit burnt).
Parents might recognize this one right off the bat, as it's a pretty standard piece of equipment for new parents. It's a bottle holder for baby bottles, and helps them drain after being washed.
Don't ask me what these words mean, but here it is: this is the worm and driveshaft from a model AA Ford rear end. Here's a better look.
This person was ambushed, but by what? Turns out this is just a soft little foam-rubber ball that goes with a Nerf gun.
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