Ever stumbled upon an object that left you scratching your head in confusion? We’ve all been there! Our inquisitive nature just won’t let us rest until we’ve uncovered its true purpose. But gone are the days when we had to trek to the library or beg an expert for answers. Thanks to the power of the internet, we’ve got a whole army of online detectives at our fingertips! And boy, have they uncovered some wild secrets about mysterious objects.
1. “It’s rubber or silicone, the size of a fingertip; it doesn’t erase; it’s about as hard as a bouncy ball but doesn’t bounce like a bouncy ball. Doesn’t light up. What is it?”
Answer: It’s “an 80’s light bulb eraser without the metal bottom editing to add they never really erased anything”
2. “What are these metal things on the corners of these stairs and their purpose?”
Answer: These are corner dust guards. They make it easier to sweep dust out of the corners.
3. “What is this thing? A small gold pig container with a removable tiny spoon for a tail”
Answer: It’s a salt cellar.
4. “What’s happening here?”
Answer: “Evaluation trial trenching” is done to make sure there are no important archaeological artefacts that might be destroyed by excavation.
5. “Why does this Stop sign look different?”
Answer: These are blinders, typically used so the sign can be read from a narrow angle. They’re also called directional shields. You’ll see them on traffic lights a lot more often.
6. “Plastic-like, circular object made of ‘cells.’ It can be found on several beaches, in Sardinia (Italy).”
Answer: This is biofilm used to treat waste water.
7. “I now own these neon rainbow acrylic mystery sticks. Anyone know what I bought?”
Answer: These are multi-color acrylic Mahjong pushers.
8. “I found this when cleaning my parents basement. It’s made out of wood and the paint is heavily chipped.”
© Mimosa****** / Reddit / Reddit
Answer: It’s a phone stand. The vertical cavity is for your city phone book or books. The top is a handle for moving it about.
9. “What is this toilet’s purpose?”
Answer: This is a 1950s Standard “Sanistand” urinal for women.
10. “This fancy hotel has a shallow tub with 2 sides.”
Answer: You’re supposed to keep your feet in the warm water first and then quickly put them in the cold water (repeat a few times). This is supposed to help with circulation. These tubs are usually used in spas and other wellness or health-related facilities.
11. “This thing is in the middle of the wall in my 1906 house.”
Answer: It’s a capped off gas line from when they used gas lighting.
12. “This metal covering on the floor inside our new house, screwed to the ground.”
© holographic********* / Reddit
Answer: This is a built-in floor outlet.
13. “This pumpkin thing opens on a hinge, there is a latch inside with a small glass jar.”
Answer: It is a vinaigrette, a piece of jewelry containing smelling salts or perfume that women hung from a chatelaine chain in Victorian times.
14. “I found this weird thing in a junk drawer.”
Answer: The classic Sunbeam Mixmaster had a juicer attachment which looked like a bowl attached to the top of the mixer. This is the spout from which the juice pours out. The wire part had a small sieve to filter the pulp.
15. “What is this ice phenomenon I found on the forest floor today?”
Answer: The term for it is “frost flower” and has to do with moisture freezing as it escapes plant tissue.
16. “What is this tall piece of plastic with a metal base that collapses into it?”
Answer: This is a clarinet (or similar instrument) stand.
17. “This strange object from Tiffany’s mysteriously given to my wife by her grandmother while refusing to say what it was.”
Answer: This thing is for stirring drinks.
18. “I found this while cleaning out the attic. It’s wood, looks handmade, measures 8 inches, but I have no idea what it is or what it does.”
Answer: It’s a Yacouba Double Spoon — a symbol of hospitality in traditional African art. It represents 2 very distinct universes that are opposite.
19. “White plastic object with squares and rectangles; it’s light and has nothing written on it.”
Answer: It’s a battery holder for the original battery in the Mercedes Benz W168. Source: I had that car (also English user manual page: 295)
20. “A small metal object that fits in the palm of my hand. The gold-colored part slides up and down but can be locked in place with the adjuster screw.”
Answer: It looks like this fountain pen holder for an embosser.
21. “Small metal bowl with 4 legs and threaded lip”
Answer: “Radiator cap for Ford Model T 1909 to 1927.”
Bonus: “I saw this weird cloud while running.”
Looking for a wilder ride filled with mysterious objects and online sleuths? Then you won’t want to miss this article! We’ve compiled 15 of the most bizarre discoveries that left people scratching their heads — until the internet detectives swooped in to save the day.
New Father Kicks Wife With Newborn Twins onto the Streets, Years Later He Begs Her for Help – Story of the Day
A minted father who is unwilling to spend money to raise his newborn twins asks his wife to give up one baby for adoption. He kicks her out with the babies when she refuses and knocks on her door for help five years later.
It was a cold, rainy night, and Angie cradled her newborn babies at the bus stop. “Where will we go? Jesus, please help us. Shelter us as we wait out this rough night,” she cried, wiping warm tear droplets off her babies’ faces. Angie had nowhere to go, and her parents had died long back.
Suddenly, she sensed something creeping behind her and was terrified. Angie mustered the courage to protect her babies from whatever it was. “It’s a dog!” she sighed.
Angie never imagined her life would turn topsy-turvy overnight. She never thought her husband Jake, who she trusted and loved throughout their marriage, would kick her out with their babies just a week after their birth…
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
“How I wish my mom were with me today…Sorry, mama, I should’ve listened to you and not rushed with my marriage with Jake,” sobbed Angie, thinking about her late mom.
“You can stay in this house as long as you agree to keep just one baby or leave if you want to keep both. Decide wisely, dear.”
Angie met Jake after graduation five years ago. He was a young, handsome man, and she thought he was the one. They fell for each other in what would turn into a fairytale love story, but with one exception—there was no ‘happily ever after’ in Angie’s case.
Problems sparked in the fourth year of their marriage when she told Jake she was pregnant.
“But darling, you know I’ve just started my business. We have postponed baby planning all these years, and I am not ready to be a father yet,” Jake was upset when Angie showed him the two pink lines on her pregnancy test kit.
Jake’s reluctance to be a father showed he was unprepared for responsibilities. Poor Angie was torn between his disapproval of having children and her desire to have as many as possible. But was Jake prepared to know Angie was pregnant with twins?
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I am okay with having a baby…you get it? I mean, one baby is enough,” said Jake as Angie walked into the ward for scanning. “I pray that you don’t come out and tell me we are having twins,” he joked, his mouth curved into an ironic smile. Moments later, fate joked back at him.
Angie came out, distressed and worried. She was pale while she was supposed to be blushing and smiling.
“What is it?” he asked her, impatient for her reply. “What did the doctor say?”
Angie swallowed her fear and spoke out, partly guessing Jake’s reaction. “Our babies are fine,” she said.
“Alright…wait, what…babies?” he exclaimed.
The scan Angie took minutes ago gave her a glimpse at two tiny lives growing inside her. She was pregnant with twins, and Jake was not happy about that.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Jake stormed to his car as Angie read his mind and pictured his frustrations. She was nervous and thought he had joked about having only one baby. But his reactions proved otherwise.
Jake grew distant from Angie day by day and focused only on making more money. She knew he was upset about having twins and assumed he would cool down with time. But it only worsened during her third trimester.
Angie was in the hospital, waiting for Jake to see their newborn twin baby girls. But he never showed up. He sent his maid and driver three days later to bring Angie and their babies home.
Jake did not want to get involved with his babies. He didn’t even welcome them home or hold them. He was unhappy and unprepared to be their father.
Angie returned home with her newborns that evening, knowing little about Jake’s condition. “We keep only one child and give the other up for adoption. If you are okay with it, we are a family. If not, you can leave the house with them,” he told Angie.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
At first, Angie thought Jake was kidding. He dragged her suitcase to the living room and placed it in front of her, indicating he was serious.
“I’m not ready to raise two children and burn a hole in my pocket. My business is fetching a lot of profits, and I need to focus on making more money…I don’t want to waste my time and wealth on raising two babies when I can easily raise just one,” he explained.
Angie was devastated. “They are our babies, Jake. How could you ask a mother to give up her baby? Are you out of your mind? Both my babies are our symbol of love,” she cried. But Jake was stubborn.
“My business has just started to flourish, and I don’t have the time to focus on family. I don’t want to waste my hard-earned money on two babies. You can stay in this house as long as you agree to keep just one baby or leave if you want to keep both. Decide wisely, dear,” he said, despite knowing Angie had nowhere to go.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
The poor mother’s choice was obvious. She took her suitcase and left the house with the babies. Jake’s greed for his newfound riches blinded his devotion to family. He failed as a husband and a father. But it didn’t matter to him.
Angie snapped to her present and found herself still deserted at the bus stop, cradling her babies. “Where will I go? Please help me, Jesus,” she cried and was disrupted by an intense beam of light rays.
“Hello there, are you alright? It’s raining heavily. Would you like a ride, my dear?” an older woman called out to her from a taxi. Angie looked up and saw a nun. She wrapped her babies in her jacket and approached the car.
“Oh my, how adorable your babies are!” exclaimed the nun. “Get in. I’ll drop you. Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know, Sister,” said Angie. “My path is dark, and I am lost. I don’t know which way to go. My babies and I were abandoned by someone dear to us.”
The nun understood Angie’s misery and immediately took her to the convent.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Angie and her daughters, Sophie and Marley, found a safe shelter to wait out the rough days of their lives. Angie taught in the school administered by the church. She also worked part-time in a restaurant, and two years later, she saved a good chunk of money to start her café.
Gradually, Angie was able to give her daughters a better life, though it could’ve been much better had their father been involved. Moreover, Angie did not regret her decision not wanting to divorce Jake. Deep in her heart, she hoped he would realize his mistake and come for them someday.
Five years passed, and Angie now had her own house. It was quite small yet comfortable. She spent the best years watching Sophia and Marley grow up.
There were times when Angie used to struggle without enough profits in business, but her faith and determination motivated her. She launched two more coffee shops in town, and gradually, her fortune grew. But in the other part of town, Jake’s business tanked.
He was drowned in debt, and everybody he sought financial help from refused to support him at the last minute. Jake knew how rich Angie was now and thought only she could help him.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
“Hey, how are you?” Angie answered the door one day when she least expected to see Jake at the doorstep. “Come in!”
Jake vaguely smiled and immediately apologized to Angie. “Darling, I’m so sorry for abandoning you. My greed to earn more money cost me big. I am bankrupt, and it’s the best punishment I deserve for kicking you out with our babies. Please forgive me, and please help me.”
Angie now understood why Jake had come. She had learned about his loss in business but never thought he would visit her and apologize, let alone ask for help.
Jake saw a photo of Angie with their daughters and cried. “I’m sorry, sweethearts. Please forgive your daddy,” he said. Angie’s heart melted, and though she knew Jake had come crawling for help, she was willing to do it because she still loved him.
“But darling, I will not be able to repay such a huge amount of money. I will need time. I was such a cruel husband and a heartless father. Are you sure you want to help me?” he sobbed when Angie gave him a check worth the money he wanted.
“The night you kicked me out, I learned what greed is and how it can ruin relationships. And today, I learned what forgiveness is. What are we going to achieve by holding onto our past grudges? Nothing! Everyone makes mistakes, but as humans, we must learn to forgive one another,” said Angie.
Jake realized his mistake and promised to take Angie and their kids back once he sorted his business issues. He wanted to be a good father to his children and compensate for the heartbreak Angie endured all these years.
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