35 Strange-Looking Objects People Posted On This Online Group To Get An Explanation

In the vast expanse of the internet, there exists a peculiar online community that is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the mundane, the bizarre, and the utterly perplexing. Welcome to “What Is This Thing?” – a virtual gathering place where curious minds come together to share, discuss, and ultimately demystify the enigmatic objects that leave us scratching our heads.

#1 A Silver Spoon With “Top” Part?

Image source: kalvinoz

Vintage Christofle Orfevre a Paris Silver Plated Medicine/Invalid Feeder Spoon.

#2 This Is About 3ft Talk Made Of Solid Wood. It Doesn’t Weigh Much Though, Maybe 5 Or 10 Lbs. The Arm Hanging Down Swings And The Top Is Just A Handle. It Does Not Move

Image source: flyingwithed

A boot puller, otherwise known as a boot jack. Heel in the u shaped groove, other foot on the back of that to stabilise it all, swingy bit on the top of the foot, hold the hand grips and lever the boot off the heel by lifting your booted leg up and out.

#3 What Is This Object I Found On A Beach In Yorkshire That Has Holes In And Feels Like A Mix Between Stone And Plastic

Image source: OliRobbo

A Victorian toothbrush. The handle is made of animal bone and the holes are where the bristles (normally pig or horse hair) would go. Bristle toothbrushes like this were invented in China in the 1400s, but contrary to all that seems good and sane in this world, most Europeans weren’t all that into toothbrushes until the late 1700s/early 1800s. Source: am archaeologist.

#4 Patches Of Sand Floating On Top Of Water Near Shoreline, Each Patch Around 4-10cm In Diameter

Image source: carissa0816

It’s dry sand floating on the water tension, been picked up by the raising tide. Only happens when it’s hot enough to dry the sand and absolutely flat calm.

#5 Small Ceramic Bowl With Three Small Cones Like Things In The Middle

Image source: xsladil

It is an Ikebana Vase. It is for Japanese style flower arrangements. The flowers go in the tubes and the rest is also filled with water, usually smooth stones, or maybe a small turtle or frog sculpture.

#6 What Is This Cubby Above The Built In Stove. There Is No Access To Open It From Any Angle

Image source: BrightAd2201

Sheet pan rack

#7 Pellets With A Powdery Substance Coating Them, Found On The Floor Of A Garage That Had Not Been Opened For A Few Months, Each Pellet A Bit Larger Than A Tater Tot

Image source: dick-nipples

Wood stove pellets that got wet.

#8 What Are These Smaller Doors Inside Our Hotel Bathroom Door?

Image source: offtheshallowend

While many are saying “Dutch” door this is actually called “wicket”. A Dutch door has a separate top and bottom half that open together or independently. A wicket is a door (or two in this case) inside of a door. They are used mainly in psych wards as a way to get into a room that may be barricaded.

#9 What Is This Strange Pocket Watch With A Lever And Odd Face?

Image source: Eow_hwaet_m8

It’s a pocket roulette wheel, modeled to look like a pocket watch for easy concealment but with a rotating dial instead of an indicator hand. It has 12 parts instead of the typical number to look like a broken pocket watch upon inspection. Most likely this one was crafted out of a pocket watch as some of the original frame is visible around the dial/wheel/face.

#10 Small Fragrant Cubiod From Morocco, Bought Thinking It Was Soap

Image source: Burtang

Moroccan solid resin perfume bar. It’s made of resin and wax.

#11 I Dug This Up While On Holiday In Devon, UK. Only The Protruding Cylindrical Part Was Visible And It Was Found ~7m Up A Sand Dune. It Is Solid Metal (Most Likely Iron) And Roughly A Metre In Length. It Didn’t Seem Hollow And Was Unbelievably Heavy. Any Ideas

Image source: jcs1809

With a trunnion on each side, it looks like a small cannon.

#12 What Are These Small Bowls With Holes In The Bottom? I Have No Idea What To Do With Them

Image source: evokablespark

Pots for succulents.

#13 Round Brown Things With Holes In Them Lining A Small Waterway In St. Pete, Fl

Image source: International_Mall31

They are artificial reef balls.
They are there to create a “living shoreline” to prevent erosion.

#14 What Is This Pot With Tubes And A Suction System? Left In My Friends New Apartment From Old Tenants

Image source: jurgo17

A milking machine for goats and/or cows.

#15 Set Of 9 Wooden Balls. 4 Black, 4 Brown, And One Smaller Brown Ball. More Details In Comment

Image source: Woodpecker16669

Bocce balls

#16 Bought A House With This Glass Structure In The Backyard, No Idea What It’s Supposed To Be

Image source: allgoldslugs

It’s to grow mushrooms. Called a fruiting house. It looks like there is even substrate there that you use in growing mushrooms.

#17 Cubby Inside Kitchen Of 1950’s Home

Image source: tozierrr

Telephone nook/niche.

#18 I Received This Item As A Wedding Gift From An Egyptian Wedding Guest. It Is Nearly 5” Tall And Has A Removable Top With 4small Holes Like A Salt Shaker (Item Is Not Hollow)

Image source: laserspaceship

It’s a narghile/hookah. Looks like it’s purely decorative, not really usable.

#19 What Is This Thing On My Neighbors Balcony? About 1.5 Feet X 8 Inches. Some Type Of Electronic. Small White (Sometimes Red) Light Shining Occasionally. Looks Like It’s Suctioned To The Door

Image source: StayGlassy

5G Home WiFi, it connects to 5G cell towers and streetlights and gets the best reception when attached to a plane of glass because 5G attenuates through walls.

#20 I Saw This Building At Work The Other Day, Its Detached From Any Other Buildings Its About 15 Ft Tall Windows On All Sides But Only On The Top And A Door In Front

Image source: Frankthetank8

Old deer blind turned into kids’ fort

#21 Two Small Metal Items With Cloth Inside The Hole On The Side

Image source: klorge87

They are vintage kazoos, they probably need new baffles in the hole to be able to work properly.

#22 The University I Used To Attend Had One Of These In Every Classroom — A Small Black Box With What Appears To Be A Grid Of Leds, Placed Towards The Front Of The Room / Where Students Will Face When Seated

Image source: Cambienta

Infrared audio transmitter for the hearing impaired.

#23 Small Plastic Spoons With Brown Substance, Individually Packaged And Found In A Public Park Exposed To The Elements

Image source: villagetaco

Tamarind spoon. You have Hispanics in the neighborhood. Hit up a liquor store and get a fresh pack and try them out!

#24 Easily Malleable Metal, With Diamonds In The Center. I Have Four Of Them, And They Were All Rolled Up Like The First Picture

Image source: katiem1236

I think they’re accessories for hair braids, try googling ‘hair braid cuffs’.

#25 Clear Hard Thing. Playing Card For Scale

Image source: sylverfalcon

Magnifier for reading a book.

#26 Yellowish Powder (?) On The Inside Of Swimming Suit

Image source: prozloc

The elastic in the fabric disintegrating.

#27 Solid Feeling Balls That Chyme/Jingle At A Low Tone When You Shake Them

Image source: dezlovesyou

Baoding balls. They’re for stress and concentration. You’re supposed to put them both in the palm of your hand and rotate them around each other in a circle.

#28 What Is This Gold Rotating Thing? It’s About 5-7cm In Length And Has What Seems Like Drawings On Each Side?

Image source: throwaway21386

A letter seal.

#29 Promo Item I Received For Free At A Christmas Fair. It Is The Size Of My Hand, The White Top Screws On And Off And The Red Bag Part Expands And Is Pretty Thick

Image source: britlynj

A mini refillable hot/cold pack for headaches or injuries.

#30 Found At Tide Pools – Green Nylon Pouch With Ziploc Bag Of Mystery Stuff

Image source: pokokoko

Congratulations you’ve found a bean bag!

#31 Slices Of Rubber Held Together By Metal Brackets, About 10 Pounds. It Hit My Windshield Going 80mph Down The Interstate. Luckily The Windshield Did Its Job And No One Was Injured!

Image source: No-Following8840

A wheel chock.

#32 Large Metal Tube With Narrowed Front End, Transported With Police Escort, On An Extended Flatbed Trailer

Image source: orionsanthology

A spindle that Boeing weaves the carbon fiber fuselage for the Dreamliner on.

#33 Found In My Backyard. It Is Chalky And Will Rub Off If You Run Your Finger On It. Because Of My Dogs, Really Just Want To Make Sure It’s Not Some Kind Of Poison. Thanks!

Image source: adaking13

The clay plug from the bottom of a fireworks tube.

#34 What Is This Tube That This Coast Guard Guy Sticks His Gun Into While Loading It?

Image source: TLP34

In the army we called it a “clearing station”. If you were to have an unintentional discharge while clearing the weapon, that chamber would stop the bullet

#35 Old Wooden Bat-Like Object With Floral Carvings

Image source: saintgreer

OP it’s called a tire thumper, 18 wheelers use them to “check their tires”. Really it’s kept under their seat for self defense. *floral carvings would be a bit out of place tho.