11 People Who Stumbled Upon Curious Objects — and Couldn’t Believe Their Real Purpose

From time to time, we come across curious oddities that leave us scratching our heads. These mysterious finds can be rather perplexing, perhaps even unsettling on occasion. Nowadays, we’re fortunate to have a community of online detectives at our disposal, eagerly prepared to offer assistance and provide accurate explanations.

1. “How on earth do you wear this thing?”

Answer: ’’The strap goes around the wrist and the ring goes on the middle finger.’’

2. “A ceramic ‘jar’ that I found behind the couch of a furnished rental I’m staying in this weekend.”

Answer: It’s an old ceramic hot water bottle. If the seal is still good, it will hold a full standard kettle worth of water. Stick it on the floor with a blanket tucked around it and around your feet, and it’s the best feeling.

3. “I found this at my local thrift store. It is plastic. When closed, it is 15 inches tall. When fully open, the ‘claw’ has a space of 11 inches.”

Answer: It’s a kitchen utensil: turkey or roast lifter.

4. “I was clearing out things today, and I found this. Not sure what it is. Wondering if anyone can help me out.”

Answer: It’s the sticky thing in a mortar and pestle.

5. “I just noticed this strange X shaped thing on my roof. I have no idea what it’s made of. It has some sort of a hinge or a clasp in the middle. Any ideas?”

Answer: It’s a part of someone’s rooftop antenna. It’s likely that it blew off from somewhere during a storm.

6. “This angry faced plastic lady I found is about the height and width of a pop can. It is able to come apart in three pieces. What is it?”

Answer: This is an “Angry Mama”. It is used for cleaning microwaves. Take her hair off and fill the first line with vinegar, then water. She’s microwaved for a few minutes, and the steam that is released through her head holes help loosen dried on crud inside of the microwave.

7. “I came across this linen bag full of small wooden ovals printed with images of different animals and a compass.”

Answer: They’re runes. I know with tarot or divination cards, there are many “non-traditional” divination cards that have a similar process to tarot. They’ll be angel cards, or mermaid cards etc., and they have their own unique methodology outside a common comparative like tarot. They are sold in a paper and plastic case with a window to show the runes and a booklet telling the “meaning”. They’re really common in chain bookstores or new age stores.
When you cast runes, you sometimes place a circle or series of circle on a mat where you throw the runes on top. Where the runes fall adds to the meaning or changes it. The compass is for like "if the rune dropped towards the south it’s reversed.

8. “I found this black, comb-like plastic thing in my car. It’s just over an inch long. I have no idea where it comes from, or what it is.”

Answer: It’s a surfboard wax comb. It usually comes attached to the inside back pocket of board shorts on a little tether.

9. “I found this small sterling silver ring. It is attached to a hammered bowl.”

Answer: It’s a caretaker’s feeding spoon. It looks a bit large for a baby, but would be a good size for helping feed an elderly or bedridden person.

10. “I found this rigid pink tube at my Airbnb. It displays 3 holes on the bottom. It has some kind of a whitish residue. It’s mostly cylindrical, but has a flat side with numbers to measure something.”

Answer: The tube comes with another part so that you can suction-mount it to the side of your bathtub, and you’ll have a bath toy for your kid. There’s also a ring that comes with the set, and it fits under the flared edge of the tube so that your kid can poor water in with a cup. The latter also comes with the set.
The numbers measure nothing, they are just here, so the kid can practice counting. The hole in the bottom allows water to drain out back into the bathtub.

11. “Asked my 78-year-old great-grandmother what this was, she said, ‘Oh, your aunt left that.’ What is this?”

Answer: “It’s actually a pool toy.”

The internet never fails to deliver its share of intriguing mysteries. In this article, we’re showcasing a new collection of fascinating objects that puzzled — and captivated — people for quite some time.