16 Curious Objects Whose True Purpose Will Amuse You

It’s part of human nature to look for answers whenever we encounter something strange or mysterious. And these odd items definitely piqued their finder’s interest — to the point where they had to ask for help from other people online. Luckily, internet users were quick to provide information, and some of the explanations behind these objects are actually interesting.

1. “2-3 inches long white plastic, with bristle like ends which are pliable. Found in the kitchen drawer.”

Answer: “It is part of a bottle cleaning kit. Used to clean out nipples on bottles or sippy cups.”

2. “A thumb protector possibly, but for what? Found it at a yard sale.”

Answer: “For shucking clams/oysters? Protects from sharp edges and knife slips.”

3. “A red and clear rubber toy-like thing found on a playground”

Answer: “It’s a Lego part. It is a pair of balloons held by a Lego figure.”

4. “A moon face type thing found buried 6 inches in my yard”

Answer: “It’s probably just a moon face garden decoration.”

5. “These strange dust patterns keep showing up on screens of my apartment windows.”

Answer: “The previous tenant smoked with a fan in the window.”

6. “What is this hatch I’ve seen on the outside of houses?”

Answer: “It’s a boot scraper, for getting the mud off your shoes before going in.”

7. “Found 4 of these capsules filled with what appears to be metal shavings?”

Answer: “It’s a pill for ruminant animals.”

8. “At an Airbnb in a beach town on the east coast in the US. The kitchen island has these ’indents’ with a handle?”

Answer: “It was part of a hatch door on a barn or a ship.”

9. “Found in my math teacher’s room — 100 squares with varying patterns and colors. No patterns seem to be the same.”

Answer: “It’s a prime factorization chart and a demonstration of The Sieve of Eratosthenes. Note that primes are of solid distinct color.”

10. “A small metal trinket found buried on a rural Missouri farm”

Answer: “It’s a boy scout neckerchief slide.”

11. “Found in the woods in Germany hanging from a tree/bush.”

Answer: “Is hunting allowed? Could be for scent lure.”

12. “Does anybody know what this might be for? The position of loops is adjustable with graduations in centimeters along the frame.”

Answer: “It’s a guitar finger trainer.”

13. “Hundreds of stainless steel pipes near a dam”

Answer: “They’re breather pipes for a landfill site. Lets out the gasses from decomposing waste buried there.”

14. “What is this house in the middle of the ocean?”

Answer: “It’s the Middle Bay Light.”

15. “2 cars parked on a street, both seem to have T-shirts (or some sort of material) over their wing mirrors, but just on the side facing the road.”

Answer: “It’s to keep birds from attacking the mirrors.”

16. “2.5 inches long with a ring-sized hole, and gold-colored metal. Is this jewelry?”

Answer: “It’s a ’Sixth Digit’ accessibility device for pressing buttons, etc.”

Did you recognize any of these odd objects? Have you witnessed something odd that you never got an explanation for? Share a picture in the comments.