20+ Things That Could Even Puzzle Sherlock Holmes

Once in a while, we come across things in our household that we can’t identify. If this happens to you, just know that you can ask the experts on Reddit. Here, people from all around the world share their knowledge and help figure out the purpose behind some really mysterious things.

Now I’ve Seen Everything can now say we haven’t really seen everything and here are some mysteries the internet managed to solve!

1. “Part with spokes rotates, spokes (of different diameters) match up to hole in the opposite side of the tool. Sharpie marker for size.”

Answer: It is for punching holes in leather or similar things. Like, for a belt.

2. “This little plastic basket/holder inside the far corner of a trolley — I asked the supermarket staff, they had no idea.”

Answer: It’s a bitz box (a place for small items, like pens, batteries, etc.).

3. “I know it’s a chair, but what’s with the extended arms?”

Answer: It looks like a plantation/planter chair. You’d put your sore, swollen legs up on the arms after sitting on a horse all day, like a pregnant woman with her legs up in the same fashion. This is why the back is so sloped as well. If you sat up straight it wouldn’t be comfortable to put your legs up like that, but in a reclined position, it’s good for blood flow and airflow.

4. “Small, light blue, rubber capsule with a tear-off end.”

Answer: It’s a cosmetics serum capsule.

5. “My coworker saw this toilet in the women’s restroom at the Huntsville Space Center. Why is it shaped this way?”

Answer: It is a woman’s urinal. It encourages women to urinate from a standing position without the need to sit on a shared seat.

6. “I’m waiting for the bank to open and they have this card facing the street. What is it used for?”

Answer: It’s definitely a safety signal. We switch ours quarterly and it’s to let other employees know that it is all clear to open. Typically we had 2 employees “open” the branch while the rest waited in the parking lot or across the street for “all clear.” The openers go in, turn off the alarm, search the building, and check everything, then set the signal.

7. “In the middle of the wall in my 1906 house”

Answer: It’s a capped-off gas line from when they used gaslighting.

8. “Found this in Guam in shallow water, 3 meters in diameter. Never seen anything like it.”

Answer: This is absolutely a rocket part.

9. “Opposite of hole-y: what is this not-really-spiky kitchen spoon for?”

Answer: It’s a spaghetti server.

10. “What is the S-shaped metal ornament on this house?”

Answer: It’s an anchor plate or wall washer. It’s meant to keep masonry in place and made aesthetically pleasing because they’re visible. There is a bolt going on the other side, in the center, holding the bricks in place.

11. “What is this piece of seemingly old tech? Found in a pile at a university.”

Answer: That’s a very old wearable computer.

12. “My house (built in the mid ’70s) has one of these in almost every room.”

Answer: The 3-prong ones were for TV and FM antennas, and the center one was for an antenna rotator to get better reception.

13. “This is an on-gate blocking road access to some cell towers. Why so many locks and how would someone even open it?”

Answer: You can open the gate by unlocking only one padlock. The way it’s designed means that multiple people can use the gate, and if one person loses their keys, only their padlock needs to be replaced. As opposed to one padlock with many keys, you’d need to give tons of people the new key.

14. “What are these shredded balls on my property?”

Answer: Juniper-hawthorn rust — it’s a fungal disease. It starts as a gall then the tentacles appear around spring or after rain. It probably won’t kill this tree but it can seriously mess up secondary host apple trees. The only way to get rid of it is to prune then burn the removed branches. Don’t forget to disinfect your tools after.

15. “A cast iron circle with raised edges and a zero”

Answer: I think it’s a support for an old waffle maker.

16. “I found this while cleaning out an old cedar closet. Had a bendy spring in the middle. Looks like it hangs on a door?”

Answer: I think it’s a vintage hat display stand. If you Google it, there are a lot that have the springy bit and the pull cord (it probably lets you pull the hat down and to the sides to examine it rather than touching the hat itself). Yours seems to be held by sliding onto a table edge rather than sitting on the table itself. So you’re holding it sideways.

17. “What is this stuff growing out of the nail holes in my ceiling?”

Answer: That’s termite frass. You’ve got bad termites and you’ll want to deal with it ASAP.

18. “I just bought a house and this weird triangle holder thing is by my kitchen sink. What is it?”

Answer: It’s a dishtowel holder. Take the corner of your dishtowel and put it to the back of the triangle, then pull down on the towel and it’s held in place.

19. “Found this buried in the garden, very tough glass.”

Answer: My father repaired TVs for decades. I can confirm this one is the glass back.

20. “I bought these at a thrift store. Thought it was a bar spoon but I’m not certain.”

/

Answer: They’re ice cream spoons.

21. “I found this in our kitchen drawer when I moved in, none of my roommates have any idea. What is this thing?”

Answer: It’s a part of a tea infuser.

22. “Found these when clearing out my dad’s wardrobe. Any idea what you’d hang on them?”

23. “It is made of steel/iron and is heavier than it looks. We’re not sure if it’s a tool or some type of kitchenware.”

Answer: Apparently it’s a meat tenderizer.

24. “Delicate wooden whisk type thing that fits into a small vase item with openings on both ends. What is it? I’m so curious!”

Answer: It’s a matcha whisk and whisk holder.

Which one of these did you instantly know the purpose of? Do you have any mysterious things around your house that you can’t figure out? Share them with us and let’s solve the mystery together!

Preview photo credit MamaBearsApron / reddit

I’m 18 and obsessed with using sunbeds… but people online are saying I look “burnt to a crisp.”

Megan Blain, an 18-year-old who’s hooked on sunbeds, says she won’t stop tanning, even though online trolls are constantly insulting her. They’ve compared her skin to a “dirty 2p coin,” but she feels stuck in a tanning habit she can’t break.

Megan, from Seaham, County Durham, started using sunbeds at 16 to keep a tan all year. She ditched fake tan products for daily sunbed sessions and even began using tanning injections to get a darker glow. Although she didn’t know much about the risks, she spent up to 30 minutes on sunbeds, sometimes using baby oil to boost the effect.

Teenager Megan Blain, 18, has admitted to being addicted to sunbeds, despite facing harsh criticism online and noticing concerning changes to her skin

Megan has been compared to a ‘dirty 2p coin’ by trolls – but she insists she is trapped in a cycle of tanning and can’t imagine stopping

Megan said, “I liked how I looked with a tan. I wear bright colors, and the tan made them stand out more. Once I saw how good it looked, I started going to the sunbeds more often.”

But her intense tanning routine has raised health concerns. Megan now admits she’s addicted and has tried to cut back on sunbed use.

She also says the tanning injections make her feel sick, and she’s noticed a strange patch on her skin that changes size. Even though she’s scared it could be cancer, she hasn’t stopped tanning yet. Megan has tried to go to the doctor several times but gets too nervous to go inside.

“I’m the type of person who worries about everything, so it’s strange that I’m not more worried about this patch. I know it could be melanoma, but I still use sunbeds, which shows it’s an addiction. I never feel dark enough,” she explained.

She says she’s stuck in a cycle of overusing sunbeds and taking injections that make her feel sick and unable to eat. She used to go every day, but now she goes about four times a week.

Despite getting negative attention from strangers, with some saying she looks like a “burnt chip” or a “cremated” version of herself, Megan still can’t imagine life without tanning beds.

The student, from Seaham, County Durham, initially began using sunbeds at 16, hoping to maintain a year-round tan
She swapped fake tan products for sunbeds and even started injecting herself with tanning agents to achieve a deeper glow
The student admits tanning injections make her feel nauseous and she’s even noticed a suspicious patch recently appear on her skin
Despite ‘not knowing much about sunbeds’ at first, Megan spent up to half an hour on the beds under the UV lights for over a year, often coated in baby oil to enhance the results

Megan said, “Everywhere I go, people stare at me. When they say I’m dark, I don’t believe them. I don’t feel dark at all, like I can’t see it myself.”

She admits she wants to stop using sunbeds one day, but she can’t imagine quitting. “I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone because you could get addicted without even realizing it, like I did,” she warned.

Megan has tried to cut down, now only using sunbeds four times a week, and she’s using her TikTok platform to warn younger people about the dangers of sunbed addiction. She’s especially worried because more young people seem to be using sunbeds than older ones, and she knows how easy it is to get hooked.

However, Megan has also faced online trolls who make fun of her tan. Some compare her to “burnt chips” or say her skin looks like a dirty “2p coin.” One person even asked if the sunbeds “cremated” her.

While Megan’s views on tanning have changed, she still struggles to break her habit of using UV lights.

Megan says her extreme tan has attracted attention from strangers, with some comparing her to a ‘burnt chip’ or saying she looks like a ‘cremated’ version of herself
Despite the backlash online, she insists she never feels ‘dark enough’ and struggles to imagine a life without the tanning beds
Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn ‘the younger generation’ about the dangers of sunbed addiction

Megan said, “After two years, I’ve changed my mind about sunbeds. If I could go back, I’d never start. Now, it’s not even about wanting to be tan anymore—I just feel like I have to use them.”

She explained that once she’s on the sunbed, it’s hard to turn it off. “I don’t even like using them anymore, I actually dread it, but I feel like I physically can’t stop.”

Another tanning addict, Fionnghuala Maguire, 35, from Belfast, shared her story, saying she feels “lucky to be alive” after using sunbeds almost every day for 15 years. She started at 14 and never used sunscreen during that time. Fionnghuala is now warning others not to make the same mistake, having been hooked on tanning and going to salons up to seven days a week at the height of her addiction.

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