16 Unidentified Objects That Got Deciphered in an Instant

50 years ago, if we’d ever find a mysterious object, we’d ask a few friends about it and hope for the best. Today, thanks to the wide web and its forums, we can post a question, add a picture, and in a few minutes — with the help of people all around the world — we can turn an unknown item into one with a purpose.

Bright Side loves to write about objects that make us ask ourselves, “What on earth could this even be?” We’re curious to know which one of the following items was no surprise to you.

1. “Red and clear rubber toy-like thing found in a playground — what is this thing?”

Answer: “It’s a Lego part. It’s from a Duplo playground set.”

2. “Could anyone help me identify this object?”

Answer: “It’s a drying rack for gloves.”

3. “A pointy stick thing inside my new hairbrush — does anyone know what it is?”

Answer: “You can turn the pointy thing to have it sticking from the handle and use it to separate hair, I have seen professionals doing it.”

4. “The person who gifted this doesn’t even know what it is. It appears to have a suction cup and 2 adjusting arms that may hold something.”

Answer: “It’s for drying and filling reusable zip-lock-type bags.”

5. “I need some help identifying this object.”

Answer: “It’s for dividing a length into equal parts. Put one point on one end of the thing to be divided, then choose how many parts to divide it into.”

6. “What is this type of clamp used for?”

Answer: “That’s a gang lock for a lockout/tagout. You place this on a breaker when multiple people are working on equipment to keep people from turning the equipment on.”

7. “What is this thing?”

Answer: “I have one like that. Use it for breaking up ground beef, turkey, or pork when browning in a pan.”

8. “What could this be?”

Answer: “That’s a hole for a vacuum hose. This house, at one point, had a central vacuum.”

9. “Could anyone help me figure out what this tool/object is?”

Answer: “Pretty sure it’s a lemon/lime squeezer.”

10. “Found at my grandma’s — there are rotating discs inside with numbers imprinted. What is this?”

Answer: “It seems to be a menstrual calendar.”

11. “What is this object?”

Answer: “It’s a mouth harp in a case.”

12. “A metal thing with a freely spinning wheel on one side — what is it?”

Answer: “A pie crust edge sealer, my grandmother had one.”

13. “What is this hard, clear, plastic thing?”

Answer: “It WAS a drinking cup or insert that got melted in a dishwasher.”

14. “Found in a deep drawer in my Airbnb, what is this thing?”

Answer: “It’s for drinking Yerba maté or maté; a South American drink, similar to tea. Very good.”

15. “Found in a thrift store: a porcelain plate with a metal bottom. On its side, there is a pipe. What could this be?”

Answer: “It’s a plate warmer for toddlers. Through the pipe, you add hot water, close it up, and it keeps the food warm while the kid eats. As a bonus, the image depicting the characters is put there so as the kid gets closer to finishing the meal, the image is revealed.”

16. “This mystery item was received as a gift, no packaging. The material is firm foam and has a little give. What is this thing?”

Answer: “It appears to be a neck pillow/stretcher. Here’s a similar one.”

Which one of these items above do you have in your own house? If you could gift any of these to one of your friends, which object would you choose? Let us know in the comments.