22 Mysterious Objects Solved in Minutes by Internet Users

The internet is full of sharp-eyed sleuths who can solve mysteries in no time. From strange objects found in attics to puzzling items spotted in everyday life, these 22 cases had people stumped — until online users cracked them with surprising ease.

1. “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.

2. “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.

3. “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.

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

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

5. “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.

6. “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, such as pens, batteries, etc.).

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

Answer: This is absolutely a rocket part.

8. “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.

9. “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.

10. “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.

11. “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.

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

Answer: It’s a spaghetti server.

13. “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.

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

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

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

Answer: They’re ice cream spoons.

16. “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.

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

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

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

Answer: It’s a tie hanger.

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

Answer: It’s a part of a tea infuser.

20. “Small cloth bag with wood stand in a laundry room.”

Answer: Costa Rican pour-over coffee rig.

21. “What is this chair thing? Wood, small adult/child size, Found at The Plantation House by Gaylord’s (Hawaii).”

Answer: Telephone bench/desk.

22. “Wood, rotating outer ring. Around 20cm diameter and didn’t try to spin inner rings for fear of damaging it.”

Answer: its a tide calculator.

How often do you try to Google things when you need to solve a mystery? Which object was the most interesting to you?

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