What Is It? game 256

It's time for the latest edition of our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog. Can you guess what this thing is? Or can you make up something silly?

Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many guesses as you'd like in separate comments. Pease do not post URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. Two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will win T-shirt from the NeatoShop.

Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?

See all this week's mystery objects at the What Is It? Blog. Good luck!

Update: this previously-unknown object is a tie press. This week, H.Walter was the first person who knew the answer, and wins a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! The award for the funniest answer goes to Kevin George, who said,

It's a prehistoric typewriter. Before language was developed, there was only one letter in the alphabet. You would type that letter by pressing the button on top. The knob on the side advanced the paper. You could type out your story: Oo oo ooooo!

He wins a t-shirt, too! Thanks to everyone who played along this week. You find the answers to all the mystery items of the week at the What Is It? blog.


Comments (42)

Newest 5
Newest 5 Comments

It's for digging holes.

You step on the flat tabs around the top to drive it into the ground like a triple shovel. You attach a rope to the eye in the middle and pull up to remove the device from the hole. Pulling in the center causes the hinged center bits to contract; the curved rods holding the top together slide through their fittings enabling the top to expand; the whole construction grasps the dirt it surrounds enabling you to pull all that dirt from the hole.
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It is a form used to make barrels. By compressing the handles on the inside, it expands and retracts the wooden panels from the inside of the barrel as it is being made.
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From the three handles, I would guess it's used to stretch something, but it can't be barrels because it's too small. Maybe it makes small barrels?
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As the previous poster said, it's for digging holes...more specifically, I believe it's for digging water wells. It would be lowered into a well on a rope and a worker or workers at the bottom would step on the tabs to press it into the soil to get another bite. When pulled up with the rope (tied to the center loop) the bottom closes together pulling the soil up with it.
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I reckon its something for keeping your tophat in shape. Much like the fancy gadgets that you can put in your shoes or boots to keep them in shape.
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Upon closer inspection, it would be difficult aerodynamically for this design to dispell air efficiently, but very able to raise, lower and CHURN fresh cows' milk into a thick slurry that, upon refrigeration, would thereafter be called Butter.
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I think it was used to fill bags. Put it in the bag and it would hold it open while filling. Then upon retraction by the center eye the sides of the device would pull in a bit allowing removal of the device.
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Its a retention device for lifting (or lowering) cylindercal objects like pipes with one rope or cable. It goes in the cylinder, spread the tangs, rope or hook goes in the eyelet.
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At 11" in diameter it would be too narrow to stretch a top hat. The handles inside seem to push the wooden blades out, not in, so it wouldn't be for gripping and wooden blades wouldn't work for digging. I think it is much like a shoe tree but made to keep the upper segment of riding boots in proper shape.
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