Archive Category: What Is It




What Is It? Game 114

Posted by Alex in What Is It on November 5, 2009 at 7:36 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with the always awesome What is it? Blog. This week’s entry is this strange looking object to the left: can you guess what it is?

Two prizes this week: the first person to guess correctly and the funniest (but ultimately wrong) guess will win a T-shirt from the Neatorama Shop.

Contest rules are darned easy: place your guess in the comment below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you’d like. Post no URL or web links – let others play (doing so will forfeit your entry).

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 11/6/09 – the answer is:An exercise club, the 1897 patent says it was “for the purpose of testing the strength of the wrist and forearm”, additional weights could be attached to the bottom of it, patent number 578,230. Commonly known as Indian clubs, these can be found in a wide variety of sizes and weights.

Congratulations to Mr. Weaver who got it right first and to huh? for the um, very funny entry that I won’t repeat here. :)

 
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What is it? Game 113

Posted by Alex in What Is It on October 29, 2009 at 7:07 am

This week’s collaboration with the What is it? Blog brings us this strange looking device – can you guess what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, however, you can guess as many times as you’d like. Post no URL or links – let others play.

No prize this week – you’re playing for bragging rights only. For more clues, check out that What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 10/30/09 – the answer: A policeman’s blackjack or sap, for striking miscreants on the head, this was on display with a pair of handcuffs and a different type of blackjack that looked like a small club. Congrats to Tim Giachetti who got it right first!

 
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What Is It? Game 112

Posted by Alex in What Is It on October 22, 2009 at 7:24 am

Woohoo! It’s time for our collaboration with the What is it? Blog – can you guess what this strange tool above is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment please. You can, however, guess as many times as you’d like. Post no URL or links – doing so will forfeit your winnings.

Two winners this week: the first correct guess and the funniest (but ultimately wrong) guess will win Bacon Soap from the Neatorama Shop. Check out the Bacon Store for more bacon goodness!

For more clues, be sure to visit the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 10/23/09 – the answer: A corn sheller, it was used to remove the undesirable shaped kernels of corn from the ends of ears leaving the large flat kernels thought to be the best for planting.

Congratulations to Tom P. who guessed right, and Dave H. who came up with “Bris-O-Matic”

 
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What is it? Game 111

Posted by Alex in What Is It on October 8, 2009 at 7:03 am

Here’s this week’s collaboration with the What is it? Blog. Can you tell us what this strange tool is used for? The first correct guess AND the funniest guess win this awesome Ice Invaders Ice Cube Tray from the Neatorama Shop.

Game rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please. You can enter as many guessed as you’d like. Please post no URL or web links – doing so will forfeit your entry.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 10/9/09 – the answer is: A clockwork roasting jack, used to turn meat while it was roasted over the fireplace. Congratulations to PaulS who guessed right and to Abe Normal who suggested that it was a wind up grenade!

 
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What Is It? Game 110

Posted by Alex in What Is It on September 24, 2009 at 7:25 am

W00t! It’s time for this week’s collaboration with the always awesome What is it? Blog. Can you tell us what this strange and menacing old timey batarang is used for?

Game rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL or web links, let others play. No prize this week, so you’re playing for bragging rights only.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog – good luck!

Update 9/25/09 – the answer is: The head of a boarding axe, used by pirates to cut the ropes of boarding hooks, bring down masts and rigging, and generally tear through anything that stood in the way of the loot, like doors, hatches or locks. They were also employed by the U.S. Navy, the teeth behind the cutting edge were used to drag away burning rigging and sails from the decks. Congratulations to jamesmccallum who got it right! (and I must say, I’ve truly enjoyed some of your guesses!)

 
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What Is It? Game 109

Posted by Alex in What Is It on September 3, 2009 at 11:59 am

Oops – I almost forgot! Today is the we all get to play the guessing game, courtesy of the always awesome What is it? Blog. Can you guess what this strange (and dangerous!) looking tool is for?

And today being the first game of the month, let’s have a prize. The first person who guessed right will win a Cool Jazz Ice Tray and Stirrers from the Neatorama Shop. If nobody got it right, then the funniest guess will win instead. Please post no links or URLs – let others play.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Click for more Cool and Unusual Ice Trays. Good luck!

Update 9/5/09 – the answer is: A sugar devil or fruit auger, used at the general store to loosen compacted sugar or dried fruit from a barrel.

Congratulations to avalchfan who got it right!

 
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What Is It? Game 108

Posted by Alex in What Is It on August 20, 2009 at 8:42 am

Yes, this week’s collaboration with the always awesome What is it? Blog brings us … a spike – but can you guess its specific purpose? (hint: it has a VERY specific purpose)

Place your guess in the comment section – no prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory. Please post no URL – let others play. For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog.

Good luck!

Update 8/22/09 – it’s a device to disable cannons:

Since the head of this tool can pivot, it can’t be used as a hammer or pick. The owner of it had a Civil War book that described it as a cannon tool, he said that it was used by soldiers to disable enemy cannons or their own if they had to retreat. The spike was placed in the ignition hole and hammered until the cannon cracked or until the hole was large enough that the cannon was no longer usable.

I’ve since been informed that:

The phrase “to spike a cannon” meant to disable it by driving a tapered wrought iron plug, or spike, down the touch hole with a hammer until it was level and firmly embedded. I suppose the spike could eventually be drilled out, but tools to do this were not readily available, and the process would take some time.

Seems that nobody got it this time around!

 
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What Is It? Game 107

Posted by Alex in What Is It on August 6, 2009 at 7:15 am


Submitted by Willem Kossen

Hooray! It’s time for our collaboration with the always excellent (and perplexing) What is it? Blog. Can you guess what the strange object above is for?

First correct guess will win this awesome Stickman Action Figure from Neatorama’s Online Store. If no one got it right, then the funniest guess will win.

Contest rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please, but you can enter as many as you can think of. Please post no URL or web links (you’ll forfeit the prize if you do) – let others play.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 8/7/09 – The answer is: A heat sink from an old television. A lot of you guessed heat sink, but no one got it specifically for an old TV, so I picked the guess that got me ROFL-ing. Congrats to endgame47 for this guess: It is a bow tie for bad-asses.

 
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What is it? Game 106

Posted by Alex in What Is It on July 23, 2009 at 7:10 am

This week’s collaboration with the always awesome What Is It? Blog brings us this strange object – can you guess what it is for? Place your guess in the comment section – no prize this week, so you’re playing for the fun of it.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog – Good luck!

Update 7/26/09 – That was too easy! The answer: A dart aerial gunnery target, this dart tow-target was fired upon by F-84F pilots of the 162nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard, Springfield, Ohio, during 1968 summer training exercises in Michigan. It was towed behind another airplane on 1,500 to 2,000 feet of cable and was equipped with a radar reflector to permit the use of radar gunsights. It was returned to earth by parachute upon completion of a gunnery mission. The damage was caused by .50-cal. bullets.

Congratulations to Jared who got it right first!

 
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What Is It? Game 105

Posted by Alex in What Is It on July 16, 2009 at 8:07 am

This week’s collaboration with the What is it? Blog brings us this strange tool above – can you guess what it is for? Place your guess in the comment section. No prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 7/19/09 – the answer is: A transmission spring compressor and holder for Model T Fords, according to a patent for a similar tool: …for compressing and holding transmission band springs, which band springs are carried by bolts disposed in a removable section of a transmission casing. From patent number 1,433,944. Nobody got it this time around …

 
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What Is It? Game 104

Posted by Alex in What Is It on July 9, 2009 at 8:16 am

w00t! It’s time for this week’s collaboration with the always fascinating What is it? Blog. Can you guess what the strange object above is for?

Place your guess in the comment section – no prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory (and fun, of course). Be sure to check the What is it? Blog for more clues! Good luck!

Update 7/10/09 – the answer is: A stifle or patten horseshoe, when a horse injures the stifle joint, they put one of these shoes on the opposite leg of the injured one so the horse will put weight on the hurt leg so it will not be further damaged. Congratulations to Jess who got it right, though I must say that I love Jared’s horsestiletto idea!

 
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What is it? Game 103

Posted by Alex in What Is It on July 2, 2009 at 7:12 am

This week’s collaboration with the What is it? Blog is super easy (maybe) – can you guess what the object above is used for?

Two prizes this week: a free Neatorama T-shirt for the first correct guess and another one for the funniest, but incorrect one. Place your guess in the comment section – one guess per comment, though you can enter as many as you can think of. Post no URLs or weblinks – let others play (if you do, you’ll forfeit the prize).

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog – Have fun and good luck!

Update 7/3/09 – the answer is: A golf ball marker, according to the patent:

The object of the invention is to provide an instrument for impressing a distinctive mark, as the initials of a person, upon golf balls and the like, whereby, the ownership of said balls will be indicated and said balls returned to their owners, if lost and later found.

The part with the black handle is used to apply the ink, patent number 1,281,063..

Congrats to the winners: Jared, who got it right first, and Sam Saturday, who got me crackin’ with “pocket mohel”!

 
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What is it? Game 102

Posted by Alex in What Is It on June 25, 2009 at 7:39 am

This week’s collaboration with the always fun What is it? Blog brings us this strange tool. Can you guess what it is for? Hint: it has a very specific use, and it’s not what you’re thinking about.

Place your guess in the comment section. No prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory. Please post no URL, so others can play.

Be sure t check out the What is it? Blog for more hints. Good luck!

Update 6/26/09 – the answer is: A life raft bullet hole plug, it was part of a kit for a life raft that was carried on an airplane or large ship.

Congratulations to Chris P. who got it right first!

 
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What is it? Game 101

Posted by Alex in What Is It on June 17, 2009 at 8:13 am

Yay! It’s time for this week’s collaboration with the always awesome What is it? blog. Can you guess what this um, rather violent-looking tool is used for? Hint: it has a very specific use – and it’s not for braining someone!

Place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL or web links – let others play! No prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 6/18/09 – The answer is: A trucker’s tire checker, tires are struck with this tool and from the sound and feel they can tell if the tires are properly inflated. Congrats to Bill Wixon who got it right first!

 
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What Is It? Game 100: Win a Road Mice Computer Mouse!

Posted by Alex in What Is It on June 11, 2009 at 7:51 am

Today’s collaboration with What is it? blog is very special for us. Since our very first What is it? game in November 2006, I’ve always wondered when we would reach this milestone: our 100th game. Well, here it is!

To celebrate this milestone, we have a nifty prize:

The first person who guessed right will win this awesome Black Camaro Road Mice Wireless Mouse from the Neatorama Online Shop. If no one gets it right, then the funniest guess will win it instead.

This sporty mouse is the perfect for car lovers. If you don’t win, you can still "cruise the web in style" with the Road Mice Wireless Computer Mouse by buying one from our online shop. As always, your purchase helps support the blog.

Contest rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL or web links – doing so will forfeit your entry (be kind and let others play!) One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many guesses as you’d like.

More clues at the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 6/13/09 – The answer is: A Copenhagen snuff can opener, used for cutting the paper seal on the can. Congratulations to attorneyadrian who got it right first!

 
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What is it? Game 99

Posted by Alex in What Is It on May 14, 2009 at 7:24 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with the What is it? Blog – can you guess what this object is for? Place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL, let others play. No prize this week, so you’re playing for bragging rights only.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 5/17/09 – The answer is: A Geyser Tube, used for the Coke and Mentos geyser experiment, to see it in action check out the video at the link. Congrats to Jared who got it right out of the gate!

 
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What Is It? Game 98

Posted by Alex in What Is It on May 7, 2009 at 7:49 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with the always-fun What is It? blog. Can you guess what this strange contraption pictured to the left is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please – though you can enter as many as you’d like. Please post no URL or weblinks – let others play (you’ll be disqualified if you do so).

The first person who guessed right will get a Free Neatorama T-shirt. If no one gets it right, then the funniest guess will win.

Is it a prototype Dalek? Find more clues at the What is It? Blog. Good luck!

Update 5/8/09 – that was too easy! Here’s the answer: A TaylorMade golf club display stand, these can be found near the indoor practice area in a golf shop. It would not have held a full set, but a selection of different models of the same number club, I saw a display like this in a local shop and it was full of six irons. The clubs were available for customers to hit a few balls with each to compare the performance of the various models.

Congratulations to: Joe #8 who got it right first!

 
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What Is It? Game 97

Posted by Alex in What Is It on April 30, 2009 at 7:59 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with the always mind-boggling What is it? blog. Can you guess what this strange device is used for?

Place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL or web links – let others play. No prize this week, so you’re playing for bragging rights only.

For more clues and other guessing fun, please visit the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 5/1/09 – The answer is: An Electraply quack medical device, according to the manual, it’s a “pulsating machine used on the body for its therapeutic action and for administering electrical massage,” patent number 1,789,758. That was too easy! Congrats to jmjrdrave who got it first (and to Jared for a more detailed answer) ;)

 
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What Is It? Game 96

Posted by Alex in What Is It on April 23, 2009 at 8:11 am

Yay! It’s time for our collaboration with the always awesome What is it? Blog. Can you guess what this strange object is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL or web links – let others play. No prize this week – you’re playing for fame and glory only.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 4/24/09 – the answer is: whale oil lamp. Seems like this is a stumper!

 
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What is it? Game 95

Posted by Alex in What Is It on April 9, 2009 at 7:48 am

Our collaboration with the What is it? Blog brings us this strange (and gruesome-looking) object. Do you know what it is for? Does it have anything to do with vampires?

Place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL / web link – let others play. No prize this week – you’re playing for bragging rights only.

For more clues, check out the What is it? blog. Good luck!

Update 4/10/09 – the answer is: Long’s 1911 New Era Rope Spreader, or rope needle, it was used with a rope machine by sliding it along the length of the strands to force the formation of a tight and constant spiral, patent number 998,360. Congratulations to zander who got it right!

 
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What Is It? Game 94

Posted by Alex in What Is It on April 2, 2009 at 7:47 am

Today’s collaboration with the What is it? blog brings us this strange contraption for your guessing pleasure: do you know what this strange tool pictured above is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. The first correct guess will win a free Neatorama T-shirt. If no one got it, then the funniest guess will win.

Contest rules are simple: one guess per comment, please – you can enter as many guesses as you’d like but please post no web links or URLs (let others play!)

For more clues, check out the What is it? blog. Good luck!

Update 4/4/08 – That was too easy! Here’s the answer: A corn sheller, used to remove the kernels from the cob, patent number 605,934. Congrats to Beretta who got it right, right from the get go!

 
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What is it? Game 93

Posted by Alex in What Is It on March 12, 2009 at 8:18 am

It’s been a while since our last What is it? game, but this one should make up for the absence: do you know what the strange tool to the left is used for?

Place your guess in the comment section – the first correct one will win a Neatorama T-shirt. If no one get it, then the funniest guess will win.

Game rules are simple: One guess per comment, please. You can enter as many guesses as you’d like. Post no URLs – let others play.

For more clues, check out the What is it? blog. Good luck!

Update 3/13/09 – The answer: A cannonball sizer, it was used as a gauge to determine if a cannonball was the correct diameter.. Congratulations to Anth who got it right!

 
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What Is It? Game 91

Posted by Alex in What Is It on February 19, 2009 at 7:06 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with the ever-awesome What Is It? blog – this week’s mystery object is this gun: can you tell us what it is for? (It has a very specific function)

Place your guess in the comment section – the first to guess correctly will get a Free Neatorama T-Shirt. If no one got it, then the funniest guess will win. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many times as you wish.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog – good luck!

Update 2/20/09 – The answer is A Rokuoh-Sha Type 89 machine gun camera, used to train Japanese aviators in aerial gunnery. The first guess that’s specific enough was #15, by “Give the shirt to the funniest answer :) ” So, per that request, the free shirt goes to: Melphistopheles for his guess of early colonoscopy device!

Congrats Mel – and thank you to everybody for their awesome guesses. That was fun!

 
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The Farm Tools Quiz

Posted by Alex in What Is It on February 13, 2009 at 11:11 pm

Our pal What is it? Blog just put together a whatchamacallit quiz of farm tools. We’ve seen many of these strange tools before on our What is it? feature on Neatorama – but many are new (not to mention strange!)

If you like the Hammer Quiz, check this one out: Link – Thanks Rob!

 
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What is it? Game 90

Posted by Alex in What Is It on January 29, 2009 at 7:37 am

This week’s collaboration with the What is it? Blog brings us this wonderfully strange contraption. It has a very specific (and awesome) function – can you tell us what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. No prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory only. For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 1/30/09 – the answer is:

A Marquardt Space Sled, designed for individual space maneuvering in the vicinity of a spacecraft, this design was never used and instead they went with the shuttle manned maneuvering unit.

No one got it right! Score one for Neatorama and the What is it? blog!

 
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What is it? Game 89

Posted by Alex in What Is It on January 22, 2009 at 8:01 am

Hooray! It’s time for our collaboration with the ever-awesome What is it? Blog. This week brings us this strange lookin’ object. Can you guess what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section – no prize this week, so you’re playing for bragging rights only.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog! Good luck!

Update 1/24/09 – the answer is:

A tool used to remove carbon deposits from the gooves of a piston, patent number 1,768,692. Text on it reads: “Owatonna Tool Co. #840, Made in Owatonna, Minn. USA”.

 
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What is it? Game 88

Posted by Alex in Weapons & War, What Is It on January 15, 2009 at 7:50 am

W00t! (or better yet, Yikes!) Our weekly collaboration with the What is it? Blog brings us this scary looking thing. Yes, it’s a dagger, but can you guess what it is specifically for?

Place your guess in the comment section. No prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory. Please don’t post any URL, let others play.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 1/17/09 – the answer is: A katar dagger from India, a type of short punching sword used to pierce armor in hand to hand combat.

Congratulations to Kit Cloud who got it right off the bat. Must’ve been too easy for you guys!

 
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What is it? Game 87

Posted by Alex in What Is It on January 8, 2009 at 6:41 am

Our weekly collaboration with the What is it? Blog brings us this mysterious object – can you guess what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. No prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory only. Please don’t post any URL – let others play.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog.

Update 1/9/09 – the answer: An Honor Box or English Tavern Tobacco Box from the mid 1800’s, it could have been found in a bar where a patron would insert a coin and push the button to open the lid and, on his honor, take out just enough tobacco to fill his pipe.

Congrats to Shrike who guessed right!

 
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What is it? Game 86

Posted by Alex in What Is It on January 1, 2009 at 6:43 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with What is it? Blog. This week’s mysterious object is pictured to the left: can you guess what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please, but you can enter as many as you can think of. Post no URLs, let others play. The first person who guesses right (or gives the funniest guess, if no one gets it right) wins a Free Neatorama T-Shirt.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 1/2/09 – here’s the answer: A BLU-26/B ball-type submunition of a cluster bomb, this inert practice piece has aerodynamic vanes and is made of solid metal, it’s also called a Guava Bomblet.

Congratulations to JKirchartz who got it right! And a big thank you and a free T-shirt to Coyote who corrected the missing picture error!

 
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What is it? Game 85

Posted by Alex in What Is It on December 26, 2008 at 6:54 am

Hooray! It’s time for our collaboration with the always excellent What is it? Blog. This week brings us this strange object pictured to the left. Can you guess what it is?

Today being Christmas, the first person (or the funniest guess, if no one gets it right) wins a Free Neatorama T-Shirt! The game rules are darned simple: place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, but you can enter as many ones as you can think of. Post no URLs, please let others play.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 12/28/08 – the answer: This was marked “grenade launcher”, I’ve since found that it’s a European racquet grenade that’s missing the charge and the fuse, it was probably meant to be used with a trip wire to make a booby trap, but if a different type of fuse was attached the whole thing could have been thrown as a grenade. – congrats to SarahW who got it right first!

 
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