Archive Category: What Is It

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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What is it? Game 84

Posted by Alex in What Is It on December 4, 2008 at 7:49 am

Yay! It’s time for our weekly collaboration with the What is it? Blog. This week brings us this strange object to the left - can you guess what it is for?

The first person who guessed right (or the funniest guess, if nobody got it right) wins a Free Neatorama T-Shirt! Contest rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please, but you can enter as many times as you wish. Post no URLs, let others play.

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

Good luck, everyone!

Update 12/6/08 - The answer is A wall mount forward seat saddle rack.. Congratulations to Jared who got it right!

 
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What is it? Game 83

Posted by Alex in What Is It on November 27, 2008 at 7:19 am

Today’s collaboration with the What is it? blog brings us this strange contraption (no - it’s not a gun). Can you guess what it is?

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

Update 11/28/08 - The answer is: “The American Bull Dog Boot Jack”, used for removing boots, patent number 329,576.

That was too easy (the answer was in the photo itself)!

 
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What is it? Game 82

Posted by Alex in What Is It on November 20, 2008 at 7:19 am

All right, all you guessing experts - here’s this week’s collaboration What is it? blog: can you guess what this strange object is (and don’t say trumpet, cuz it’s not!)

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 11/21/08 - the answer is:

A house jack, primarily used for leveling houses and barns, these were also used for lifting vehicles and machinery.

That was too easy! Guessed right, right away, by Jared.

 
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What is it? Game 81

Posted by Alex in What Is It on November 13, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Hooray! It’s time for our weekly collaboration with the What is it? blog. Today’s mystery object is shown to the left. 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 and larger pic, check out the What is it? blog. Good luck!

Update 11/14/08 - the answer is:

A raising fork for telegraph poles, this lineman’s tool was used to support one end of a pole during up-ending. Although it does resemble a Japanese Sasumata, which is used by firefighters and police, patent number 781,973 shows a similar fork that was invented in 1904. The bottom of this page has a photo of larger versions of this tool in use.

Lots of very good guesses, guys!

 
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What is it? Game 80

Posted by Alex in What Is It on November 6, 2008 at 8:46 am

Today’s collaboration with the What is it? blog brings us this strange object (no, it’s not a gun). Can you guess what it is?

Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please. You can enter as many guesses as you’d like. PLEASE POST NO LINKS/URLs. First one to guess correctly will win a Free Neatorama T-Shirt. If no one guessed right, then the funniest guess will win.

For a larger pic, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 11/7/08 - the answer is:

A chicken dispatching device, there is a sharp blade concealed by the large part at the top right, a plunger is inserted into the small hole at the end of the barrel to set the spring which is attached to the blade.

To read more details about how it works, see patent number 507,792.

Congratulations to Scotty D. Fulton who got it right!

 
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What is It? Game 79

Posted by Alex in What Is It on October 30, 2008 at 7:37 am

Today’s collaboration with What is it? blog brings us this object. Can you guess what it is? (No, it’s not an axe!)

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

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

Update 10/31/08 - the answer is:

A George Washington Door Stop, by Newton Mfg Co., Newton, Iowa, in use it was stood on its head with the wedge going under the door.

Congratulations to ALC who go it right!

 
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What Is It? Game 78

Posted by Alex in What Is It on October 16, 2008 at 7:17 pm

Yay! It’s time for our collaboration with What is it? Blog - can you guess what this strange contraption is for?

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

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

Update 10/17/08 - Here’s the answer:

A rack lifter, this winch was powered by horses and was used to elevate a wagon box or rack of hay up to the second floor of a barn, where it was forked to the storage area. Patent number 379,693 has some drawings of a similar device.

Congrats to utron who got it right first!

 
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What is it? Game 77

Posted by Alex in What Is It on October 9, 2008 at 7:59 am

Hooray! It’s time for our collaboration with the What is it? blog - can you guess what this strange "bucket" is for?

First correct guess will win a free Neatorama T-shirt. If no one gets it right, then the funniest guess will win. Please enter 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 - let others play.

For more clues, including an intriguing photo of some small notches at the bottom, please visit the What is it? blog (please note the new website address for the What is it? blog). Good luck!

Update 10/10/08 - The answer is:

A bee hive or bee gum, the two notches are doors and the rods in the center are for support. From this site:

Honey was not the only reward for cutting a bee tree. The hunter could also claim the bees. They were kept in home-made structures called gums, made by cutting 3-4 foot sections from hollow sweet-gum logs (or some other type of wood), burning the interior until the surface was slick, cutting one or two small inverted V’s in the bottom as passageways for the bees, and covering the slanted top with a rough plank roof. A cross piece was nailed in the middle for the bees to fasten their comb to.

Congrats to breezy who guessed it right!

 
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What is it? Game 76

Posted by Alex in What Is It on September 25, 2008 at 7:23 am

This week’s collaboration with 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 fame and glory only. For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 9/26/08 - the answer is: “A toaster for use at a fireplace.” Too easy, huh? Guessed right by ellrabin right out of the gate!

 
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What is it? Game 75

Posted by Alex in What Is It on September 4, 2008 at 7:00 am

Today’s collaboration with What is it? blog brings us this strange-looking object. Can you guess what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section - no prize this week, you’re playing for fame and glory only. Please post no URL to let others play.

Don’t forget to check out What is it? blog for more clues!

Good luck!

Update 9/5/08 - the answer: A steak tenderizer, patent number 525,595, the plates pivot so that they can be cleaned, they can also be removed to sharpen the teeth. No one got it right!

 
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What is it? Game 74

Posted by Alex in What Is It on August 28, 2008 at 7:00 am

Today’s collaboration with the What is it? blog brings us this strange object. Is it a weapon? Or simply a tool? 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. But please post no URL - let others play.

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

Update 8/29/08 - the answer is: A corn havester, for cutting corn stalks at the base without bending over, patent number 471,889, a modern version is still sold today. Congratulations to Roscoe who got it right first!

 
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