# Household Mysteries, beyond "Where did the sock go?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-mysteries-beyond-where-did-the-sock-go/824497>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 14, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-mysteries-beyond-where-did-the-sock-go/824497 "2018-11-14T03:55:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-mysteries-beyond-where-did-the-sock-go/824497/101 "2018-11-19T18:57:15Z")

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> [@Folacin](#):
>
> One thing I’ve learned about small parts is that if I drop one, under no circumstance should I attempt to snatch it out of the air. A successful snatch is of course great, but a miss will send it who knows where. I’ve trained myself to let it fall and keep an eye on it all the way to the ground and then follow it until it stops and can be safely picked up.

I actually attached a small tray (made from plastic guttering) to the front of my workbench, which has cut down on lost **DROPPED** parts to a great degree (it still sometimes takes a bit of hunting to find the part with-in the tray, as natural human instinct commands this tray to be used to hold small tools and raw stock as well. However it doesn’t help with the parts launched into the air by tweezer spronging, which happens too often.  
And no, I never once considered that [parts catcher bib from Micromark](http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/31/a-toolmongers-bib/).

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**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-mysteries-beyond-where-did-the-sock-go/824497/102 "2018-11-19T20:43:45Z")

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> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Oh my god, Cell phones. I cannot tell you how many I have lost. I just cannot keep up with them. Granted, I am a bit flakey, but, read up above about my hairbrush I’ve had since grade 9. I am not careless. My brain just wigs out on me about these damnable phones. I don’t know why I concern myself with it. My kids and Mr.Wrekker insist I keep one. You’d think they are worried about me or something. Nah. Couldn’t be that.😉

I put off getting a cell phone for this reason. I knew I’d be dropping phones and leaving them behind. Then the day I broke down and bought one, I saw [a cover that made it look like a little book](https://www.twelvesouth.com/product/bookbook-for-iphone). I’m used to keeping track of books! I got that cover and have only lost track of my phone (outside of the house) once.

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