# What IS That Thing??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751 "2001-06-06T01:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/1 "2001-06-06T01:22:37Z")
I’ve…I’ve never seen anything like it, ever. It’s too weird. It looks like a cross between a bass fiddle and a Pekingese. But from the back, it looks kinda like a banana. (yes, Persephone is feeling a bit strange today. Just amuse me, okay? :D) ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/2 "2001-06-06T01:42:30Z")
I just want to know what you do with it! I mean, that thing on the top there looks rather, well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/3 "2001-06-06T01:47:18Z")
It’s a baritone dust mop with a, well, a banana. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/4 "2001-06-06T02:03:27Z")
Err, what is WHAT thing? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/5 "2001-06-06T02:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > \*\*Err, what is WHAT thing? \*\* [Steve Martin]What the hell is that?[/Steve Martin] Is that obnoxious yet? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/6 "2001-06-06T02:20:58Z")
How could you make fun of me like that?! (stomps off in a teary huff) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/7 "2001-06-06T02:30:25Z")
Who cares _what_ it is? More importantly- is it available for wedding receptions and other parties? ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/8 "2001-06-06T02:43:23Z")
What, _THAT_ thing over there? Okay, now you know those really big things that they use to process the zinc in electroplating? Those big things that are big, but are actually kinda’ small – I mean in relation to other big things in the world, like whales and galaxies and Ford Explorers and stuff? Do you know what I’m talking about? You know, _Those_ things… Right, the things that get all hot and smell like ozone when they get hot. No, no, no! Your thinking of the pointy-uppy thing, I’m talking about the two lay-ie down-ie things that kinda’ lay down in a “L” shaped kinda’ shape – but not in a “L” shape? Riiiiight. _THOSE_ things. Now I’m no expert, but to me it sorta’ looks like something that might be used for something like those things are used for. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/9 "2001-06-06T05:37:05Z")
“It’s a floor wax!” “It’s a dessert topping, you _cow_!!” ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/10 "2001-06-06T06:22:20Z")
Nope, I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like that before, in my entire life. Except maybe this once, just north of Atlanta, in a Waffle House off the freeway. A skinny guy in a leather jacket brought it in out of the rain, and just sorta left it there. I don’t know what happened to it, but it did cause the waitresses some consternation. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/11 "2001-06-06T06:24:37Z")
Well, … it’s not my grandmother’s douche-bag. That’s in Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/12 "2001-06-06T10:13:20Z")
“Look, up in the sky!” “It’s a bird!” “It’s a plane!” “No, it’s Sup… wait a minute, why the hell would either of you excitedly point out a bird or a plane?” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/13 "2001-06-06T10:49:13Z")
Criminy, why must some people leave their stuff laying around like that? Bad enough we have to look at it and walk around it, but now it’s starting to _smell_!! Well, I’m not cleaning it up… ---
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/14 "2001-06-06T11:36:29Z")
Can you eat it? Can you have sex with it? No? I’m off. ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/15 "2001-06-06T11:52:39Z")
[Steve Martin/ You kids, don’t put yer lips on it!/Steve Martin] Well, I saw something like it ONCE, but that was in Bhutan and it was supposed to have been destroyed. We’ll soon get to the bottom of this. Fetch the Book of Armaments! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/16 "2001-06-06T14:46:48Z")
Hey look! It’s got a coin slot over here. I’ll just put a quarter in it…ummpphhh. **OH MY GOD!!!** ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/17 "2001-06-06T15:22:44Z")
Ohhh geez you hate to see that don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/18 "2001-06-06T15:56:00Z")
You think aha would know there are worse things to do besides look a gift…whatever in the mouth. I hope you can get your clothes clean. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/19 "2001-06-06T21:42:11Z")
You know, the more I look at it, the more it looks like…nah. I’m wrong. But I think **Inky-** is on to something there, with that thingy-thing. But \*_aha_ is kinda right, too–that really was more than I needed to see. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751/20 "2001-06-06T23:14:13Z")
In my family we call these things “the festeris.” That’s the generic name for everything that you can’t recall the name of at that very instance. “Where’s the…oh, you know…the…the…oh hell, where’s the festeris?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-thing/67751.md?page=2)