# Will my 17 year old know what this doodad is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749 "2010-12-19T20:49:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/21 "2010-12-20T00:00:08Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Not in my world they aren’t. I was born in 1970, and I definitely had 45s with the big holes and tons of those adapters. 8-tracks, though, were something from the past. My parents had a stereo with an 8-track player, but had long since moved to albums. The only 8-tracks in the house were very, very old. Not that old, they were invented in [1964](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_tape) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/22 "2010-12-20T00:10:25Z")
I believe it is a spacer to put in the center of a record so as to play it on a smaller diameter spindle. That takes you back to 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm and 78 record days. You had to select your speed before you put a record on. Some required the spacer too. That is long before 8 track. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/23 "2010-12-20T00:52:37Z")
I’d doubt it, many people 10 years older wouldn’t know what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/24 "2010-12-20T00:57:42Z")
Add me to the no list. I know what it is, but I am 49. ---
**Author:** ![Troubles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Troubles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troubles)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/25 "2010-12-20T01:10:41Z")
I’m 17 and I had no clue what the hell that thing was when I saw the picture. I know what it is now, thanks to the posters in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/26 "2010-12-20T01:34:58Z")
Why are those 3 yellow penises chasing each other? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/27 "2010-12-20T01:38:33Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I believe it is a spacer to put in the center of a record so as to play it on a smaller diameter spindle. That takes you back to 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm and 78 record days. You had to select your speed before you put a record on. Some required the spacer too. That is long before 8 track. This is exactly correct. I grew up with the things, and in fact have a box of about 100 jazz 45s, all with spindle adapters. They snap into the hole in the middle of the 45 record. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/28 "2010-12-20T01:40:50Z")
I doubt it. I know what it is and could pull some out (my mom has a fairly large 45 collection, which she rarely plays). Anyone else remember what a pain it was to get them in? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/29 "2010-12-20T01:56:27Z")
I had to look at the photo a few minutes - I thought it was someone who peed in the snow, trying to make a smiley face. Then I saw what it was. Yes, I do remember them - back when some turntables could be set to 33-1/3, 45 or even the rarer 78. And then you would have to buy those damn turntable needles (diamond or sapphire point?) and if you stacked too many records, they would slip and the speed would be off and the sound was weird. Can’t say that I miss those days much. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/30 "2010-12-20T02:02:32Z")
I’m guessing there’s a better chance he’ll recognize it as the cover of a [Black Crowes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Black_Crowes_-_Three_Snakes_and_One_Charm.jpg) album. But I doubt he’ll even know it as that. FTR, I’m 30 and only recognize it because I’ve seen pictures of it. I’ve had three record players in my life (one was a Fisher Price when I was little, one was my dad’s old “Hi-Fi” type unit and one came as part of an all-in-one stereo I bought around 1994 or so), all of them had a hub that popped up to take the place of that. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/31 "2010-12-20T02:07:37Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’m 46 and I remember them well but I haven’t seen one in like 30 years. Ditto, age and all. 11 year old daughter had no clue what it was. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/32 "2010-12-20T02:21:02Z")
I’m 48 and am well aware of what the thing is. I used them all the time in the 70s and even into the 80s. I still have my collection of 45s from when I started buying them in the 70s. Let me see if I can tell what is the most recent one that still had the large hole. . . As it turns out, I have several from 1988, including “Bring Me Some Water” from Melissa Etheridge, and “Orinoco Flow” from Enya. By that time I had been collecting singles for more than ten years. Boy do I feel old compared to those of you who don’t even know what that adapter is. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/33 "2010-12-20T02:38:24Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > Why are those 3 yellow penises chasing each other? [Triskele](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskele). ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/34 "2010-12-20T02:57:37Z")
I’m 43, and having trouble wiping the smile of recognition off my face. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/35 "2010-12-20T03:08:11Z")
42, and I knew what it is immediately. I don’t have any though, nor do I have any 45’s. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/36 "2010-12-20T04:36:53Z")
Every turntable I’ve seen whether vintage or new had a plug style adapter [like this](http://www.45rpmrecordadapters.com/45rpm_professional_adapters.htm). Why would you then need those “spider” type adapters? Did turntables in the fifities not come with the plug style? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/37 "2010-12-20T05:30:34Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Every turntable I’ve seen whether vintage or new had a plug style adapter [like this](http://www.45rpmrecordadapters.com/45rpm_professional_adapters.htm). Why would you then need those “spider” type adapters? Did turntables in the fifities not come with the plug style? Not just the fifties, there were plenty of turntables being made into the early eighties (that is, until the advent of CDs) that didn’t have plug adapters. The issue wasn’t the era when the turntable was built but how cheap it was. Cheap turntables didn’t come with the adapters. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/38 "2010-12-20T05:40:18Z")
So why didn’t they just make the records with a smaller hole instead of making the huge hole then an adapter? I’ve seen plenty of old record players, I’ve never seen one with a huge spindle like the 45’s needed. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/39 "2010-12-20T05:53:20Z")
I’m guessing no, he won’t know what it is. I’ve even seen one like in the OP before, but I wouldn’t have known what it was without reading the URL because the ones my folks had looked like [this](http://www.jukn55.com/Garrard_45.jpg) instead. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749/40 "2010-12-20T07:19:44Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Not just the fifties, there were plenty of turntables being made into the early eighties (that is, until the advent of CDs) that didn’t have plug adapters. > > The issue wasn’t the era when the turntable was built but how cheap it was. Cheap turntables didn’t come with the adapters. We had a turntable with a spindle that would let you stack several records and it would drop them one at a time when the previous one finished playing. The only way to play a stack of 45s would be with the adapter inserts mentioned in the OP. The other kind wouldn’t work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-17-year-old-know-what-this-doodad-is/564749.md?page=3)