What's the story behind that fluffy ball on top your beanie?
What's the real purpose of that tiny pocket in your jeans?
Find out in 16 Things You Didn't Know The Purpose Of!
Number 16.
"Tiny Pocket" You may have made up plenty of your own custom
uses for that strange tiny pocket on your jeans whether it be storing hard candies,
protecting secret notes or just holding your loose change but you might not know what it
was originally designed for.
Jeans were originally designed in the middle of the 19th century as a more durable pant
for the miners that flocked to California in search of gold.
One of the most common and important gadgets of the time was the pocket watch and this
pocket was made to snuggly hold these sometimes expensive time-keepers.
As for those bizarre looking often dimpled rivets that adorn your jeans?
Well these were an innovation allowed jeans to further battle the harsh elements of the
American frontier.
Each one of that those rivets is strategically placed in a part of the jeans where the seams
were prone to tearing.
Number 15.
"Pen Cap" You have definitely noticed the tiny hole
in the top of a cap and may have used it to try and make a whistle or pretended it was
a tiny spyglass.
Most people believe this hole has something to do with preventing a pen from drying-out
but this is not the case.
The hole in the pen cap actually serves as a safety feature.
In the event that a small child swallows one, the hole allows air to pass through and reduces
the risk of suffocation.
Number 14.
"Measuring Tape Tools" The modern measuring tape machine is a handy
invention that most construction workers and contractors can't live without, but even some
of the most skilled workers might not know it has two incredible yet simple features.
First there is the serrated edge on the metal end of the tape.
This was put into the design so that if you desired you could put a minor scratch or indentation
into the surface you are measuring, in order to give you a marker to make further measurements
or designs off of.
The other feature is right next to the serrated edge.
You may have noticed the small hole that is commonly located in the metal tip.
So what's the purpose of this?
Well this is so that if you are measuring something from a point where a nail or screw
is you can hook the tape onto the nail and hold the tape in place.
Number 13.
"The Quarter's Edge" You probably have spied the hundreds of tiny
grooves that mark the outside edge of a quarter but not thought twice about it having a purpose.
But these tiny ridges actually once served an important function and no it's not just
so magician's can get a better grip during coin tricks.
Up until recently, historically speaking, the cost of the metals in a coin reflected
the coins value so many people took to shaving the edges off of the coins and then used the
rest of the coin to purchase items as if the coin still had full value.
They would then save up their shavings and melted them together to create new coins or
just sell the chunks.
In order to combat this, coin minters started putting these ridges on their coins so that
retailers could tell whether the coins had been shaved.
This practice, though not necessary today, is carried on for the sake of tradition and
aesthetic.
So why don't nickels have them?
Because no one cares about nickels.
Number 11.
"Handy Hole" The modern soda can is an engineering marvel,
but you have probably never noticed one of its coolest features.
The hole in the tab.
You may have thought it only served the purpose of adding grip but there is a hidden feature
that you will kick yourself once you see it.
The hole is actually designed so that if you turn the tab around, you can place a straw
in it and it will hold it into place while you sip your sweet treat.
Number 10.
"Extra Fabric" Chances are you have bought some new clothes
at some point and noticed that they came with a little plastic ziploc bag that had a couple
extra buttons and a swatch of the clothing items material.
We know that the buttons are extras in case you pop one during Thanksgiving dinner...But
what's the purpose of the piece of fabric?
It is a common misconception that this swatch is extra material in case you get a hole in
your clothes and need to patch it up.
In actuality this little piece of cloth is so you can test your detergent or various
clothes washing methods on it before risking ruining the nice cardigan you just paid top-dollar
for.
Number 9.
"Cart Loops" If you do your own grocery shopping the odds
are you have dealt with a nightmare grocery bagger who no matter how delicately you originally
put your groceries into your cart just bags them up and throws them in without a care
for the crushing of bread and eggs that will ensue.
Not saying that you should be a busy body and tell the bagger how to do their job but
maybe next time you can demonstrate how use this grocery cart feature that even most grocery
stores seem to have forgotten.
You may have noticed that on the back of the child seat in the shopping cart there a small
metal loops that jut out.
These aren't designed as some weak torture device for children no, they have an ingenious
purpose.
You see, these hooks are there so that when you are replacing your now-bagged groceries
back into your cart either you or the bagger can hang the bags with the lighter items on
them while the heavier items are put at the bottom of the cart.
Such a simple design that has sadly fallen by the wayside.
Number 8.
"Half-Belt" Especially if you live in a colder climate
you may own or have owned a trench coat or jacket that features a small strap on its
back that has button that attaches to nothing and that seemingly serves no purpose but looks.
Though they may have evolved into a fashion feature, the half-belt (as it is known) once
was an innovative way to help keep troops warm during winter.
Trench coats used to be purposefully made oversized so that they could also be used
as portable blankets.
The half-belt on the back was used to keep this extra material buttoned up neat and tidy
so troops wouldn't trip on it while it was being used as a jacket.
Number 7.
"Gas Gauge Arrow" You are guaranteed to be embarrassed for ever
parking on the wrong side of a gas pump once you know this next one.
You see, automobile manufacturers had already came up with an idea to prevent this from
happening ages ago.
Next time you look at your fuel gauge on your dashboard see if you can spot a little arrow
next to the pump icon.
Which ever way this arrow points is the side that the cap for your gas tank is on.
Pretty clever right?
Because it is so rarely noticed some car manufacturers that have stopped putting it on the gauge
at all and some companies have made it so that the side the nozzle is on in gas icon
is the side your cap is on.
Number 6.
"Converse Lacing" Ever since the popular Converse All-Star shoes
were first created people have wondered what purpose the two holes near the sole serve.
Most chalk it up to ventilation but if you really think about it is adding two holes
to reduce a little bit of sweat worth getting soggy socks every time you step in a puddle?
No, but that's because that's not why the holes are there.
As you may well know, Converse were originally designed as basketball shoes and the holes
tie into this design, literally.
These holes look exactly like those on top that are meant for the laces and this is because
they too are meant for laces.
The shoe was designed to be laced in several ways and if you wanted a tighter grip or one
that insured you wouldn't trip on your laces while driving the lane you could use these
two extra holes.
Number 5.
"Pill Bottle Top" This one seems like a no brainer but there
are many people out there who will be shocked to the dual purpose of the modern day pill-bottle
top.
You may have glanced at one of these tops once and wondered why there seem to be screw
grooves on the part that doesn't go into the bottle.
Well, this is because it does!
Yes, if you flip the top over you can use it as an easy-access top.
This is for those who don't have children, the elderly or those who just have trouble
opening the normal child-proof cap who need to be able to access their medication in an
easier way.
Number 4.
"Notebook Margins" If you have ever written in a composition
book or other type of notebook you have probably been trained to not write outside the margin.
But what is the point of the margin?
Is it just to guide your writing?
Is it an area for you or your teacher to make notes?
Well this may be the way it is used now but in reality the margin was originally created
in order to help preserve one's writings.
Back in the days when architecture wasn't as pest-preventive as it is now many homes
and building were infested with rats and mice.
These rodents love to chew on anything and everything, and if you lived back then your
precious book of poetry would have been no different.
In order to prevent rats from chewing up valuable parts of a manuscript notebook and journal
manufacturers started adding a margin that be nibbled at without the fear of losing words
to a mouse's gullet.
It also was helpful in limiting damage from normal wear and tear, so the practice became
standard.
Number 3.
"Ketchup Cup" If you have ever used one of those paper cups
meant for ketchup from a fast-food joint you may have thought "why are these things so
flimsy and why are they so small, do they really expect this to be all the ketchup I
need?".
But these cups were designed with a brilliant intention that not many people know about.
You may have noticed the folds in the side of the cup and wondered why they were there.
Well this is because if you unfold these flaps the cup turns into a much wider paper saucer
which can be filled with even more ketchup and is much easier to dip your french fries
into.
This isn't the only common food container that has a semi-secret double use.
You probably noticed how Chinese food containers are made up of several flaps folded together,
well this is because these containers, just like the ketchup cup, are meant to be unfolded.
When all the flaps are unfolded and unconnected the container turns into a handy plate for
picnicking.
No wonder Chinese Restaurants always look at us funny when we ask for paper plates.
Number 2.
"Beanie Pom-Pom" Many people think the pom-pom on top of knitted
caps is a cute little accessory while other may think it frivolous and ugly but this little
fluffy ball actually has a complex history.
Knitted caps were believed to be first created by the Vikings to keep their burly ears warm
during the icy Scandinavian winter.
These hats were made by taking triangles of knitted wool and fastening them at the top.
In order to cover up the seams at the top and prevent loose ends the top was covered
up by a pom-pom.
Some later versions may have replaced the pom-pom with a button, which resembling a
bean, may have given rise to the term 'beanie'.
Later on in history, English sailors would find the pom-pom quite useful in preventing
them from hitting their heads when below decks as the pom-pom feels like an extension of
the person's head so they subconsciously duck a little lower than they normally would.
Pom-poms at their most regal period in history would be used by Napoleon's Army on top of
their helmets.
Different colors and variating pom-pom plumages were used to signify different regiments,
factions and ranks of the French military.
Number 1.
"Panty Gusset" If you are a man you might only know of this
one from doing laundry whereas women might know of this small pocket in their underwear
but might not know its purpose or even what it's called.
This little pocket in the front of ladies underwear is called a 'gusset' and it is added
for the purposes of hygiene.
The pocket version of the gusset is usually only found in less expensive women's underwear
and is a result of companies saving money by saving the time it would take to stitch
up the open part.
In many more expensive underwear brands the gusset is stitched entirely around.
Many women have found the pocket version quite useful though, not just for added protection
as it was designed but for holding hygiene products into place.
What something that you use in a clever way that is different than what it was intended
for?