# What am I? A guessing game



## Glowworm (Feb 21, 2021)

I thought this might be fun. What am I - a guessing game where you post a photo of something, either the whole thing or part of it and we try to guess what it is. I'll start the ball rolling.

You will find me in every Swedish household. What am I?


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## hollydolly (Feb 21, 2021)

Lemon zester ?


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## Rosemarie (Feb 21, 2021)

It looks like one of those things for cutting through curd cheese.


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## Glowworm (Feb 21, 2021)

Sorry holly incorrect. Rosemarie, you’re on the right track


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## chic (Feb 23, 2021)

Looks like a cheese shaver.


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## Glowworm (Feb 23, 2021)

chic said:


> Looks like a cheese shaver


Yes chic though we call them cheese slicers. Everyday ones look more like this.


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## Glowworm (Feb 23, 2021)

Let's have another try. What am I?


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## Sunny (Feb 23, 2021)

A hook used in the old days to tighten boot laces?


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## Glowworm (Feb 23, 2021)

No Sunny sorry, way off


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## Sunny (Feb 23, 2021)

Ye gads.  OK, next guess:  something to do with horses?


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## Glowworm (Feb 23, 2021)

No, it would normally be used in the home and it's not a kitchen utensil.


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## hollydolly (Feb 23, 2021)

*Is it something to do with candles ? *


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## Glowworm (Feb 23, 2021)

Yes holly, but exactly what?


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## hollydolly (Feb 23, 2021)

Hmmm well I would have said a candle snuffer, but I'm not sure about the hook......unless... it's to snuff out candles in tall places , street lamps for example


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## chic (Feb 23, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Hmmm well I would have said a candle snuffer, but I'm not sure about the hook......unless... it's to snuff out candles in tall places , street lamps for example


The candle idea makes sense. The hook looks like a shepherd's crook so I may be way off but I would have guessed it was used in a church.


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## hollydolly (Feb 23, 2021)

chic said:


> The candle idea makes sense. The hook looks like a shepherd's crook so I may be way off but I would have guessed it was used in a church.


good gues chic.. but @Glowworm  said it's used in the home..  so my street lamps are wrong too


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## chic (Feb 23, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> good gues chic.. but @Glowworm  said it's used in the home..  so my street lamps are wrong too


Unless it was an old English or European manor house with its own chapel. I'm probably wrong.


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## Glowworm (Feb 24, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Hmmm well I would have said a candle snuffer, but I'm not sure about the hook......unless... it's to snuff out candles in tall places , street lamps for example


Wrong end of the candle holly.


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## chic (Feb 24, 2021)

It's used for dipping the wicks into the wax and lifting them out again.


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## Glowworm (Feb 24, 2021)

No not that either


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## hollydolly (Feb 24, 2021)

is it used for cutting the candle ?


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## Glowworm (Feb 24, 2021)

In what way?


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## hollydolly (Feb 24, 2021)

OMG...you're a hard taskmaster... .. snip it ?


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## Glowworm (Feb 24, 2021)

It's a shaver for making the bottom of the candle smaller, like a pencil sharpener. If the candle won't fit in the candlestick you push the bottom of the candle in, turn it and it shaves the candle till it's the right size to fit the candlestick. This is an old one, new ones are battery powered,


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## hollydolly (Feb 24, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> It's a shaver for making the bottom of the candle smaller, like a pencil sharpener. If the candle won't fit in the candlestick you push the bottom of the candle in, turn it and it shaves the candle till it's the right size to fit the candlestick. This is an old one, new ones are battery powered,


excellent...wonder why it has a hook on it ?


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## chic (Feb 24, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> excellent...wonder why it has a hook on it ?


Storage when not in use? The hook threw me off totally.


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## Glowworm (Feb 24, 2021)

I don't know either. Maybe just for hanging it up like you said chic or maybe you put a stick through it to give more leverage? This is an old one so the hook may just be ornamental


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## chic (Feb 24, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> I don't know either. Maybe just for hanging it up like you said chic or maybe you put a stick through it to give more leverage? This is an old one so the hook may just be ornamental


In colonial America, they used to hand dip candles. I've watched them do it at fairs. Then they would let the candles dry when the desired thickness was achieved, but I never saw this device before. It never even occurred to me how they shaved the bottoms.


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## Glowworm (Feb 24, 2021)

I'd never seen one either until one came up on a Swedish TV quiz show a couple of weeks ago. I guess they do it the same way as here. They tie the wicks to a long pole then dip them and when the wax has dried dip them again until they get the desired thickness  Hand dipped candles are very popular here especially at Christmas time. I have several but I can't bring myself to light them.


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## chic (Feb 26, 2021)

I have one if anyone wants to play? What are these used for? I'm putting up two different images to help.


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## hollydolly (Feb 26, 2021)

I feel like I've seen these before, Chic..but I can't think what they are...


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## Glowworm (Feb 26, 2021)

They look like the things you have on rowboats to put the oars in


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## hollydolly (Feb 26, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> They look like the things you have on rowboats to put the oars in


Ha! Yes, that's what I was thinking of.....


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## chic (Feb 26, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> They look like the things you have on rowboats to put the oars in


Yes! They're oarlocks. Well done!


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## Glowworm (Feb 26, 2021)

Thank you. Here's another. What is this used for?


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 26, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> Thank you. Here's another. What is this used for?
> 
> View attachment 152154


Pasta roller??


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## hollydolly (Feb 26, 2021)

Ravioli rolling Pin..?


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## chic (Feb 26, 2021)

I think Holly is right. ^


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## Glowworm (Feb 26, 2021)

Absolutely ravioli rolling pin


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## tinytn (Feb 26, 2021)

*It just has to be Holly's answer..!

Wait here's a new one! "Where's Ken?"   *


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## chic (Feb 27, 2021)

What is this? And what is it used for?


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## Glowworm (Feb 27, 2021)

Ravioli rolling pin was correct.


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## hollydolly (Mar 2, 2021)

chic said:


> What is this? And what is it used for?
> 
> View attachment 152348


that looks like a Bee-keepers hat or some thing to protect from Mozzies...


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## Glowworm (Mar 2, 2021)

I thought beekeeper's hat too


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## chic (Mar 2, 2021)

Yes ladies. You are both right.


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## Glowworm (Mar 2, 2021)

Your turn holly


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## hollydolly (Mar 2, 2021)

Oh no...can you guys do it, I don't know anything unusual....


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## chic (Mar 2, 2021)

I will do one Holly with your permission. What is this and what is it used for?


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## Glowworm (Mar 2, 2021)

A butter churner - for making butter


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## hollydolly (Mar 2, 2021)

I agree with Glowwowm... a butter churner


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## chic (Mar 2, 2021)

You're both right! It is an old fashioned butter churner.


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## Sunny (Mar 5, 2021)




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## hollydolly (Mar 5, 2021)

antique stereoscopic slide viewer ?


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## MarciKS (Mar 7, 2021)

Sunny said:


>


A crutch?


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## chic (Mar 7, 2021)

Did it once hold a sword or some kind of weapon? It also looks like a medieval version of a Brannock stick to measure shoe size. Hints please.


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## Glowworm (Mar 7, 2021)

I go with holly


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## Sunny (Mar 7, 2021)

Holly has it right. It was used to look at stereoscopic pictures, about postcard size, that were fitted into those two metal holders. When you looked through the eyepiece, the two images blended into one 3-dimensional one.

I guess this makes me an official "antique," as I actually had one as a child. My eye doctor prescribed it as a fun way to do eye exercises. The pictures, usually of mountain scenery, etc., had little numbers on them, and you had to start with number 1 and follow the path to the highest number, usually about 20. I liked it, and considered it sort of a toy. Whether it actually improved my vision is highly doubtful.


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## Glowworm (Mar 7, 2021)

I had a Viewmaster: the one that you put round discs in. It's still in my closet somewhere. I'll have to dig it out to show the grandkids


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## hollydolly (Mar 7, 2021)

You can thank my husband for that. Seconds after I was looking at it my husband walked past and said '' why are you looking at an antique stereoscopic slide viewer?''...


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## Glowworm (Mar 7, 2021)

Your turn


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## hollydolly (Mar 7, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> Your turn


shan't..  I don't know any weird items (except my o/h) .... lol... you go instead....


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## Glowworm (Mar 7, 2021)

officerripley said:


> shan't..  I don't know any weird items (except my o/h) .... lol... you go instead....


Well post a picture of him and we'll try to guess who he is


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

guess _where_ he is ?


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

Tower of London?


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

*Nope...since when did the tower of London have Palm trees? *


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

You haven't heard of global warming?


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

I would guess somewhere in Spain


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

It's the first floor verandah of our house in Spain....


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

Thought it might be your home in Spain. Bet you can't wait for travel restrictions to be lifted.

OK so here's a new one. What am I?


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## chic (Mar 8, 2021)

Looks like an old presser? For clothes. Gets the wrinkles out.


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

Yes I thought that too Chic, ..a Press of some type.. but it's got 2 seprate boards on top , so I don't know what that might be for


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

What kind of clothes? Hint, I don't wear them


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

*trousers ? *


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

Yes holly. Time for another where am I picture of your o/h


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

hahah..no enough of him....I don't have any more pics of his back...


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

OK, here's a new one then. What am I?


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)

Looks like it might be something for the garden going by the spade type handle...


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## Glowworm (Mar 8, 2021)

Nope


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## hollydolly (Mar 8, 2021)




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## chic (Mar 8, 2021)

A bread slicer?


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## tinytn (Mar 8, 2021)

*or a meat slicer?*


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## Glowworm (Mar 9, 2021)

You got it chic, it's a bread slicer


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## chic (Mar 9, 2021)

What are these and what is their purpose?


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## Glowworm (Mar 9, 2021)

Looks like something someone invented to stop me getting upstairs


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## hollydolly (Mar 9, 2021)

Alternating staircase for steep and narrow areas in small cottages ?


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## Sunny (Mar 9, 2021)

Steps to help someone using a cane?


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## Glowworm (Mar 9, 2021)

Well I haven't got a clue.


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## chic (Mar 9, 2021)

Clue. Glowworm is right. But who are these stairs supposed to prevent from climbing up? Do you know what the stairs are called. Think Salem.


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## Sunny (Mar 9, 2021)

Witches?


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## hollydolly (Mar 10, 2021)

how would they stop a witch getting up the stairs..they'd just fly up on their broom...


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## Glowworm (Mar 10, 2021)

chic said:


> Clue. Glowworm is right. But who are these stairs supposed to prevent from climbing up? Do you know what the stairs are called. Think Salem.


When you said Salem I thought it was to stop people getting at my stock of cigarettes


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## hollydolly (Mar 10, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> When you said Salem I thought it was to stop people getting at my stock of cigarettes


that went right over my head..is Salem the name of a brand  cigarettes ?


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## Glowworm (Mar 10, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> that went right over my head..is Salem the name of a brand  cigarettes ?


Yep, though not my usual brand.


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## hollydolly (Mar 10, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> Yep, though not my usual brand.


ok..I wondered because they're not the name of a British brand...


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## Glowworm (Mar 10, 2021)

No they're American, don't normally find them here


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## Glowworm (Mar 10, 2021)

Sunny's right. Never seen them before.


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## Sunny (Mar 10, 2021)

I found this by googling:

These stairs leading to the attic are set at a steep pitch, thus saving floor space. 
The staggered side to side placement of the stairs are designed to make the ascent and descent less dangerous. 

Charles A. Boyden and his wife Ethel Louise Waterman, and Alice Boyden called this flight "witches stairs"---


The witch in the attic could not descend into the main living area with the steep steps, especially with the steps staggered to the left and right. 
Witches cannot see their feet, a characteristic which only adds to their difficulty in an already adverse situation.


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## Glowworm (Mar 10, 2021)

I can understand the reason for staggering the steps. I'd never be able to get up or down them. Thank God I have a lift (elevator) in my house


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## Sunny (Mar 11, 2021)

Me too. I have enough trouble with regular stairs.  

Maybe these work for people with one leg shorter than the other?


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## chic (Mar 12, 2021)

Sunny said:


> I found this by googling:
> 
> These stairs leading to the attic are set at a steep pitch, thus saving floor space.
> The staggered side to side placement of the stairs are designed to make the ascent and descent less dangerous.
> ...


Sunny is right. These are witches stairs, once popular in colonial times when Puritans believed in witchcraft. The witch was not supposed to be able to ascend these stairs which is ridiculous because we all know witches ride brooms so why take the stairs.  

Stairs like these are seldom seen anymore but in New England, some houses still have them.


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## Ken N Tx (Jul 11, 2021)

chic said:


> What are these and what is their purpose?
> 
> View attachment 153860


Keep a one legged intruder downstairs


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