Can You Name These Everyday Objects?

Thumbtacks, which were first produced in the mid-1700s, go by a variety of names. These include brass tacks, push pins, drawing pins, map pins and iron tacks.

Cheese slicers come in a wide variety, with variations based on the hardness of cheese they are designed to cut. In general, however, cheese slicers are meant for use with semi-hard to hard cheeses.

“Crockpot” is now a generic term for a particular type of slow cooker. The name, however, comes from a brand called “Crock-Pot” which was first marketed in 1971 by a company looking to upgrade its original bean slow cooker. It wanted to offer customers one that could effortlessly handle an array of slow-cooked family meals.

The most basic corkscrews are made on the “screwpull” principle — you “screw” the metal coil into the cork and “pull” on the handle to extract it from the mouth of the bottle. The metal coil or helix of a corkscrew is also called the “worm.”

Some whisks are designed for specific uses, but a general-purpose whisk is usually sufficient for most of the whisking jobs you come across in your kitchen. A good tip is to go for a whisk with many wires (a dozen wires work twice as hard as six). Also, wires which are too stiff will create less mixing action than flexible wires do.

The stick blender was invented in 1950 by Roger Perrinjaquet of Switzerland. It’s a convenient tool that allows you to blend ingredients in the same bowl you are using for food prep. Stick blenders are also called immersion blenders and wand blenders.

A nail file is used to smooth and shape the edges of fingernails and toenails. They may be made from emery boards, metal, coated metal, ceramic, glass or crystal.

Most people are familiar with both the flat-tip and Phillips (crossed tip) screwdrivers. There are many others, however, designed to match the head of the different screws they are used on. These include the square screwdriver, the hex (or Allen) screwdriver and the star-shaped Torx screwdriver.

When using a meat thermometer to check the doneness of a piece of meat, it is important that you insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat. Also, ensure that the probe is not touching any bone, as the bone will most likely be at a higher temperature than the meat around it.

Clothespins did not come into being until the 19th century – before that clothes were either simply thrown over the clothesline or laid out on bushes. The universally known clothespin has been featured in many works of art, one of the largest among them being the 45-foot-high steel Clothespin sculpture by Claes Oldenburg at Centre Square, opposite City Hall in Philadelphia.

Paint rollers can greatly reduce the time and effort it takes to paint a large, flat surface when compared with using a paintbrush. The roller frame is reusable, as is the soft roller cover (once it is cleaned properly between uses).

A similar tool to the potato masher is the potato ricer, which is often made in the design of a large garlic press with holes the size of rice grains. The potato masher leaves mashed potatoes with a more textured feel while the potato ricer will produce fluffier, lighter mashed potatoes.

Wheelbarrows have been around from as early as the 2nd century in China. Their design makes it much easy for one person to transport heavy or bulky loads. As with many other types of building and repair tools and equipment, wheelbarrows now come in powered versions.

Heating pads are a popular treatment for the relief of localized pain caused by muscle spasms. Heating pads are often used in thermotherapy (also called therapeutic heating or heat therapy).

The name sledgehammer is derived from a word which means “to strike violently.” The sledgehammer lives up to its name, as it allows you to hit objects with much greater force than you could do with an ordinary hammer. As a result, sledgehammers are used mostly for demolition work.

This tool is sometimes referred to as the spirit level or bubble level. The typical level has three indicators for checking horizontal and vertical surfaces, as well as those inclined at an angle of 45 degrees.

Bread knives have been around since the 1800s. The serrated edge of a bread knife makes it ideal for cutting both the hard outer crust and soft insides of most types of breads. It is also a very good choice for slicing through a ripe, juicy tomato without mangling it.

The terms “waffle iron” and "waffle maker” are often used interchangeably, with most people agreeing that they are one and the same. One distinction which is sometimes pointed out is that a waffle iron is placed on a stove or campfire but a waffle maker is plugged in and has its own internal heating element.

Clothes steamers work very well at removing wrinkles from fabrics and they do so much quicker than ironing. Also, with a clothes steamer, you eliminate the risk of scorching or damaging the material your clothes are made of.

The computer mouse was invented by American engineer and inventor Douglas Engelbart in 1964. While some persons prefer to use the term “mouses” for more than one of these devices, the most commonly used plural form is “mice” – just as it is for the rodent after which the computer mouse is named.

The apple corer is an easy and efficient way to remove the core and pips from an apple. Some brands allow you to the core and slice the apple all at once. There is also the apple peeler, corer, slicer which lets you perform all three tasks just by attaching the apple to the device and cranking the handle.

When it comes to scooping ice cream, you can just simply use a spoon or you can go for more professional-looking results by using an ice cream scoop. When judging ice cream scoops (also called ice cream dishes) most people look at how easily the scoop releases the ice cream and how nicely shaped the resulting balls of ice cream are.

The sandwich maker (or pie iron) toasts seals and slices a sandwich, leaving you with two delectably warm sandwich pockets to enjoy. While most sandwich makers are electric, there are some models you can use over an open flame, such as a campfire.

The two basic types of household plungers are the sink plunger and the toilet plunger. Both work by creating a seal over the drain, then by pressing down on the plunger you produce a strong suction force that loosens clogs.

The folds of a Bundt pan create a very decorative-looking cake, but by having so many creases, there is an increased risk of the cake sticking to the pan. To minimize sticking, it is best to use a light-colored, aluminum, non-stick Bundt pan. It’s even better if you take the extra step of coating it with a nonstick spray or a flour-and-butter mixture before pouring in the batter.

The modern telescope was invented early in the 17th century and the binoculars followed soon after. Binoculars are actually a pair of telescopes (one for each eye) mounted on a single frame. They have the advantage over telescopes of giving the viewer a more three-dimensional image of the objects being viewed.

A sifter or sieve is used to give dry ingredients, such as flour, an even texture throughout by breaking up or removing clumps. Sifting is also used to combine dry ingredients so that they are evenly mixed together.

The frothy foam on top of the beer is commonly referred to as “beer head” (and sometimes just simply as “head”). Its more formal name, however, is barm and it is actually bubbles of carbon dioxide formed as a result of the fermentation process.

There are two basic types of pizza cutters — the wheel and the curve blade rocker. The wheel pizza cutter is the more popular of the two. The rocker pizza cutter is based on an Italian cooking tool known as a mezzaluna (or half-moon).

Eyelash curlers come in different shapes and sizes, and each will give a different curl to your lashes. One good tip is to curl twice — once before you apply mascara and once again after the mascara has dried.

The very best feather dusters are made from ostrich down feathers, but you can find lesser varieties made from goose or chicken feathers. Gray feather dusters are made from the feathers of female ostriches, whereas ones made from male ostriches are black. The black feather dusters are softer, work much better and are more expensive.

The teeth of a fork may also be called prongs or tines. Forks are generally made with two, three or four tines depending on the food they are meant to be used with. Two variations of the fork are the spork (spoon and fork) and the knork (knife and fork).

Parking meters serve a dual role. First, they help city managers to better regulate and monitor on-street parking. It is their second role, however, that motorists are most aware of — parking meters are a way for the city to generate revenue.

A manual citrus juicer is a good kitchen tool to have, especially if you like to make fresh juices or to add citrus flavors to your cooking. A good citrus juicer will work for limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruits and just about any citrus fruit you bring home. They vary in design from simple handheld wooden reamers, to reamers attached to containers, and squeezers.

Spatulas are made from a variety of materials including metal, plastic, silicone rubber and wood. The blade of the spatula may be in line with or inclined at an angle to the handle. Some spatulas (particularly those used as turners) are slotted to make it easier to lift food items from the bottom of the pan without sticking.

Aglets have been around for centuries and before buttons came along, they were the preferred way to fasten clothing. Though they are now simple bits of plastic or metal, aglets used on clothing were once decorative shapes made from glass, stone, silver or brass. They were viewed as status symbols.

The traditional Dutch oven is a seasoned cast-iron pot with thick walls and a well-fitting cover. Some modern Dutch ovens are still made from cast iron, while others are cast aluminum or ceramic. With the enamel-coated variety of Dutch ovens, homeowners can choose from a range of colors to complement their kitchen décor.

With coffee drinks trending nowadays, most people are already familiar with what a zarf is, even if they don’t know it by name. Coffee shops use plain cardboard zarfs as insulated holders for hot coffee cups, but traditional zarfs are fancy, decorative and made of metal.

It is believed that people may have been using bronze tongs from as early as 3000 B.C. While they are very helpful in the kitchen, tongs can be found in a variety of workspaces where craftsmen use them to securely hold items they are working on.

The tip of the felt-tip pen is made from a tightly pressed porous material known as felt. Felt may be made from either animal hair or fur (often wool) or a synthetic material.