Life doesn’t include an instruction manual, no tutorials around and we’re basically compelled to figure out certain things by intuition. Sadly, our intuition sucks sometimes and no matter how much observation we do, things simply look like a riddle. On this list, you’ll find hidden secrets and very interesting background stories about common items we find on a daily basis. Some things we believed were part of fashion designs, actually aren’t. Everything in this article has a purpose, everything. Come and join me on this reading, life will make more sense once you reach the bottom, I promise you.
1. Security Brushes
Escalators are basically two big pulleys moving steel teeth around, they are powerful enough to tear apart any bone of your body. That brush isn’t mean to polish your shoes. Yes, I know you’ve tried it, it’s a security measure, they are called skirt deflectors. These skirts keep shoes, feet and loose clothing away from that dangerous gap. The trick isn’t 100% effective in any case, as these accidents still happen sometimes.
The first escalators invented didn’t have such feature, so these accidents were slightly more frequent. It was later included as engineers found out humans got dumber within time.
2. It's A Straw Holder
Every can of soda has this little hole on their rings, the reason is you’re able to fit a straw through it. Now the straw can remain steady as you sip the content. Weird enough, when cans were invented, some people had troubles while drinking, as the sharp edge provoked lacerations on lips. Current soda cans are way less likely to cut any lip, yet the design or hollow rings remain until now.
Straws actually fit perfectly in the hole, it’s tight enough so you can adjust its length as much as you need.
3. What Is That Arrow?
Some cars include one little arrow on the dashboard, some of them pointing left or right. This little arrow is just a reminder of where the gas tank of that particular car is on. That way you know how to park when you reach a gas station. Not all cars have it, so you might think it’s not strictly necessary.
Let’s say you rent a car, or you buy a new one. You’re simply not accustomed to a change like this unless you know your car well. In any case, the little arrow is there so you can keep ignoring it.
4. A Little Hole In The End
These little holes you find on tape measures are meant to hook on to nails and screws, making the measuring process easier. You might not notice, but a construction professional will agree they can be very useful at some point. This way, they won’t need a helper to hold the tape for them, so they can work alone. Yes, it’s an anti-social feature, I approve this.
Once again, not all tape measures have it and the hole width varies too depending on the model.
5. Anti-Dumb Hole
This item is one of those that reminds us not to underestimate human stupidity. Bic pens have a hole on top of the cap, so children (I know some adults who apply here too) that accidentally swallow the cap are able to breathe when the cap goes down their throat. Oral fixation means being closer to death for some reason, that’s bad news for me, so thank you, Bic.
Bic was the first company to include the little hole on their caps, and later copied by others. This however, basically defeated the purpose of the cap itself; protect the pen from air.
6. Fancy Loops?
No, these aren’t any fashion features. Yet, they look lovely somehow, don’t they? These loops are meant to help you pull the shoe up when you’re trying to wear them. If you are struggling to pull the shoe from the seam, you can always get your finger in the loop and pull. They are more common on military-style footwear, like boots.
Within time, manufactures decided to add the feature to some other types of shoes… they also made the shoes easier to storage, as you can hook them up from the loop.
7. More Holes...
Lollipop sticks can have one or even two holes in the end where the sugar is holding. This feature is related to manufacturing reasons. Before the candy is any solid, it’s liquid of course. In the process, the holes can help the candy grab the stick and keep it like that once it solidifies. A stick with no holes would let the candy loosen and it could fall from it.
Depending on the size of the lollipop, candymen can add even three holes to make sure everything is on its place.
8. It Means Style!
All collared shirts have this little loop on their back that somehow makes you look more stylish, but that’s not the reason, you already look great. With this little loop you can hang the shirt onto a hook after using it. This can prevent the shirt from getting wrinkles and you learn to be tidier too. The feature was born several decades ago, and the main purpose of it has been slowly forgotten.
Yet manufactures keep adding this feature even though now everybody has a designated chair for the laundry and nobody uses hooks anymore… Just kidding, there are a few.
9. Two-Colored Eraser
The myth says the red side was meant for pencil and the blue one for pen ink, but that’s just a myth. Actually, both sides are meant for pencils, the difference is about the paper. If you look closely, the red side is slightly smoother than the red. That’s because the red side is used for light grades of paper and lighter pencil marks, whereas the blue side is meant for rough, thicker paper.
Some people argued that the blue side would still work on pen ink, but the reason is they forced the eraser to do so.
10. Brass Door Knobs
There’s scientific background about this item. Why do door knobs are made of brass? At least most of them. It’s a hygienic reason if you wonder. Bacteria and other germs are less likely to survive on brass surfaces. At least it works better than some other metal materials. Taking into account door knobs are handed by everybody all the time, it sounds just logical now.
This property of brass was discovered in the late 1800s. Back then, brass was known for its resistance to corrosion and rust, but this wasn’t coincidental, it was also resistance to different microorganisms.
11. Yes, Even More Holes.
Have you wondered why some boots have an extra pair of holes close to the ankle? It’s not a spare pair in case you miss one hole, or any fashion feature neither. These holes are meant to be laced in case you need extra grip on your shoes. This can be very helpful if you’re hiking mountains, it can prevent the shoes get loosen and it enhances stability.
This feature is meant for adventure people, not normies. The feature becomes very handy for people that love walking, climbing and running, it can prevent a possible sprained ankle.
12. Are You Starting To Notice A Pattern?
Sure, even more holes, why not? It seems like no hole in human history was invented to look fancy. At least not these ones. Converse shoes -and Chinese rip-offs- have two extra holes close to the midsole. And no, they’re not supposed to be laced, they are actually “breathers”. The material these shoes are made of heat easier than some others, and people with sweaty feet will appreciate some air inside.
To be honest, we can only really see this as being effective if you go sock-less, which we think in Converse would actually be pretty uncomfortable.
13. A Secret On Your Keyboard
So, if you’re curious enough, you’ll notice that every keyboard, laptop or desktop, has little bumps on two keys, F and J. They are there so people typing don’t have to look down every time they miss a key. F and J have this bump so “typers” can feel the little mountain and get a quick reference. With this simple trick, they can figure out the position of every key.
This little bump can also be found on the numeric keypad, more precisely in number 5, a third tactile reference, and everything just to make your life easier.
14. The 57 Mark
Heinz Ketchup has a 57 mark in their bottles, haven’t you noticed? This feature actually holds two purposes. One, the trademark number this brand is known for, of course. The second one: The mark is meant to indicate where in the bottle you should tip to release the ketchup. All you have to do is hit the little 57 spot to get the sauce flowing. The sweet spot as some fellas would call it.
This feature is also present on some plastic bottles. Something weird since this problem doesn’t happen with plastic bottles, as you can simply squeeze it and get as much sauce as you want… or even more.
15. That Disk Under The Cap
Did you know bottle caps have a plastic disk inside? Some of them are colored with a light blue, but that’s just a minimal detail, nobody would add any decoration feature down there. The reason has something to do with carbonation process. The science behind it’s too complicated to deepen into, but in Christian: the plastic disk helps the carbon dioxide stay inside the bottle, as the cap itself is not enough.
Without this disk we wouldn’t enjoy the ‘psst’ sound after uncapping a cold one in summer. And for some reason, sodas aren’t the same without the carbonate sparkling in your mouth.
16. There Are Holes Even Inside Planes...
If you are a frequent traveler, you might notice some windows inside the plane with a little hole below. They are called bleed holes. The reason has something to do with the pressure inside the cabin. The tiny bleed hole in the window helps to balance the pressure difference between the cabin and the outside air. The more you ascend the tinier the air gets, meaning less pressure.
The tiny window hole also has another purpose which is to release moisture and stop frost or condensation from blocking your view, yet the main reason is to keep us all alive.
17. Mysterious Cylinder
Have you noticed those cylinders on many electronic cables? It’s a ferrite core that’s used to reduce the electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference, basically a semi-magnetic lump that keeps the devise safe from certain noises. Without this lump, our devices would buzz, speakers would chirp and our monitor screen would start to flicker if there’s a phone nearby.
However, many modern cables don’t have this feature in their cables anymore, as they have incorporated the fixes inside the device itself. The ferrite cores must however be present on every device nowadays, as current world is full of multiple electronics that 'broadcast' this type of interference.
18. A Hole In Our Kitchen
This feature serves actually two purposes, the first one is very obvious. The hole help you hang the pan or pot when you’re not using it. But have you noticed that this hole is rather bigger than a simple nail? That’s because you can also hold spoons and ladles there while cooking, just as the picture shows. The pan should be heavy enough to resist the weight of a simple wooden spoon.
But not only that, you can place the spoon in such way the soup drops can fall straight into the pan. It’s very useful to keep your kitchen cleaner and tidier. It also looks like you know what you’re doing.
19. How To Eat Oreos Correctly
Like everybody, we all have eaten Oreos the wrong way. It turns out the glazed cream inside is meant to help you hold the Oreo with a fork as you submerge it into milk. You know it would tear apart if you pierce it through the chocolate cookie, and if you hold it with your finger, you can drop it and miss it at the bottom of the glass.
If you pierce the cream with a fork, you can submerge the whole cookie, something you wouldn’t be able to do with your fingers… unless you’re a psychopath.
20. Anti-Rat Line
When I was a kid, I used to believe those lines in some notebook pages were a trick from manufacturers to troll us so we had less room to write. It turns out these margins hide a cool story behind. When rats were a problem back then, paper was also part of their diet. In order to protect our work, manufacturers decided to include this margin so our work would stay in the safe side.
Rats would only eat the edges of the paper, with no line, we would write on the whole page and lose the progress when rats join the server.
21. The Little Tabs On Foil Boxes
Anyone who has unrolled aluminum foil out of the boxes know it can turn into a complete mess. The roll moves way too much and taking the portion you need gets complicated. Well, the boxes have this little tab, some of them on each side, that you can pierce with your fingers. This way you can grip the foil and help you unroll it as much as you need, fearing no more mess.
The very same problem occurs with cling film, the same solution. Their boxes also have this feature, with this trick the unrolling gets way easier, give it a try.
22. Why The Long Neck?
Some features are supposed to make the consumer’s life easier, some others the manufacturer’s life. This is the last case. If bottles have long necks, it’s because in the packing process, they can seal off the bottles with small caps, hence saving material and money. This trick is as old as bottle caps, they remain up to our days and they don’t seem to be disappearing any time soon.
The long neck design also makes the container more reliable and stronger. And one free advice if you allow me: Always hold your beer by the neck, this way you won’t heat it up with your hands.
23. A Secret Pocket In My Victoria's Secret.
So, is it really a safe pocket for girls? No, that’s not a pocket, don’t put anything in there. Women lingerie have this particular feature for hygienic purposes. This extra coat of cloth is supposed to prevent any accidental leak to reach the outer layer, and thus, avoid any possible stain. If you look closely, you can see its surface is a bit padded, so it can absorb certain volume of leak.
The amount of leak it can hold is obviously limited, the idea of the extra layer is to provide some extra protection. Don’t overestimate it just because you read this.
24. Do I Need This Pocket?
The little pocket right above the big one on your jeans doesn’t mean any ornament. This is another old habit from manufacturers that remain until today. They were supposed to carry pocket watches in the old days. Breast pockets in some jackets served the same purpose. Jeans joined them only years later. It’s current use is now reduced to save coins hard to get back.
Nothing looked cooler than that little chain hanging from your jeans, those were the good years… Nobody uses pocket watches anymore, sadly. But the design on the jeans keeps the same.
25. What Is This Pattern On Coins?
So, have you wondered why some coins have those ridged patterns? This one also has a great story behind. It seems like back then, some crafty ones liked to file the coin edges and make new ones with the remaining metal. This way, they would keep the old ones too. To prevent this, coins came with those edges so it would be evident is someone messed around with them.
This practice disappeared but we still can see some coins presenting exactly the same pattern. Why? In some countries, the ridged edges can help blind people to tell apart the coins they are holding.
26. Rivets In Your Jeans
Those rivets that you can see in certain joints of your pants aren’t precisely to make them look cool. Even some people believe they are unnecessary ornaments, but they all are wrong. The cloth which jeans and corduroy pants are made of is really thick, sometimes sewing isn’t enough to keep the whole thing together, that’s where the rivets enter the scene, they keep everything in place.
The rivets are placed in the areas that are most likely to tear from movement or strain, with this trick your jeans last longer. So that’s the reason, Do NOT try to pull them off.
27. De-Origami Box
You have probably been eating Chinese food the wrong way all along. The takeout boxes are supposed to unfold so you can enjoy its content more easily. Letting the box folded can make it harder to reach the food when you’re almost done, even more if you don’t know how to use sticks. So, you better place the box on a table, unfold it and have your meal the way it’s meant.
An unfolded box is more manageable than you think, you can hold it with one hand if the portion isn’t too abundant. If done correctly, you shouldn’t drop anything.
28. That Little Hole In Your iPhone
Let me surprise you by telling you that’s not a hole precisely. That little dot right besides the camera is actually a microphone. A feature that apple has implemented long time ago and even in modern models, we still can see. It doesn’t matter the model. Seriously, if you have an iPhone, check it right now and look for that little dot. Somewhere near the camera lenses, come on.
This specific microphone is the one that gets activated when you’re recording with the rear camera. If you switch to selfie camera, so does the front microphone.
29. The Best Can Opener
If your nails can’t’ reach the ring on a soda can and therefore you can’t drink, I have you covered. Let me tell you, the best way to open a can is using another can. The fact is the edgy lid is meant to reach the ring easily. In fact, the lid of the other can should allow you to have a supporting point to apply pressure, that’s all it takes: pressure.
This is not a coincidence, soda and beer cans are designed like this. It serves two purposes, the one already explained and making them easier to stack on top of other cans.
30. One Emergency Exit
If you own a car model 2001 or beyond, you should look behind the rear seats for this little handle. The figure on it is self-explanatory, isn’t it? Ok, let me explain you then. You can pull this little handle, rip the cotton cover and gain access to the trunk. In case you got stuck inside the car, or the other way around, someone or something inside the trunk, you can use this handle as an emergency exit.
This is actually a government safety regulation, some old car models had it but not all of them. Only after 2001 the regulation took effect and it has become mandatory for every car in the country.
31. An Extra Help With The Groceries
So, I used to think that loop was designed so I could carry a kid there and split his legs there for better grip. How wrong I was, that’s not the case. It's purpose is to hang bags on it, more precisely fragile groceries like eggs, or maybe some ceramics. This way, the items won’t get crushed by heavier objects. This feature becomes very useful if your shopping list is long.
It’s true you can pretty much fit everything in the large basket, yet the loop should be reserved for certain elements like bread loafs, orange juice bottles, milk boxes…
32. A Third Hole in The Lockpad
No, that hole is for emergency lockpicking, don’t bother to try, I did… didn’t work. The reason for this little hole is lubrication. Lockpads can get a bit rusty within certain time of use. To prevent this, all you have to do is let some oil drops get inside that little hole. With this trick, you’ll be able to lubricate the inner mechanisms that never see the sunlight.
A second purpose for the hole is to release air bubbles if you need to lock something underwater… it is not like the damn lockpad isn’t heavy enough to stay submerged anyways…