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Guess What? June 2006

Guess What Article for June 2006
By Bob Cahn, “The Primitive Man”
Where is it inscribed that everything confusing, intriguing, unfathomable, deceptively diabolic and graphically gratifying has to be of 18th, 19th or 20th century origin? Is the 21st century inventive mind in a vacuum and should be ignored? Not at all – and we’re about to prove it.
Recent (2005) holiday shopping and meandering uncovered this little goody at Crate ‘n Barrel – and we felt it had all the qualifications to challenge the fertile minds amongst us.
What we have is a compact chrome and plastic cup or cylinder with an eccentric rotation (accomplished by hand). Because the top rim is elliptical, an off-center action takes place as it turns. That’s the full scope of its motion: 180º and back (a half circle and return). A corrugated metal post forms an island in the center [Size relationship as follows:1-7/8 inches high by 3-3/4 inches oval diameter.] The guessing process is about to begin.
Is it:

  1. Cigar ashtray with ash knocker-offer
  2. Candle holder
  3. Paper clip container
  4. Master salt
  5. Romano cheese de-clumper and server
  6. Black olive pulverizer
  7. Ice cube crusher
  8. Rotary action nutcracker
  9. Sushi wasabi sauce dipping dish
  10. Feline catnip container.

If the wheels are in motion, it’ll take 30 days to find out the correct answer – among the above. Till then!

Answer to May’s Guess What?

Last month’s offering contained a slight fabrication – a fib or white lie – if you will. The actual name of the company was slightly edited to prevent prematurely revealing the answer. Their name was actually: The Miller Nutcracker Co., Ft. Worth, Texas.
We dubbed it the “Texas Twister.” Dropping the nut through the top opening, with both hands you worked the top and bottom platforms – and by twisting, exerted spiral pressure to the vertical rods, thus cracking the shells of all sizes and shapes of nuts. Vintage 1928 patent. P.S. It was messy.*
*Thanx to King of Stuff, Mike Goodman, Townshend, Vt., for his keen eye!

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