Guess What Article for May 2001
By Bob Cahn, “The Primitive Man”

We’ve got something slightly smaller to challenge you with this month. It can actually be held in the palm of your hand, is nickel on brass and has an English pedigree. It opens and closes, is hinged, locks, and has a key. The manufacturer’s inscription: “Her Majesty’s Royal Letters Patent” – Thomas Turner & Co. – Wolverton – doesn’t mean much unless you know what it means. Means little to us, but we were fascinated by its commercial application as well as potential entertainment fodder for the column. Dimensions: (closed) 11/2″ Diam. X 2″ H (excluding key); (open) 27/8″ w.

Get your mental gears in motion,while we offer some possibilities :

1. Portable traveling security ring and earring vault
2. Radioactive isotope vial carrier 3) Silver dollar coin lock box
3. Broken thumb splint and bandage protector
4. Winery cask bung hole lock
5. Bowling ball finger hole burglary guard
6. Artist’s fine sable hair paint brush isolator and protector
7. Lipstick purse cosmetic container
8. Unauthorized liquor bottle pilfering and sipping lock restraint
9. Candle snuffer
10. Opium pipe bowl lock
11. Dynamite fuse and blasting cap security device
12. Inkwell and seal insignia cover
13. Roll postage stamp lock
14. Electric socket child proofing safety cap
15. Cigar pack lock for breast pocket humidor
16. Running mouth gag silencer and tongue restricter
17. Veterinarian’s feline front paw medicine anti-licking prevention gadget
18. Signal flare gun muzzle-loading barrel lock
19. Chewing tobacco habit breaking spit control inducer
20. Prize bull semen stealth prevention and male chastity safety cap.

Our exhaustive Consumer Research Panel suggested we include the correct answer in our list of possibilities – which we did. First correct answer phoned, faxed, emailed or carrier pigeoned wins a year’s subscription. Let the guessing begin!

Answer to April Issue Guess What..?

The pair of late 18th (early 19th) century forged blacksmith parallel bars was not early gymnastic apparatus as was facetiously alluded to -but a pair of outdoor community roasting spit frames. An open pit fire would be built and a pig or other meat would be mounted on a spit which rested and periodically rotated on the stanchions over the coals. This would be a large roasting event or occasion – too large for indoor accommodations!

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