I Steal Ideas from Other Blogs
56 Comments Published by JD December 5th, 2008 in I Blog, I Give and Receive, I Have Cats.I’d like to play with your toys
Kathy from The Junk Drawer has begun featuring the entertaining “What’s That Wednesday” post, where baffleded (typo, but it stays) readers are shown part of an object and asked to guess . . . What’s That? (usually on a Wednesday) It’s not only fun and mind-boggling, but the winner gets a fabulous prize. So far Kathy has included such disparate items as a hot water bottle stopper, the strike plate of a stapler, and the tip of a nose-hair trimmer.
In the spirit of blogging and good fellowship and fun and contests and prizes and stealing, I have “taken” Kathy’s idea and put a slightly different spin on it:
So, without further ado, I give you:
Name That Toy!
Lately, Prudence has grown bored with the roomfulls of toy mice, fuzzy balls, pipe cleaners, feathers, strings, and ponytail holders that were purchased at great cost for her entertainment. She has begun scouring our basement for newer, funner toys. Every night, when we are fast asleep, Prudence drags upstairs her latest find and dumps it on the bed, where she proceeds to play with it vigorously. One time it was the drain from the basement sink. Another time it was a succession of Christmas ornaments. The other night, it was this:
I’ve included 3 separate views of the item. It’s about as big as a bottlecap. Prudence loves it dearly, but I’m afraid she’ll cut herself on it, so it has been confiscated.
Now here’s the twist:
Um . . . I really do not know what the hell this is. So I’m asking you: Name that toy! Please? Help me figure out what this stupid thing is. Whoever comes up with what SOUNDS like a good guess will win 1st place. Second place goes to the most creative guess.
1st place prize: 1,000 Entrecard points OR an I Do Things keychain
2d place prize: 1,000 Entrecard points OR an I Do Things keychain
Yes, 1st and 2d place prizes are the same. What do you want from me?
Now get to it. NAME THAT TOY!
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 10, end-of-the-day-ish.
____________________________________________
If you’re looking for more great material to steal, may I suggest Humor-Blogs?
56 Comments
And also, I WANT ONE! Husband is a caramel FIEND 
I think it’s from a clothes hanger– one for pants and that’s one of the little clippies that holds the pants onto the hanger.
Jenn’s last blog post..A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: Caption Contest
It’s an alien bobsled. For very tiny aliens, of course.
Kelly’s last blog post..Octopus’ Garden
We had a package of clips like that which were to keep a tablecloth on an outdoor table from blowing away. We’d use them when we were camping.
Shieldmaiden96’s last blog post..I know what I know, if you know what I mean…..
I think Jenn is right though. It looks like the metal slidey that goes over the pants grabber on a store hanger.
You been stealing store hangers?
Shieldmaiden96’s last blog post..I know what I know, if you know what I mean…..
I have not seen one of those in years! Clearly that is the double-reinforced imitation platinum Barbie chasity belt from Mattel’s short-lived “Overbearing Husband Ken” series from the late 1950s. Probably worth a pretty penny over on eBay – even though it appears to be missing the spiked girdle and padlock set that would have originally been atatched. Pretty sweet – my GI JOE with super welder action is already en route to your location ….
/ Thinks Jenn actually got it.
Canucklehead’s last blog post..Where the Wild Things Are …
Jenn is a genius!
Cindy’s last blog post..Happy 8th Birthday, Nicholas!
hi JD,
While I’d like to go with Canucklehead… Jenn is clearly correct. It’s the metal snap part of a department store clothes/pants hanger. There should be a broken plastic hanger around your house somewhere.
Regarding cat toys, we have a cat which we love dearly. My wife likes to buy the cat toys, which she (the cat) never plays with. It’s always the bag that the toy came in, or the packaging, or a stick from the yard, or anything else that costs ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! If my wife would just stop spending money on cat toys then we could save up for a Californian sandwich!
Steve, aka the “advocate of FREE cat toys” trade show guru
Steve the Trade Show Guru’s last blog post..King Corn
That’s exactly what it is Jenn, I was hoping to be the first to guess it. Oh well. Canucklehead’s answer is pretty damn funny though.
Yeah, I agree with Jenn. It’s the clip from a pants hanger!
The Incredible Woody’s last blog post..Another New Outlook
Gotta go with Jenn…it’s a clip from a pants hanger.
We have discovered that the best toy for our dogs is a tennis ball, stuffed into one of my husband’s old socks, with the top of the sock tied in a knot. I try not to think about how much money we spent on dog toys before we discovered that little trick.
absepa’s last blog post..An Open Letter to…a Bunch of People
Oh end this contest and give Jenn the prize ! Too bad you did not have it sooner – she could have used it to clip a gator’s mouth shut with that thing
Jaffer’s last blog post..5 point 1 Me
I think that is a clip to hold in a car stereo, it looks like one on the clips I had on my bedroom dresser for a few months. Hubby placed it there to keep the pups from eating it. They eat everything. I will have hubby give me his official opinion when he gets home from work. He knows everything…yup, that’s what he tels me. ;o)
Years ago I had a kitty that would run upstairs and bring me my daughter’s small toys. Every day he would bring a new one down for me. Daughter got mad and finally shut her bedroom door.
)
hugs,
puglette
Puglette’s last blog post..The Christmas MeMe
EVERYONE: OK, all you smarty-pants who are sooooo sure Jenn is right. Well, perhaps she is! Actually, I’m willing to bet she is. BUT! Because I don’t know for sure what this thing is, it’s only fair to let the contest run its course. You never know. Someone might come up with something even more brilliant (doubtful). Having said that:
Jenn: You win! I mean, um, good guess! But see above.
Kelly: Very clever AND believable.
Shieldmaiden96: A HA! But we’ve never owned such a thing. Still . . . it could be lurking in our basement. As for stealing clothes hangers, NO! I only steal stuff from blogs. Plus they GIVE you those hangers. Really, they do.
Canucklehead: Now that actually sounds like something we’d have in our basement. I loved Barbie dolls and may in fact have owned that “Overbearing Husband Ken” doll. I’m strangely looking forward to the arrival of GI Joe. Good guess!
Cindy: Not so fast, my friend!
Steve the Trade Show Guru: I appreciate your stance on free cat toys—and I agree. Prudence played with store-bought toys for a few weeks before she figured out that the basement is a rich source of STUFF that is way more fun. With more and more of you agreeing with Jenn, I’m going to have to go hunting for that broken plastic hanger.
April: Better 5th or 6th than last!
The Incredible Woody: Dang! I thought Prudence was much more inscrutable than that. It’s still early tho. Someone else may have another guess.
absepa: Oh, that sounds like a fun toy. Apart from her basement treasures, Pru’s favorite toy is a piece of dry cat food. It keeps her entertained for hours, and! She can eat it when she’s done.
Jaffer: No, I can’t end it! I said—in writing—that the winner wouldn’t be announced until next Wednesday! We still don’t know for sure!!!
Puglette: Very interesting guess. Seeeeeee, everyone? It could be a clip to hold in a car stereo. Thanks for playing, Puglette (bam-a-lam).
Jenn had my answer. Curses! I was too late! (Though it’s always cool when I have a chance to shout “Curses!” Really, it just doesn’t happen often enough, so I guess I’m already a winner.)
We have solved our expensive cat toy issue by having children as well.
My daughter (9 mo) loves to play with the cat toys.
My cats love to play with the baby toys.
My son (5 years) loves to play with gift tissue, boxes, paper plates and that bath foam, most of which he chews up and throws in the air. And then the cats play with it.
My other daughter (14 years) doesn’t PLAY any more. “God, mom, what’s wrong with you?” She does, of course, require many expensive electronics that she destroys with neglect, but, since I’m a meanie, she has to make do with her destroyed electronics, like her laptop that’s missing three keys and the MP3 player she left in the Houston sun. (Interesting fact for those interested in purchasing an MP3 player. Not only did my daughter’s continue to work unabated, but the Sansa MP3 player will keep working after going through the washer/dryer cycles on two separate occasions – though that was the hubby. Both were Sandisk Sansas.) She also writes with sharpie on her bedroom walls, jeans and skin.
My husband plays with everything including everyone else’s toys, the cats, the kids, several game consoles, his computer and several times his weight in Legos(TM).
And, before someone asks, you can’t move in.
I think it may be a penis brace…
Wayne John’s last blog post..Navigating the Blogger Administration Interface
I say it’s a plumbers clip. The flat part get fixed to the wall and the pipe is held in place in the other part.
Store hangers, in the UK, are all plastic. That part would also be made from plastic and not galvanized metal :O)
That’s my guess anyway ;O)
Babs – beetle’s last blog post..We have a winner!
It looks like a toy I would enjoy playing with.
Daisy the Curly Cat’s last blog post..Fashion Friday: I am a Fairy Princess!
I was expecting the comments for this to be lots of clever made up names for the toy, like the Paw Slicer or the Claw Cruncher or….well, I guess there aren’t many clever names for a piece of a hanger. But I was expecting all of the other funnier people than me to come up with them so I don’t have to.
My cat Chubs (1990–2007, RIP) loved to play with the plastic rings from around the screw top of a plastic milk jug. People used to save them for her, so she always had a ton.
Susan’s last blog post..Dear Santa:
Hey Susan, that’s what I thought too. I would call it a “pounce curl” toy. Cats, especially kittens, are so playful, they can play with just about anything!
Karen, author of “My Funny Dad, Harry”’s last blog post..Things I Learned This Week–Part 12
stephanie barr: Oh, I am laughing over here, imagining your circus-like home, cats, babies, husbands, toys, shredded paper, melting MP3 players. Are you sure I can’t move in? I’ll bring Prudence and all her toys . . . ? Oh, and congratulations on getting to say “Curses!” You ARE a winner!
Wayne John: Wow. I pity the penis that would need that as a brace . . . for more reasons than one.
Babs – beetle: EXcellent guess. A plumbers clip could certainly be found in our basement. I did check my hangers—and the metal part does look like this, but not quite. Hmmmm.
Daisy the Curly Cat: Well, you’re welcome any time for a playdate. Prudence would love to have you. Harley, too. Maybe you two would actually play with CAT toys. (Prudence is at this moment pulling DVDs out of our cabinet.)
Susan: Aw! I love Chubs. Prudence just discovered those plastic rings—I even have a video of her playing with one here. Congratulations on your clever cat-toy names. I think that deserves some sort of prize.
Karen, author of “My Funny Dad, Harry”: Another clever cat-toy namer! OK, now Prudence is inSIDE the DVD cabinet while Gus watches on in fascination.
Way to steal, JD! After reading Jenn’s idea, that’s exactly what it looks like. As for what our cats play with, have foil ball, will travel. Other items less interesting, but nonetheless covered in spittle: mousey with long tail and a few catnip-filled socks. And then there’s toilet paper. Always a source of much spaztastic fun!
p.s. It looks like Prudence played herself to sleep with that rubber band. Playing is exhausting!
If it was straighter on the bend, I at first thought it was a clip from those poster frames… they slide over the clear plastic front and clip to a board backing. But then I realized it wasn’t. Ah well.
I know what you mean about confiscating “toys” from the cats… does yours get as pissed as mine for doing so? I swear they are giving me the evil eye when I take stuff away from them… pull tabs from cans are the worst.
These days I am finding Christmas tree ornaments in every room of the house. Gah.
Maureen’s last blog post..The Devil Made Me Do It
I agree, I think Jenn is correct.
Thanks for the posts to my blog by the way. I thought for sure I would have lots of replies. I’m getting a bit discouraged by the lack of comments on my blog. It makes me think I’m just amusing myself. And while there is nothing wrong with that (amusing yourself that is) I’m sure I can find less timely ways of doing it.
Last night during my nightly insomniac theatre our cat Sophie was flyin down the stairs from the 2nd floor, racing across my feet where I was seated in the living room and then racing down the basement stairs. Then reverse, up the basement stairs, race across my feet in the living room, then up the stairs to the second floor. Then she repeated the whole up/down thing 3 more times. I think somehow she must have gotten ahold of some kitty crack or something.
And while I’m here, since I can’t post this on my blog (my sister would see it) I thought I’d share my sister’s freudian slip at Thanksgiving. My sister is 2 years younger than I am, married and no kids. After we were all turkeyed out, we drove back to their hotel so my kids could go swimming. Just the kids swam, while my sister, her husband and I perused the gigantic Thursday paper. Her husband kept complaining how dry it was in the hotel and how it was really bothering him with his cold. I joked that maybe he could get a cot and sleep in the pool area because it was plenty humid there. Then my sister says “It’s so dry in here I can feel my eggs drying up. (long pause) I mean my legs drying up.” I don’t know how I didn’t burst with laughter, maybe because I was so shocked. LMAO!
Lola’s last blog post..What was the best Christmas Gift you’ve ever gotten?
JD, you get just the best comments! And my genius husband, again, his words…agrees with Jenn. Darn him!
bam a lam indeed!
puglette
Puglette’s last blog post..The Christmas MeMe
I think we should start a trend and all steal from blogs. Like I did from this one
Stephanie Barr’s last blog post..I Am Shameless
Prudence is such a creative kitteh! Seeking out her own toys. What a good hunter she is!
I’m going to guess it’s an itty bitty picnic table cloth holder on-er for an itty bitty picnic table that only cats would use. Cuz really, what cat doesn’t like to picnic?
chat blanc’s last blog post..Hideousness!
not very good at the guessing game and haven’t a clue as to what Pru’s toy is
as for the 2nd item, people are saying it belongs on a hanger? i checked my exercise bike and i see no such thing on there, so i’m gonna have to go with my first gut reaction…it’s the recliner chair (in the upright position) from the doll house in the movie, the incredible shrinking woman.
i’m getting a key chain…walks away dancing
seriously, i thought it was a brace that comes with mini blinds
no key chain, right?
NaTuRaL’s last blog post..The Day of the Fight
I have no idea what it is, but you said “fuzzy balls”…
Fancy’s last blog post..Christmas ornaments
Kathy: Thanks for the idea! My cats have never been interested in toilet paper, for some reason. But if it’s small, sharp, and absolutely necessary for some other use, Prudence will declare it a toy. Yes, Poor Princess Pru is worn out. She keeps her toys nearby, tho.
Maureen: I don’t even think we’re going to put ornaments on our tree this year. We’re going to just do the tree and lights. That should be bad enough. Prudence is good at running away with whatever it is in her mouth as soon as she realizes she’s not s’posed to have it. And, BOY, does she get mad. That’s HER toy!
Lola: Please don’t be discouraged! We ALL felt like that for a while. They will come! They will!
My cats have done the mysterious “wild animal in the jungle” act, too. What gets into them?
I love your sister’s Freudian slip. That’s a holiday memory to be treasured OVER and OVER and always in her presence.
Puglette: I agree. I LOVE YOU GUYS! And that ain’t no lie / Bam-a-LAM!
Stephanie Barr: Yes! I love your idea and your post. As I said on your post, there have been way too many great comments that get lost in the shuffle. Start stealing, everyone!
chat blanc: Aw. Now I want to have an itty-bitty-kitty picnic party for Prudence and her friends. Who wants to come?
NaTuRal: It’s WAY too early to say for sure whether a keychain will be yours. I’m not ruling anything out yet. I happen to love the idea of a reclining chair for the Incredible Shrinking Woman. Once again: you have demonstrated your creativity.
Here’s a hint; my cats don’t mess with our fiber-optic trees.
Stephanie Barr’s last blog post..I Am Shameless
It’s the letter “J” … anyone can see it’s the letter J!~ For Jenny.
Jenny’s last blog post..Statisticos de Mi Vida Loca
There are a couple of awards for you over here
Hmmm…. I’m going to guess it’s a magic cat toy. I think it lets Prudence magically teleport to places like Hawaii. She just takes the little hook part, put the curvy part in her mouth, and…
POOF
she’s in Hawaii or anywhere else.
JD, I am not baffleded. It is a kitty tongue depressor. Prudence is fighting a sore throat and would appreciate if you’d have a look-see.
(My first thought was that is was a kitty iud but any wacko knows they don’t make those out of stainless anymore. Or is that aluminum? OK if it’s aluminum it’s a kitty iud) As much as I’d love an I Do Things keychain, it would never reach me here, so can you give it to Prudence for me? Thank you.
Tom @ Chinese Zodiac Marriage Combinations’s last blog post..Zodiac Matches for Men Born Under the Pig Sign
i think it is a bobsled for the whos down in whoville or a wreath hanger.
Followed Stephanie over here…
Prudence appears to be a very innovative kitty and her latest toy looks similar to the hanger thingy that Jenn named it… but I’ve seen these things in my sweetie’s toolbox so it’s either a plumber’s clip or something similar that an electrician would use (the man’s multi-talented, what can I say?).
On the cat toy front, my Belle has graduated from paper towels to tinfoil balls to the giant beetles so prolific here in South Texas… I regularly find their remains under my computer chair! (thanks be to whomever NOT in my bed)
Stephanie Barr: Hey, good idea. Our tree is fake, but still great for climbing. We’re putting it up this afternoon. Prudence is resting up . . .
Jenny: Oh, obviously! Why didn’t I see that? “J” is the best letter of them all.
flit: Ooh, thank you! I’m on my way!
Regan: Good guess! Prudence does have a habit of disappearing and then suddenly reappearing, so this could very well be a magical cat transporter toy.
Tom @ Chinese Zodiac Marriage Combinations: Aw, you’re so generous and caring. Poor Prudence! I never guessed she might have a sore throat OR that she might be in need of . . . er, kitty birth control. I thought we had that taken care of. ANYway, I’m glad you’re not baffleded.
brooke: Oh, I love that idea. The Who’s down in Whoville could easily fit on such an item.
Kathleen L.: Welcome! I’m afraid both our cats are pretty hopeless when it comes to bugs, but we don’t get those awful giant beetles, so who knows what Pru would do with one? The whole plumber’s clip idea is very interesting. I’m going to have to look that up.
Americans have funny hangers! ;O)
Babs – beetle’s last blog post..My most embarrassing moment.
It’s a front tooth from a gansta cat grill. She be one chillin mofo.
Jeff’s last blog post..The stockings were hung by the chimney with care… in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would have air
Fancy: HA! Your “fuzzy balls” comment landed you right in Akismet’s clutches. I rescued you, tho. Because we all need more fuzzy balls in our lives.
Babs – beetle: That’s funny that different countries have different hangers. OF COURSE ours are superior.
Jeff: Ah, excellent guess. She does try to wear it as a grill, too. I don’t know how she feels about being called a mofo. I’d ask her, but she’d probably bite me.
Oh common! That’s no pant hanger gizmo and you all know it! It’s a chasity belt for un-spade cats! Are you all too embarased to say it??? What you really should post here is the un-nuetered cats contraceptive, you know, thta other metal thing ma gig.
Just wanted to say I found your blog via Entrecard and enjoy it very much! Some blogs I just click on just to be a good Entrecard citizen, but I will definitely continue to read yours!
Steve’s last blog post..Buffy: Still Slaying after All These Years
It’s a hook from a sex swing. You know, the one you always have left over after you’ve erected it in the basment dungeon?
Tiggy’s last blog post..Tiggy’s New Job – Part One
Carol from A Book Inside: Thank you for finally putting out there what we all were too squeamish to discuss. Yes, folks, cats do need chastity belts, occasionally (as do Barbie dolls—see Canucklehead’s wise comment). Ummmm, just what is that “other metal thing ma gig”? Can you send me a picture?
Steve: Woo! I love Entrecard bloggers! I’m so glad you decided to stick around. I was lingering on yours, too, as I am trying to find out more about this whole Kindle business. Welcome!
Tiggy: I think your last post may have influenced your guess. Also—I KNEW we were missing a piece of that damn swing!
Hey, we have definitely got a trend going here. My sister, shakespearemom.today.com, wrote a comment on my blog where I stole your idea, than copied and pasted it into her own blog entry and ran with it.
YOU TRENDSETTER YOU!
*Sniff* I’m so proud to know you.
stephanie barr: This might go totally viral and end up taking over (and possibly breaking) the whole Internet! Who would’ve thunk that the harmless act of stealing could lead to such greatness!
Hey, I may have started it, but you made it into something even greater.
I have a question what are entrecard points?
I think it is a clip for a certain kind of picture frame, one that really sucks. I have one and that is exactly what the clip looks like, unfortunately they fall off all of the time (maybe the reason why it was on the floor) and the glass breaks. I have one left from the five I bought.
Dainey’s last blog post..Common Sense with Money: Share your Favorite Holiday Memory and Win a FLIP Camera
Brooke: Entrecard is a blogging networking thingie. It’s kind of like a virtual business card. The more points you have, the more you can buy advertising space. When you have your own blog, you will have an Entrecard.
Dainey: Whoa! That is interesting. I’ll have to look at my sucky picture frames to see if that is indeed the case. If it is indeed a picture frame clip, I can see why the glass would break. It’s not very yielding. Thanks for playing!
I have no better answer for the contest. However, the best cat toy is a person.
Random Name’s last blog post..Grandpa and RG Visit the Zoo. Chapter 1: Preparation.
Random Name: You’re right. Or, in Prudence’s case, a person’s hair.
Following Random Name’s comment:
It’s a hook to hang yourself onto, so that your cat can play with you as long as it likes!
Plumber: Well, that would make a lot of sense. Now if Prudence can only figure out how to hang me on that hook!
I’m late for the contest but I’m a rebel, I don’t care.
I’d call it one of these
a HANG-NAIL
a JALOPPLY-DOODLE or
a HANG-FANGIN-DANG-HANGER
whatcha think?
lol
Brian Carter: I love your rebellious spirit! And I think you’re right: A Jalopply-Doodle is EXACTLY what this thing MUST be. It just has that ring of truth to it. Good job!
I don’t really think the contest would have ever mattered to me but anyway, I think it’s a hook you would use to hang things on the wall with. I’ll call it a ‘Hang-a-ma-jig.’