Have you ever noticed the big hole in the middle of your pasta spoon? Even if you’re not a big fan of Italian food, you must have seen these spoons at least once in your life and wondered why on earth would a spoon have a huge, weird hole going through it. As it turns out, there’s a very simple and neat reason behind it – to help you calculate the exact amount of pasta you need for a single serving.
So, next time you’re cooking just for yourself and don’t want to overdo it with the carbonara, just take a handful of dry noodles and fit them through the spoon hole to make sure you have the right portion.
Brass Doorknobs
Alright, we definitely aren't expecting you to be paying attention to brass doorknobs, so if you haven't noticed this next one, then you get a free pass. All doorknobs are made out of brass. There is a very smart reason for the doorknobs being made from this, and it is surely not an accident. Things made from brass hold up better against bacteria build-up. Think of the number of times a day that doorknobs are touched.
The brass helps make them free of germs. This is very important, considering that people are constantly touching doorknobs after touching a load of other things. Obviously, this is important since people will pick up germs on their hands in countless different ways. Thanks to the brass, we are less exposed to germs than if they had been made from another material.
The Fifth Pocket on Your Jeans
Surely you've noticed that little pocket on the side of your jeans, and while you probably just chucked its existence up to a design choice, and use the tiny compartment for storing folded cash or your trusty lip balm, this fifth pocket actually has a purpose.
Jeans used to be the preferred type of pants for cowboys and gold miners during the mid-1800s, and one of the most valuable items they carried around with them was their pocket watch. The tiny pocket was designed to keep their expensive and delicate pocket watches free from harm while they worked.
The Half-Belt on Coats
The half-belt is a clothing feature commonly seen on pea coats or trench coats, and certain types of jackets, and while you might think this is purely a fashion choice - like "pre-torn" jeans - the half-belt has an actual purpose.
Originally, the half-belt was invented for men serving in the military who had oversized jackets that they also used as blankets. The belt was used to gather and hold any extra material so the soldiers could walk around freely.
Utility Blades
Nowadays, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't keep a box cutter or utility knife in the house. Whether this useful tool is something you use on a regular basis or something that mostly sits in a drawer gathering dust, this hidden use of a utility blade will surely come in handy. You may have noticed that utility knives come with a thick, plastic cap at the end and that the blades have little score lines.
The score lines are to indicate where exactly to break off the blade so you can have a fresh, sharp, new blade whenever you want. And the plastic cap is there so you can take it off and use it to cut off the blade! It's easy, safe, and helps you avoid nasty cuts.