I have a pale pink bottle with a liquid inside. How can I figure out what it is? [more inside]
posted by past on Nov 5, 2009 - 13 answers

I'm struggling to remember the title of a book I read in the 1980s, which had a real-world twist: hidden within the narrative was the location of a spot in the USA where some sort of treasure or reward money was located. [more inside]
posted by squid patrol on Oct 26, 2009 - 9 answers

I've never seen this mathematical symbol used this way before. Can anyone tell me what it means? [more inside]
posted by mazniak on Oct 25, 2009 - 8 answers

Can you help me figure out what this delicious beef noodle thing I ate years ago was? [more inside]
posted by peachfuzz on Oct 20, 2009 - 13 answers

How is water getting into my basement? [more inside]
posted by miyabo on Oct 18, 2009 - 14 answers

Help figure out this modifier of the word "mentality", which may be phonetically similar to "sinded". [more inside]
posted by Roach on Oct 18, 2009 - 21 answers

Never-sick person + sickness = hell. [more inside]
posted by I_Love_Bananas on Oct 17, 2009 - 44 answers

What is the most important scientific question of our time? [more inside]
posted by Demogorgon on Oct 12, 2009 - 44 answers

What is the strange white plastic ring thing that I see baseball players chewing on during the postseason games? [more inside]
posted by hippybear on Oct 11, 2009 - 13 answers

Does anyone know what this beige, squarish thing is supposed to be? What's it used for? [more inside]
posted by Theloupgarou on Oct 8, 2009 - 15 answers

Found this mutant-cherry fruit on a tree near Laurelhurst Park in Portland, Oregon today. Can you identify it? Can we eat it?
posted by halogen on Sep 30, 2009 - 13 answers

Tell me some scary and/or mysterious things that are local to your area, but not necessarily well-known to the rest of the world. [more inside]
posted by amyms on Sep 30, 2009 - 65 answers

What movies have the most difficult plots to understand? Movies that are mentally challenging and require multiple viewings but aren't nonsensical. [more inside]
posted by FuManchu on Sep 29, 2009 - 76 answers

My mobile phone seems to have sent a text message to my girlfriend without my knowledge. I don't understand how. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by uk_giffo on Sep 20, 2009 - 29 answers

My cat hasn't used her litter box in over two weeks. The house smells great. She has no way to get outside. Where is the pee going? [more inside]
posted by miagaille on Sep 16, 2009 - 28 answers

What is this giant concrete arrow for? [more inside]
posted by Spyder's Game on Sep 11, 2009 - 9 answers

Please help me remember what movie I'm thinking of. [more inside]
posted by Kattiara17 on Sep 2, 2009 - 10 answers

Please help me figure out what book this is. [more inside]
posted by magnoliasouth on Sep 2, 2009 - 3 answers

Vermont Mystery Filter: Help me prove it was arson. [more inside]
posted by Xurando on Sep 1, 2009 - 16 answers

Anyone know what city this is? I believe it's from the 1940s or '50s.
posted by xmutex on Aug 30, 2009 - 13 answers

MysteryVeggieFilter: can any of you vegetable experts identify this bad boy? It tasted somewhat like a tomato, although tarter, and we have no clues as to its identity as a friend dropped it off along with a bunch of other vegetables from a community garden. Thoughts?
posted by hatta on Aug 24, 2009 - 6 answers

7 days poolside... I need books! Tell me what to buy! [more inside]
posted by cgg on Aug 21, 2009 - 37 answers

Need some book recommendations. Just finished reading Bram Stoker's Dracula...and am getting through the Historian. In the past I have enjoyed The List of Seven, Club Dumas, The Alienist, Name of the Rose and so forth. So I guess I like the mystery-within-history sort of suspense/horror/thriller. The things I didn't get into were Dan Brown, Ian Pears, and anything having to do with Templars or Mary Magdalene. Can you recommend me your favorites? -- Thanks so much.
posted by snap_dragon on Aug 15, 2009 - 35 answers

Something strange is going on in the kitchen...What has done this to the label on top of my recycle bin? Went to the recycle bin under the sink. in the picture you can see the lid with the label on it. Is it a mouse, a rat....something else? picture here No human in the house has done this!
posted by razzman on Aug 13, 2009 - 13 answers

What kind of bird is making this annoying noise (mp3 file; alternate link here) behind my Manhattan apartment building? And what can I do about it? [more inside]
posted by Tin Man on Aug 7, 2009 - 24 answers

BugFilter: Found a bug on my bed. Legs are in the wrong location on the body for it to be a bedbug, so what is it? Photo here. [more inside]
posted by roomwithaview on Aug 5, 2009 - 8 answers

GardenFilter: We just harvested some potatoes and came across these potato-like knot things. We found about five or six in a bed that hosted both potatoes and garlic, though they were found kinda far from the garlic and well under ground—at least four inches. What are they? [more inside]
posted by Toekneesan on Aug 2, 2009 - 17 answers

What is the name of this cold noodle dish? Most likely Korean or Chinese food. [more inside]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm on Jul 21, 2009 - 25 answers

Please help me identify this yummy Armenian treat. [more inside]
posted by contessa on Jul 14, 2009 - 11 answers

Identify this odd, seemingly antiquated children's card game? [more inside]
posted by adamkempa on Jul 12, 2009 - 4 answers

What are these eggs I found in my underwear drawer? [more inside]
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu on Jul 8, 2009 - 10 answers

A boy buys an earring at an old junk shop, either he can't afford both or the guy sells it to him for a great price because there's no pair for it. Once he start wearing it though, trash becomes attracted to him. He ends up taking refuge (I think) in a phone booth and the trash falls away when he takes out the earring. My question, what show was this? [more inside]
posted by abitha! on Jun 25, 2009 - 5 answers

I have a USB VOIP phone in my possession that does not have any brand or identifying markings on it. Here is a picture of the phone. Can anyone help me identify it? [more inside]
posted by Bard09 on Jun 19, 2009 - 7 answers

Why/How did I get mystery software from China? Also applicable: Who/What/When/Where. [more inside]
posted by wrok on Jun 17, 2009 - 11 answers

Songfilter: I heard a prog-rock song with chanting in it, please help me find it. [more inside]
posted by GrooveStix on Jun 10, 2009 - 15 answers

What is this? My sister in law was in China and received it as a gift at a dinner. [more inside]
posted by bodgy on Jun 6, 2009 - 16 answers

Looking for a gardening tool & have no idea what it is: seedling waterer? bonsai tool? It's a metal rosette like you'd see attached to a watering can, maybe 3" across, with a pencil-sized metal pipe leading to a squeezy rubber bulb on the end. [more inside]
posted by bitter-girl.com on Jun 5, 2009 - 11 answers

What is this mystery car part??? [more inside]
posted by alygator on Jun 4, 2009 - 16 answers

What is this crazy sci-fi looking device I bought at a salvage store? It has knobs, a compass, and a bizarre spinning top. [more inside]
posted by agropyron on May 28, 2009 - 9 answers

Where could I find ideas about creating an adventure/mystery/game for friends over the summer, via postal service? [more inside]
posted by troybob on May 22, 2009 - 4 answers

I've just poured myself a Dark Horse Brewery Tres Blueberry Stout. A slow, steady pour that left a modest head on top. And then a droplet or two skidded around over the foam like a water droplet on a hot frypan for maybe five seconds before disappearing. Darndest thing I've ever seen. Beer geniuses, how did this happen? How can I make it happen again?
posted by ardgedee on May 15, 2009 - 6 answers

When do the cranes in the Port of Oakland actually MOVE? [more inside]
posted by k7lim on May 12, 2009 - 6 answers

I need questions to ask a panel of mystery writers, some of them cross-dressing. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 30, 2009 - 7 answers

What's on Obama's right wrist?
posted by oxford blue on Apr 28, 2009 - 9 answers

I'm rediscovering the mystery genre and am looking for a fantastic mystery story to read, specifically something older--I'm getting interested in what happened in the genre during and immediately after World War I, so I'm specifically interested in stories/books published before 1920. Elements of international intrigue are a plus. Please, mystery lovers, help me out! Thank you in advance.
posted by sarabeth on Apr 13, 2009 - 14 answers

What city in Texas could be represented by the number 93711195? Or the string GECAAAABA? [more inside]
posted by gleuschk on Apr 7, 2009 - 52 answers

This plant has been trying to take over my side yard. What is it? [more inside]
posted by lleachie on Mar 26, 2009 - 9 answers

Hi guitarists! Help me identify some mystery jazz guitar. [more inside]
posted by ldenneau on Mar 23, 2009 - 4 answers

On the 21st of March I had a large increase of page views on my blog. The keyword was гомули which Babelfish translates from the Russian as gomuli. [more inside]
posted by tellurian on Mar 22, 2009 - 10 answers

Need help remembering the title of a line of young adult books from the 80s involving mysteries and requiring a mirror to solve. [more inside]
posted by charlesv on Mar 18, 2009 - 4 answers