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Original poster

What did you 'invent' then discovered was already a thing?

109 replies

goingback · 22/01/2023 11:51

When i was young i stayed in a tent watching my dad fishing and some people were on a boat fishing and i invented a floating cabin you could fish from and stay in . Years later saw someone had beaten me to it.
Also remember being told i was daft for suggestion using the vacuum cleaner to dry up the shower.

OP posts:
Todaynotalways · 22/01/2023 13:59

*on one shoulder

fdgdfgdfgdfg · 22/01/2023 14:02

Todaynotalways · 22/01/2023 13:58

I invented wearing a rucksack in one shoulder.

Up until the day I did it (year 6 at achool) , it had never been done, and no one had ever looked as cool as I did that day.

I was informed by my daughter the other day that no-one does this any more. It's bad for your back and really not cool!

I always thought that the fact it was uncomfortable was what made it cool!

pelargoniums · 22/01/2023 14:02

Browsing in the video shop one afternoon and realised I wasn’t in the mood to watch something, I wanted to read something. But I’d read all the books I owned and as a student, couldn’t afford to buy a book. So I invented a sort of video shop for books, where one might borrow a book on one’s membership card, read it, and return it. Bookbuster rather than Blockbuster, if you will. Pleased with this invention, I remembered I was due to meet friends to study in… the library.

Xiaoxiong · 22/01/2023 14:03

My mum invented pet insurance. I remember her talking about it years ago (this was in the USA, where the first pet insurance wasn't sold until the 1980s and is still pretty rare). Then we moved to the UK to discover it was definitely an established thing.

LegodOut · 22/01/2023 14:05

Just Eat. It was back in 1998ish so the plan was to take the customer orders via our website, but fax them to the takeaways (figuring that most takeaways would only have had a phone line).

Shodan · 22/01/2023 14:07

Grobags (or baby sleeping bags).

We took ds1 camping when he was 6 months old and obviously an ordinary sleeping bag would've been dangerous, so I made one with arm holes and a zip up the front.

That was in 1996.

Etinoxaurus · 22/01/2023 14:13

pelargoniums · 22/01/2023 14:02

Browsing in the video shop one afternoon and realised I wasn’t in the mood to watch something, I wanted to read something. But I’d read all the books I owned and as a student, couldn’t afford to buy a book. So I invented a sort of video shop for books, where one might borrow a book on one’s membership card, read it, and return it. Bookbuster rather than Blockbuster, if you will. Pleased with this invention, I remembered I was due to meet friends to study in… the library.

Brilliant 🤣

TidyDancer · 22/01/2023 14:14

Along the same lines....

Alice in wonderland syndrome.

I tried to explain it to my parents how I used to see things differently when I wasn't very well and one day when my mum read me the Alice books I thought that's what it is! My family thought I was crackers but I used to tell people I was Alice when I wasn't well!

It wasn't until I grew up I randomly read an article about the condition and realised not only was it a recognised thing but one of the names for it is actually Alice in wonderland syndrome. There is some speculation that Lewis Carroll might've experienced it as well but I'm still taking partial credit for the naming of it!

MyOldCaravan · 22/01/2023 14:18

Rightmove - pre-internet! Had the idea of a database with all the agents details, cross-referenced with area, price etc.

timeforachangeofseason · 22/01/2023 14:19

I invented Mumsnet. Or maybe closer to netmums! Had done a degree in early years and was mulling over creating a website where parents could offer support to other parents. A few years went by and Netmums came along!

TrollMunter · 22/01/2023 14:21

Use of the word ‘sleeps’. Eg 5 sleeps until Christmas. It was my word in that context first. Mine!

Oblongbluebell · 22/01/2023 14:22

I invented Fanta when I was 5. I mixed some orange squash with lemonade and called it fizzy orange. I was very miffed when I found out it had existed for years before that.

About 25-30 years ago, I thought it wound be great if you could buy just the songs you wanted. Not the whole album and not necessarily singles, but instead make your own compilation of the songs you want and pay for only that.

TrollMunter · 22/01/2023 14:22

Oh and Count Duckukar. I spent hours as a child planning this character vampire duck then boom 💥. It’s on TV. The TV people stole it from my head. 🤷‍♀️

merryhouse · 22/01/2023 14:31

I invented matching accessories.

It was 1983...

My sister discovered pi, aged about 6.

watcherintherye · 22/01/2023 14:39

Well, I’m not sure. I thought years ago (round about the time our cat came to live with us, in fact) how great it would be to have a face recognition cat flap which could detect any anomalies, such as a mouse poking out either side, and stay firmly shut.

watcherintherye · 22/01/2023 14:41

Posted too early! Not sure whether anyone has managed to properly invent such a thing, but I definitely thought of it first!

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 22/01/2023 14:45

TrollMunter · 22/01/2023 14:21

Use of the word ‘sleeps’. Eg 5 sleeps until Christmas. It was my word in that context first. Mine!

I'd ask for this post to be removed if it were me!

ThatshallotBaby · 22/01/2023 14:49

Coffee bags. I’m actually a bit cheesed off about this as they are relatively recent and I thought about them ages ago Grin

darjeelingrose · 22/01/2023 14:54

ThatshallotBaby · 22/01/2023 14:49

Coffee bags. I’m actually a bit cheesed off about this as they are relatively recent and I thought about them ages ago Grin

I came across coffee bags in Canada nearly 20 years ago, but never saw them anywhere else until really recently. It's an odd one.

XenoBitch · 22/01/2023 14:56

I like doing Zentangle (mindful doodling). I thought it would look great as embroidery too. I named it "Zenbroidery". Turns out it is already a thing... blackwork! Since medieval times 😂

PuppaDontPreach · 22/01/2023 14:57

Salade Liégeoise
Hot stone massage (actually think I might have invented it first but I didn't commercialise it)
Double-toasting crumpets

AmazingBouncingFerret · 22/01/2023 15:05

In 1993 I was about ten years old and my mum would always make me my own larger Yorkshire pudding for Sunday dinners.
I would smush my roast potatoes, add my meat, stuffing and veg, fold it all up and eat it like a wrap. My family laughed when I said I would open a food van and sell Yorkshire pudding sandwiches at car boots…

jays · 22/01/2023 15:07

MarshaMelrose · 22/01/2023 12:00

The Allen key.
For background, my dad wasn't in any way a handyman so I learned nothing from him.
When I was in my 20s, I bought kitchen cabinets from MFI. When I was putting them together, I found a bit of metal in the packaging. Purely by chance, I discovered it worked really well on screwing in certain bolts, etc. I thought what a genius idea for a new type of screwdriver and I wondered how to develop the idea. I mentioned it to a friend...and that's when I learned about Allen keys.

😂 That’s my favourite post of the week!

WeAreBorg · 22/01/2023 15:14

MarshaMelrose · 22/01/2023 12:00

The Allen key.
For background, my dad wasn't in any way a handyman so I learned nothing from him.
When I was in my 20s, I bought kitchen cabinets from MFI. When I was putting them together, I found a bit of metal in the packaging. Purely by chance, I discovered it worked really well on screwing in certain bolts, etc. I thought what a genius idea for a new type of screwdriver and I wondered how to develop the idea. I mentioned it to a friend...and that's when I learned about Allen keys.

Hahaha the discovery of the Allen key made me snort 😂

years and years ago when camping and trying to eat a chunky soup, I realised having a spoon that can contain the soup liquid and a fork to eat should be combined into a…spork! Already done ffs

DS1 and I combined a scone and a doughnut into a sconut and that’s a thing 🙄

NewNameForXmas · 22/01/2023 15:21

watcherintherye · 22/01/2023 14:39

Well, I’m not sure. I thought years ago (round about the time our cat came to live with us, in fact) how great it would be to have a face recognition cat flap which could detect any anomalies, such as a mouse poking out either side, and stay firmly shut.

That would be genius!