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Original poster

Things You Thought You Invented

139 replies

StayGoldenPonyGirl · 13/04/2023 18:18

I invented Nihilism when I was 8 or 9. My parents told me to shut up talking nonsense. I remember reading about it as a teenager in Reader's Digest and thinking someone had ripped my ideas off - I came up with that by myself years back😆

I also invented the sanitary towel around 5 or 6- my mum just used tampons so i didn't know what pads were. I overheard her moaning about getting stains on her knickers so I made a wad of loo roll with improvised sticky back plastic (looped black electrical tape) and presented it to her. Her and her friends found it hilarious...I was most disgruntled.

I had the idea for the kindle too as a kid in a cold house who wanted to read but keep hands snuggly and warm. But mine was wall mounted and you would blink to turn pages so I still might take that one to Dragon's Den.

Have you ever sworn you've invented something that already exists?

OP posts:
Shortpoet · 13/04/2023 20:49

I was fed up with carrying my laptop and all the associated connectors, chargers, pens and notepads etc. from meeting room to meeting room around the office during the day.
I invented (and even drew pictures!) of a bag that had the exactly right-sized pockets for all my equipment.

Then I realised I had invented…. The briefcase.

CommanderShepard · 13/04/2023 20:59

CaloriesShmalories · 13/04/2023 20:16

I invented post it notes.

Only joking.

I actually thought I’d invented birth control for rats instead of poisoning them. Had a proper excited feeling about it until I googled and found it’s already a thing!

I approve of the reference! I loved that film.

Wednesday6 · 13/04/2023 21:00

@CremeEggsForBreakfast that was my idea too! It'll be great if big supermarkets did refills or even better home refill delivery!

LeefPeeper · 13/04/2023 21:41

Your blink activated kindle wouldn’t work surely? You wouldn’t be able to blink for the whole page, until you were ready to turn over?

SugarSyrup · 14/04/2023 10:38

This has made me really laugh this morning!

Years ago when I was pregnant I had a dream and 'invented' the gloves that stay stuck to a motorbike that you just slip your hands into to keep them warm while driving. I woke up super motivated and got straight to google to discover they already existed. I still remember how excited I was!

BarbaraofSeville · 14/04/2023 10:42

Friend and I invented a 'washing up machine' when we were in primary school.

We did not know about the existence of dishwashers, but the design as I remember it was more like the X-ray scanners you see at airports, a conveyor belt where you put dirty pots in at one end and clean ones came out the other.

Neither of us had ever been to an airport in those days, and I don't even know if they X-rayed people's bags in the early 1980s anyway.

Mamadothehump · 14/04/2023 10:46

Burritos 🤣🤣🤣

Saltired · 14/04/2023 10:47

I invented Argos during one particularly frustrating shift folding the £2 t shirt table in Primark (why do people pull the bottom one out and then leave the entire table a mess?!)

I thought it would be great if we just had a small foyer with photos of the clothes; then the staff went and got them and gave them to the customer to try on.

This was maybe 16-17 years ago, so Argos most definitely existed. However, when I go into primark I now wonder how many of the staff are having the exact same wish as I did!

x2boys · 14/04/2023 10:47

BasiliskStare · 13/04/2023 18:22

Not quite but years ago a friend of mine & I laughed our heads off at removing the back seat of the car and having photographs of where you wanted to go being brought out by long grabbers in order so you knew where you were going. Bit like Sat Nav , but rubbish.

I watched a very old tommorows world on you tube,they had a casseste thing in the car with a load of programmed in routes so you could get the directions to where you wanted to go,also a bit like a rubbish sat nav🤣

Saltired · 14/04/2023 10:48

I also invented something where you could press a button on your keys which then helped you find your car in a car park. And I invented the tile to help you find your keys too.

Isthatascratchonmygrandmother · 14/04/2023 10:55

Years ago when I gave birth to my eldest and was left with grazed labia, my husband spent ages making me a comfortable, waterproof tube that I could hold directly at the urethra so my acidic wee would travel through and not sting my grazes. It was genius and a pure life saver for the post birth wees. A couple of years later we saw the women's 'shewee' advertised and it was very similar.

x2boys · 14/04/2023 10:56

My dh had a great idea for locating lost children, he wanted to implant them with a trracker ,so parents could track them everywhere ,he even had a name for his genius invention Kidstrack🤣

Lamelie · 14/04/2023 10:59

Elisheva · 13/04/2023 18:57

I invented money. I was shopping for a birthday present and talking to a friend about how great it would be if you could buy a gift voucher that would be accepted anywhere 🤦‍♀️

😂
I invented crochet and videos. Video was in great detail in about 1975. I also swear I was first to say ‘knit your own muesli/ yogurt’ in the 80s and reckon I was overheard by a journo.

blobby10 · 14/04/2023 11:04

I invented Rightmove! It was around 1998 and I was trudging around estate agents getting details and thought it would be a great idea if there was one central point where all the EA could send the details of houses so buyers could just go to one place. H even pitched the idea to a business manager for new business development but neither of us had the tech know how to proceed with the idea. Two years later Rightmove appeared on the scene and I'm sure the business development guy stole my idea Grin😀

MamTDM · 14/04/2023 11:10

I'm not sure if it counts as an invention as such, but I had a brilliant weight loss idea in my teens where you ate whatever you wanted and then just threw it up later. Idiot me thought it was foolproof. Luckily I didn't get too invested in it myself or try to market it!! 😱

FoolsOld · 14/04/2023 11:10

I dreamt I invented Push Pops. I was devastated when I saw the advert a few weeks later.

x2boys · 14/04/2023 11:25

I think " Friends" should be credited with inventing face time ,and zoom/teams meetings,remember when Monica was dating pete the Billionaire ,and they all went to his apartment and they called him on a giant screen,thing?and he hss meetings with various other peoole on screens?

Member589500 · 14/04/2023 11:38

I invented something in bed last night. Not very thrilling.
Every time I have to fill in a screw hole or crack I buy a whole tube of ready mixed filler and use about one teaspoon and the rest goes hard and gets thrown away.
my invention is a pack of tiny sachets of filler with a scraper attached to each sachet.
sure enough when I woke up and checked Amazon someone has invented a mini tube of filler with attached scraper. Not quite as good as mine though 😑

Original poster
StayGoldenPonyGirl · 14/04/2023 11:54

Isthatascratchonmygrandmother · 14/04/2023 10:55

Years ago when I gave birth to my eldest and was left with grazed labia, my husband spent ages making me a comfortable, waterproof tube that I could hold directly at the urethra so my acidic wee would travel through and not sting my grazes. It was genius and a pure life saver for the post birth wees. A couple of years later we saw the women's 'shewee' advertised and it was very similar.

You invented the willy!

OP posts:
Amdone123 · 14/04/2023 11:54

When we were kids, our parents took us to Blackpool and my sister and I had so much fun in the arcades.
When we got home we made the Tipping Point 'machine', using cardboard boxes. It was about 45 years ago and we still laugh about it.
So, Tipping Point stole my idea for a game show.

Another time, about 30 years ago, my other sister and I were on a beach. No table and nowhere to put our drinks, so we put our plastic wine glasses in our trainers.
Actually, I don't think this has been invented yet.
#offtogoogle.

Original poster
StayGoldenPonyGirl · 14/04/2023 11:58

LeefPeeper · 13/04/2023 21:41

Your blink activated kindle wouldn’t work surely? You wouldn’t be able to blink for the whole page, until you were ready to turn over?

Yeah, it needs some work - maybe a prolonged wink, left to turn back, right to turn over....or maybe it just rolls steadily and you adjust it to your reading speed. It must already exist for people with additional needs etc. but this would be marketed at lazy articles who can't be arsed holding something or turning pages.

OP posts:
Mammyloveswine · 14/04/2023 13:19

I invented suncream for dogs... was all set to look into how to do this and a quick google tells me it's Been around for years!

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 14/04/2023 13:47

I invented Traffic Alert for car radios - in my head obvs - and would still like it on home radios, so I know which way to go before I leave for work.

DM discovered Plate Tectonics in primary school. She was looking at a map of the world and realised that all the bits would fit together.

LemonSwan · 14/04/2023 13:54

I have the opposite problem in that not a week goes buy trying to buy something which doesn’t exist. This week I want a pocket radio with a blue tooth transmitter (so I can use with Bluetooth headphones). It doesn’t seem difficult. You can buy these, and Bluetooth transmitters. Just not together. I do despair.

Dontlistitonfacebook · 14/04/2023 13:54

@x2boys this is described in the short story "The Machine Stops", published in 1909!

The Machine Stops https://g.co/kgs/hhn2Nm

The Machine Stops - Google Search

https://g.co/kgs/hhn2Nm

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