As of: February 8, 2024, 7:15 p.m
By: Vivian Werg
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Almost every ruler has a hole at one end - but what is it actually for?
© Imago
Some everyday objects sometimes puzzle us.
So does the ruler.
What is the little hole at the end actually for?
Kassel – Available in different lengths and designs, the ruler is a useful tool for drawing and measuring.
They are now also available for left-handers.
Unlike the ruler for right-handed people, the millimeter scale here runs ascending from right to left.
At the same time, a ruler often brings back childhood memories.
During school time, one or two of you will have probably stuck a pencil through it out of boredom, drawn circles or thrown it through the air while dangling from the pencil.
But that certainly couldn't have been what the inventor had in mind, right?
Riddle about the hole in the ruler: That's what it was used for
The older generation will still remember writing on slates.
And to ensure that everything happened on a straight line, the ruler was, then as now, part of the basic equipment of every student.
A small rag was used to wipe the panels.
And therein lies the solution to the mystery surrounding the small hole in the ruler: As the magazine Geo.de,
among others
, informs,
The rag was tied to the ruler with a string so that it was always ready to hand and didn't get lost.
But when there was no longer any use for slates and his wiping cloths, the hole was used instead to hang the ruler on a hook.
So everything had its order and its place.
However, this practice was quickly discontinued due to the risk of injury at school.
Even though rulers with a hole are still manufactured today, it no longer serves an important function.
The long history of the ruler
Already knew?
The practical measuring tool looks back on a remarkably long history.
According to the digital dictionary of the German language (DWDS), the ruler has been documented in writing since the 15th century and is made up of the Latin “linea” (directive) cord or the derivative “linealis”, i.e. “consisting of lines”.
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According to Geo.de,
the oldest known ruler is
over 4,000 years old and comes from India.
With the introduction of modern educational institutions, the ruler became firmly established as a measuring tool.
Road users are also often faced with a puzzle when it comes to road traffic
But it's not always just everyday objects that make some people ponder.
Even in traffic, drivers often find themselves faced with mysterious street signs whose meaning they don't know.
A yellow traffic sign with arrows puzzles many drivers every day.
In another case, even the highway company clarified the mystery surrounding mysterious gray signs.
(
vw)