Holey Plugs, Batman! But... what are they for?
The answer may surprise you.
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Maybe some day I'll talk about the fact that all these outlets are technically upside down.
My son discovered a great use for the holes. You can insert a small paper clip through both holes at the same time so when dad unwittingly plugs it onto the wall, it emits a bright blue/white flash and scorches the plug, wall plate and wall as well as tripping the circuit breaker all with an incredible but brief sound.
"I suppose mayonnaise is an off-white jam..."
"I suppose mayonnaise is an off-white jam" is one of the most upsetting sentences I've heard in a while.
When I was a kid, back in the 1960s, we had a record player that would shock you if the plug was upside down. Touch the tonearm and get shocked. It made playing records an adventure. I don't think we ever told our parents. I haven't thought of that in decades.
"Dude, no way I'm watching a 20 minute video on the holes in power plugs." ~20 minutes later. "He got me again!"
The hole is for the tiny padlock to prevent someone's PlayStation from being plugged in :D
Those holes are very useful in the construction trade for me. Not only can you lock out a plug, but we own Pro-Lock extension cords which seem to utilize these holes to lock whatever you've plugged into them in place.
Fun fact, if you have one of those tiny novelty padlocks for a girls' diary, you can lock it through the hole, preventing it from being plugged in.
"through the magic of buying multiple"
Back in the 80s when I was a child, my parents would put a tiny padlock (like the ones used on luggage zippers) through the holes in my TV's power cord as punishment. So I always thought the holes were to prevent unauthorized use of appliances.
Mayonnaise being called an off-white jam has ruined my brain. Lmao 🤣 I love the information TC gives, but the jokes just make this channel peak entertainment ❤️
“Oh well, at least it’s not 240v coming out of there” 😂😂😂😂😂
"Through the magic of buying 2" will never not be amusing to me.
The opposite of “through the magic of buying two” should be “through the misfortune of only buying one”. 😀
I have lived in a few rental properties with what I always called “butter plugs” most of them were quite old and probably had dozens of people living there over the decades. And well, as you noted in the end, probably just wear on the sockets. Never to the point where they would fall out without help but they usually weren’t hanging on very well.
Thought I knew all about home receptacles. Man, was I wrong!
Fun fact: there are extension cords that utilize those holes and will lock with a button on top. They're great with hand tools to avoid accidental unplugging while working
"The toads over at NEMA" is an unreasonably good joke.
I definitely love all the information you give and the science you do but god damn, your sense of humor is next level and your deadpan delivery is impeccable!