A little glitch in the system sent out the wrong QUESTION, and I have to transfer all your comments BY HAND on the first edition of I ASK because of the glitch. However, the glitch (I’m REALLY liking that word) is fixed and NO COMMENTS WILL DISAPPEAR ANYMORE. Oh, and I picked my top two favorites answers (which was HARD) and add them to the bottom of the post with made-up categories. NOTE: These categories will change depending on the awesomeness of your comments. And my whims. But mostly your comments.
ENOUGH EXPLANATION! On to today’s question….
What Do You Call THIS:
Because we are out on a walk and my son kicks one. Out of nowhere my husband yells: MONKEY BALLS.
I look up in the trees flailing my arms to protect my children from flying poop. (Because I already KNOW how to protect them from flying poop.)
But NO MONKEYS. Just these brown, spiky things on the ground. And the term MONKEY BALLS irrevocably intertwined with them.
So HELP! Is my husband nuts? Or are these monkey nuts? Because maybe we should be feeling REALLY BAD for the lady monkeys.
Answer that had actual RESEARCH to back it up: kdemy wrote: I thought at first that the husband was nuts, but they really ARE monkey balls according to Wikipedia. Apparently “space bug”, “bommyknocker”, “bir ball”, “gumball”, “conkleberry”, “cukoo-bir” or “sticky ball.” We have called them gumballs since I was a kid, but from now on they will be called bommyknockers! Now that I have something fun to call them, I don’t think I mind that my yard is riddled with them.
Answer with the most honesty: Krystyn wrote: I don’t call them anything except “ouch” or “crap” when I step on them!
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{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, they do kind of look like they could come out of the butt of those bright pink butt monkey’s. :)
.-= Donna´s last blog ..Friday Flip-Off 5.28.10 =-.
Now THAT would hurt.
I call them prickles. Not sure where that came from but right when I saw the picture that’s what I called them!
You are the only one dude. But from now on I may call you prickles.
Seriously, what is that? I think Monkey Balls is probably the best answer out there.
I’m pretty sure that I ask the questions around here. But I’ll be picking the answers shortly. And then you will know for the rest of your life.
well I used to know what they were called but my now adled brain (after driving 350 miles with 4 kids under the age of 9 and 6 hours of sleep and trying to go to a 12 hour Indian wedding outside when the had to (gasp) wear long pant in the (gasp again) summer…and then seeing you call them Monkey Balls…ugh! If it comes to me I’ll get back to you.
Don’t even bother getting back to me. You need all your strength.
I thought at first that the husband was nuts, but they really ARE monkey balls according to Wikipedia. Apparently “space bug”, “bommyknocker”, “bir ball”, “gumball”, “conkleberry”, “cukoo-bir” or “sticky ball.” We have called them gumballs since I was a kid, but from now on they will be called bommyknockers! Now that I have something fun to call them, I don’t think I mind that my yard is riddled with them.
Bommyknockers is pretty sweet. Although I’m kinda disappointed that my husband ISN’T nuts.
They are Sweetgum tree seed pods, AKA liquidambars. The term “Gumball comes from this. They are a hot item in the organic gardening circles for their slug and snail deterring abilities.
Personally, I always called them the Spikey Treepod Thingies or the Old Lady Killers because I have seen quite a few osteoporotic pts with wrist, hip and forearm fx thanks to these babies!
Old lady killers. That is a SWEET name (although sadly more true than monkey balls).
Who knew I could be ebaying this? Organic gardeners going CRAZY for my monkey balls!
I am so glad I came over today because I have ALWAYS wanted to know what they are called. Do enlighten me : )
.-= Life with Kaishon´s last blog ..And so Summer begins =-.
I’m pretty sure that you’re supposed to enlighten me…
but they may be monkey balls. or a little bit of sweet gum balls. either way, a lot of balls.
We have those all over the place!
And from now on? They are Monkey Balls.
Obviously.
Duh. And you’re welcome
One thing they are NOT is cow patties or horse farts or road apples. This I know.
And they definitely didn’t fall off the manure truck. Or out of something’s butt.
But if they are monkeyballs, then I pity the man monkeys too, walking around ballless
You are so much more sympathetic than I am. I didn’t even think about the poor man monkeys. Just the lady monkeys having to deal with those when they’re attached.
And what’s a horse fart? (Besides the obvious?)
Ah that is the question: what really IS a horse fart?
They were a much coveted item when I was growing up. Worthy of the risk of tearing your pants (or skin) on barbed wire fences and/or being kicked in the head by a feisty mare. For he who holds the horse fart hold the key to much admiration, potential for utter classroom chaos, and bucketfuls of laughter.
Basically it’s dried horse manure – which is actually a lot harder to find than you might think. Once the outside gets hard and dried there are “gasses” trapped on the inside. Strategically placed and stamped upon at the right moment, the gasses (and some manure “dust”) are released causing odorific hilarity.
And now we know why I moved from my hometown as soon as I could . . .
I have never seen anything like that before! But then again, I’ve never spent much time far from Northern AZ. And NOTHING really grows out here, not even monkeys.
.-= Story Lady´s last blog ..Oh, Billy! =-.
Well, if you do happen upon one, yell MONKEY BALLS. You may find yourself HAVING to venture outside of Northern AZ ;)
Looking at the size of those things, I think I’d call them Orangutan Balls.
.-= TheKitchenWitch´s last blog ..Seven Hours Alone–*Update* =-.
I have never compared types of apes and their balls. Orangutan balls might be more fitting. Do you have proof?
My sister has those as well. We call them sticker balls. No idea what they’re really called!
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Check Out My New Monster Look! =-.
Sticker balls sound like a prize in a cereal box. Now how disappointed would you be if you pulled out one of THESE?
Really made me laugh! I have no idea, maybe they are monkey balls!!
Karena
Art by Karena
.-= Karena´s last blog ..Beth Cosner Designs Jewelry Giveaway =-.
As long as you laughed and are as ignorant as me about these things, we can be friends.
Alex, I had to laugh when I read your post—I’ve dealt with those crazy stickery balls in my yard for years now and they drive me crazy! :) I only have one tree in my yard and it’s a Sweet Gum Tree. Mind you, I did not know how high-maintenance those trees were when I bought my house. Had I known, I might have thought twice before making my purchase. Consequently, I have this love/hate relationship with that tree—I love its shade in the summer and it’s a beautiful tree, BUT….I have to rake leaves AND “monkey balls” (this year I gathered five huge bags of them. All from one tree!) You’ve done me a service, though, because if I can think of them light-heartedly as “monkey balls” and they remind me of you, I won’t think of them as such a nuisance anymore. Thanks for helping me with my attitude adjustment! :)
My pleasure! I’m so happy to hear that MONKEY BALLS now remind you of ME.
I don’t call them anything except “ouch” or “crap” when I step on them!
HA! That’s pretty much my name for all nature.
In St. Louis, we used to call them gumballs. I wonder if there’s some sort of weird regional colloquialism there.
Actually I think that St. Louis has it right. And my husband is nuts. And maybe a few nutty readers too.
Your husband is funny…
I don’t know if I could live with trying to keep up with that…but, then, I do compete with baby e on a daily basis, so there’s that.
Love it…monkey balls. My kids will love it, too…
Oh, baby e and my husband could do some damage… especially with monkey balls. It’s not even a joke because it’d be that easy.
No idea. But I can tell we aren’t in Texas anymore.
.-= The Mother´s last blog ..Don’t Ask for a Divorce in Victorian England =-.
Are they like GORILLA BALLS there? With ten gallon hats?
I grew up calling them monkey malls, for no reason other than that’s what my younger brothers called them. Our formative years (as far as developing concepts of seedpods related to mammal genitalia go)(although the genitalia explanation didn’t occur to me until about 2 years ago) were spent in CA. It wasn’t until moving to Richmond six years ago that I had *ever* heard them called gumballs. And let me tell you, Richmonders get pissy if you call them anything but gumballs. Since then I have learned that they grow on sweetgum trees, so in the name of all that is botanically holy, I allow my Richmond-born children to correct me. They will always be monkey balls in my heart, though.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..word of the day 149/365: mama =-.
Oops. Monkey BALLS, not monkey MALLS. Although now I’m wondering what a monkey mall looks like…
.-= Jess´s last blog ..word of the day 149/365: mama =-.
Thanks for the explanation. Because monkey MALLS are like a whole different post. With a lot more flailing of the arms in case of poop.
Just that you were able to say monkey balls is hilarious enough as is! :) lol
.-= Annah´s last blog ..Two Words: You Suck =-.
it is fun to say. especially if you have crotchety old neighbors.
Haaaaaaaa! We have those all over the place around here. And I never knew what to call them. I’m all over monkey balls though. If you know what I mean.
Oh, I know what you mean. And that’s about as far as I want to go with that joke. For tonight at least.
Ok. HYSTERICAL that S calls them monkey balls. My MeMa in Mississippi had a HUGE tree in her front yard and we grew up calling them sweet gum balls. NOT so sweet if you’ve ever stepped on one barefoot.
Those Mississippians. Always trying to lull you into complacency with their sweetness and WABAM! Your foot is a pin cushion.
We call them “conkers” in our house. We stole the name from the PBS cartoon, Kipper.
If they still have their stem on them, you can use them like a mace to “conk” another person on the head. Not that I’d know. But, if I did, I would warn you that they get tangled in hair so watch out with your conking.
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