"Wingnut" is mostly heard these days as a term for an unhinged political extremist. The slang term came about meaning someone who is odd or eccentric or otherwise deviates from the norm. But the real, literal wingnut is a very useful nut with wings that allows us to tighten bolts by hand. That's the kind of wingnut you'll find in the new Wingnut Museum that opened on July 13th in Berkeley, California. The origin of the museum is quite a story.
Urban Ore is a salvage yard in Berkeley that recycles building materials, furniture, housewares, and other things. An employee who goes by Neko was sorting through hardware and started lining wingnuts up on a shelf. Other employees set wingnuts alongside them until they became a collection. Customers began to donate wingnuts, too. When the shop decided to unionize, the organizers referred to the collection and chose a wingnut as their logo, as it represented both the employees and their customers. Since it was now a union symbol, the shop owners decided the collection had to go. Read how the Wingnut Museum came to be, and how you can visit and see wingnuts from all over the world at Berkeleyside. -via Metafilter
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Yes indeed, through various jobs, hobbies, and flights of fancy, there have been many chances to bring home screws, nuts, and bolts. As my peanut butter & mayo jars filled I could be more selective about quality. But never ever passed up a wingnut in any condition.
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