Daily Photo

Velcro was invented in 1948 by George de Mestral after he took his dog for a walk and came home to find it covered in things much like the seed pod above. The name is a combination of the French words “velours” (velvet) and “crochet” (hook).

The hard part is apparently getting the nylon hooks to come out just right. Do that and it sticks to most things, though the right loop fabric does help a lot.

“Velcro” remains a registered trademark, though genericised beyond much possibility of rehabilitation. Just think of the possibilities.

Photo: “Pretty Dead Things” by Ian Muttoo. Taken in Brampton, Ontario on 5th October 2007. CC by-sa 2.0.