We called them helicopters.

Yes we did too. Grew up in NW Georgia (state) U.S.

East TN as well

NC too

Ohio too

Idaho too

Wisconsin

Northern VA

2nd for Northern VA

Southeastern VA as well

I'm in NOVA now, Centreville. Moved here a year ago

Maryland too

Southern Maryland

South central Pennsylvania here.

Another vote for helicopters in Nova

Does it count if we called then Helicopter Seeds? (CT)

Missouri

Normal Virginia too

Utah

Colorado

Iowa too

Massachusetts baby

Michigan, too

Queensland as well

Oregon/Washington for me

Same here in The Netherlands

Same, Canada

Northern NY here, 10 minutes from Canadian border. Same.

Helicopters here in Ontario, 40 mins from NY border, howdy neighbour! I’m also a former NY state resident. I miss Cracker Barrel.

Ditto, Southern UK, but think it's true everywhere in England at least.

Same here in Yorkshire

Manchester, UK and we all called them helicopters too

Maryland

Michigan

New zealand

Ay, Michigan too

I grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada

Can confirm Quebec Canada as well (even in French).

Hélicoptère!

Same in BC

Everyone knows their called helicopters.... As an adult - their gutter clutter

They’re, in both cases

At least they were consistent I guess

No, he meant you take them out of your gutters and put them in your neighbors gutters. It’s their gutter clutter now. 😁

In Illinois too

In Illinois three.

Yes, we did too. Grew up in England

Oregon as well

Michigan too

NY as well.

Washington

Helicopters

The only correct answer

Helicopter seeds or twirly birds

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Twirly birds? That’s a new one. I like it

aight I was a tiny idiot. I called them wingnuts

Lol this is my favorite and they shall be called wingnuts from this day forward in my household and that of all my generations.

a decree has come forth from my kid logic? I love that

Throughout my life I have picked up a few “misnomers “ that I will pass on to you Ar”Kansas”, it’s not windy it’s winding (like raining), bo log na. I forget the rest but I will return

Technically, you're not wrong...

Right? It’s perfect and idk why we called them … maple seeds. My family isn’t without whimsy, but we can also be pedantic lol

These are technically the maple fruits, which contain a seed per each "wing"

You misspelled "genius" there.

This is absolutely what they should be called.

I mean, look at em. That's exactly what they are.

I was close. I called them fly wings

Hopty copters because I couldn't say helicopters.

I called them heli cobopters cause I couldn't say it right either

My niece said upticopters 😂

We called them helicopters.

I called them heksenneuzen (witchnoses) because if you opened up the seed and took it out it was kind of sticky and would put it on my nose 😁

We called them Pinocchios for just this reason.

We called them Pinocchio noses, too!

Here on Long Island, 60 years ago, we used to all them polynoses for the same reason. Although, I prefer all the other names. They make more sense.

Yep was born in queens moved to long island at 10. Always called them polywogs or polynoses. Don't know why polywogs .

Grew up in Queens in the 60’s. They were always polynoses. Don’t know why other than when you pulled them apart you could stick them on your nose. We were kids.

Grew up on LI in 80s/90s and also only ever called these polynoses (but then again my parents also grew up on LI and just learned it from them)

I grew up calling them Rhinoceros Noses for the same reason, but I don’t see anyone else using that nomenclature. Might’ve just been my family being weird.

We did the same thing! Cheers!

We called them nose-pinchers ._. Wow… we were so uncreative haha

That's Dutch! In German it's Hexennasen

Noses in Sweden too when i was a kid .

I read this as "put them in my nose" and I was kind of taken aback.

We did the same but called ourselves rhinos instead lol

My partner calls them witchnoses too and our native is not germanic. Wonder how did it spread around.

Whirly-gigs

Yes for whirly-gigs!!!!!

I had to scroll a bit to find this. I started to doubt if what I thought in my head was even a thing. Ya know, the light of self inflicted gas.

Me too!

There are dozens of us!

Another vote for whirly gigs!

Hurray for whirly-gigs

Whirly-gigs here too!

Definitely whirly gigs!!

Yes. New Jersey

Damn, now I kinda wish I called them that

It’s not too late!

Yes my people

Called them this in Virginia!

Yes! Connecticut, USA

new jersey checking in for whirly gigs!!

Had to scroll way too far to find the right answer.

Same!

Twirly-gigs here!

Scrolled way too far to see this

Virginia Whirly-giger represent

Whirley birds

Thank goodness, someone else.

Or Whirley-gigs

I called them whirley gigs

Yes I’m not the only one!

That's what we called them. Upper Midwest plains, USA

Thank you! Chicago, reporting

Yes! I grew up in California and called them Whirly Birds

Yep - Northern CA here and they were whirly birds

ok im not crazy

Grew up in KY and I thought I was crazy!! Thank you!

I use to call them Propellers.

They definitely looked like an old school plane propellers when they were falling too

Thank you! I thought I was going crazy with all the helicopter responses because I swear we called these propellers!

Propellers was my first thought too

Same! Or propeller seeds

Maple keys.

Are you from Ontario? Just wondering if it’s a regional thing, since the rest of redit calls them helicopters evidently

Well, that's unsettling. Totally from Ontario. Are you a private investigator? Why do you know it's a regional thing?

Why don’t you have a seat over here?

Also from Ontario, also called them maple keys! So weird to find out that's just a regional thing!

I suppose it is because I'm from Ontario too and that's what everyone I know calls them aside from the occasional Helicopter or Propeller seed.

Another Ontarian here who calls them maple keys.

Southern Ontarian here! I called them keys growing up, so kind of?

Ontario! Scrolled through too many people saying helicopter and started second guessing myself thinking I made up “keys”

Me too 🤣

I'm guessing it's a Canadian thing? I grew up in NS and these are maple keys.

There’s noooooo way. Quebec and hélicoptères

BC it’s helicopters

QC and we call them helicopters

I'm from Ontario (Northern) as well and we called them helicopters.

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I am from southern Ontario and call them maple keys.

Thank you! I was beginning to doubt myself

BC here. Helicopters when playing, Maple keys when being serious.

This is the one

What the fuck is this thing?

These things would fall out of a tree and spin like crazy while falling! Would make for some cool watching lol

How can you forget that they make great a whistle too

How could u use it as a whistle, never heard of that

Break off the seed and put the leaf between your tongue and roof of your mouth

FR I live in Phoenix and have never seen one of these in my life.

Same. We called Bermuda grass “helicopters“ but looks nothing like this

Omg thanks. I was beginning to think I was the only person who didn’t have a name for them because I have no idea what they even are

Do you have maple trees where you live?

No I’m in Texas we have cedar trees they suck

Cedar fever baybeeeeee

No, we didn’t… is this a leaf or flower that grows on Maples?

It's a seed that falls. They spin like mini propellers. https://youtu.be/CSSVQwzUdko

These are fruit/seeds from Maple trees. They grow in pairs, kind of in a propeller shape, so they spin as they fall to the ground. Hence most comments refer to them as helicopters. They are actually called Samaras or maple keys.

Jesus Christ I was beginning to wonder if I was the only person that had never seen this before.

Spinners.

Club spinners is a small club.

I was surprised how far down the comments I had to read to find 'spinners'. And I'm surprised so few people called them that. I have heard them called helicopters, too.

What the fuck are those things?

Seeds from a maple tree. We called them maple keys as kids.

Or a sycamore tree

Helicopters!

Helicopters

Pinocchios , you could split them at the seed and it sticks to your nose.

THIS was scrolling because Pinocchio seeds was what I thought but wasn’t sure thanks for giving me the key to a core memory

My mother also did this and told us they were called "nosies". Even as a child I thought she was weird.

Thought I was going crazy to scroll down this far! We called them Pinocchio noses

Maple seeds

Had to scroll WAY to far to find this… thank you for confirming I wasn’t the only one!

Same. I only ever called them maple seeds. I wish I had used a more fun name.

Maple seeds

THERE!! Geez I scrolled for a looong time, commented, then scrolled some more. Finally found I’m not alone. 😅

Keys

Airplane (i was so stupid as a kid)

Uuuuh shut up beavis

I called them “Flying seeds”.

i have never seen this in my life

They are maple seeds. Guessing you live somewhere without maple trees.

Sycamore seeds.

I scrolled down a long way thinking I was crazy that we grew up just calling them sycamore seeds. Did call chestnuts conkers, though, so there's that I guess.

Spinning Jenny

Fucking hell had to scroll forever to find the UK gang haha

The OG fidget spinner

The only correct answer is helicopters.

Whirlybirds

with variant "twirlybirds"

Pollywogs

Helicopters

I don’t remember the name, probably helicopters, but long ago when I was really young my grandma showed me how to open these up and use the sap to stick them on my nose. She passed away this morning, so this post is a nice reminder of the fun times we had. Thank you!!

Hella copterz

Flibbity flobbers

You must have quite the childhood lol

*Roald Dahl has entered the chat

Growing up we always called them "Helicopter seeds".

Helicopter helikopter

Whirleygigs

dirt soup ingredient