Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
February 28, 2024 ·  2 min read

Man Discovers What the Actual Meaning Of WD-40 Is After Lots of Bizarre Guesses

Any handyman reading this would inform you that no toolbox can be considered complete without WD-40- and its can. The use of this is manifold, with some using it to displace moisture- while others use it to prevent rust, making it quite an indispensable item in a handyman’s arsenal. As it stands, over 2000 users have found some use for this miracle foam ever since it was created back in 1953 to prevent the rusting of the US Atlas Missile. It was created by Norm Larsen, a chemist, who manufactured it in his lab in California, and then decided the material would be a hit amongst the common public. After the product went on sale in the country in 1958, the reach went outwards- and now this product is found in around 187 countries around the world. 

But, people usually don’t know what WD-40 actually stands for. It was journalist David Muir who posed this question to thousands of his followers on Twitter and asked, “What does WD-40 stand for?” While there were quite a few people who knew the answer right off the bat- there were others who had to Google in order to find the answer.

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WD-40- The Miracle Liquid That Every Handyman Swears By

There were others who decided that ingenuity was necessary- so they came up with their own answers in their head. Although the answers were way off- they were nonetheless funny. One individual tweeted, “Whistling doohicky 40,” while another individual mentioned, “Something degreaser.” There was another poster who commented, “World Domination 40 is what it should be named!” One poster was thinking along proper lines with their suggestion, “WD-40 means wrong decision 40 times to make the correct formula.

The question sparked off several answers, with many deciding to create their own names. One person tweeted, “WD-40 got its name because it took the inventors 40 times to get its formula right. 40! Don’t give up!

What Does WD-40 Stand For?

Here it is for those who are wondering what WD-40 stands for. According to the official WD-40 website, it stands for Water Displacement, perfected on the 40th try. The name is justified because in 1953, it was indeed the 40th attempt by the staff at the Rocket Chemical Company to create the water displacement formula.

The uses of the WD-40 are pretty endless, for it also includes untangling jewelry chains, removing the rust from saws, and keeping the wheels of the lawnmowers moving smoothly. This formula is also pretty useful in trying to rid chewing gum of almost any surface- which could be one of the best uses this foam could provide. One woman posted on Twitter- something we wholeheartedly believe in “I’m convinced men feel they can fix anything with some beer, duct tape, and a little WD-40.

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