It's very simple - a badge shaped like an hourglass, that actually is an hourglass (albeit a flattened one) that times out one minute. The actual hourglass part is mounted on a pivot so it can rotate freely relative to the badge base.

When someone asks you a question that you don't know the answer to straight away, you just say 'give me a minute' and turn the hourglass upside down. Then everyone knows when they should expect a response, and you don't have to hurry yourself.

easy
-- bumhat, May 07 2007

Standing there with your eyes half closed and your finger tapping the side of your nose doesn't do the trick for you?
-- DrCurry, May 07 2007


That just sends me up the nearest chimney.

It gets annoying after a while.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 07 2007


If you don't know, just say so and stop wasting my time.
-- nuclear hobo, May 07 2007


I've seen one of these - but maybe it was yours... +
-- xenzag, May 07 2007


[nuclear hobo]

where's the suspense in that ?
-- bumhat, May 07 2007


The perfectly useless, creative, invention that suits the bakery wonderfully. +

(By my calculation that took precisely 17, 219 grains of sand, or exactly 15 seconds to type.)
-- blissmiss, May 07 2007


Whenever I have to make a difficult sell, I bring coffee with me. I do fundraising so for me it's a habit now of saying, "I think you might be comfortable with a gift of a million five," *sip.*
-- shapu, May 07 2007


...After the minute is up, you can say "I am not responding. I have encountered an error and need to close." Then run away at top speed and go home.
-- phundug, May 07 2007


+ I like it, but shouldn't it be called a *minuteglass*?
-- xandram, May 07 2007


If you call it that then everyone would assume it should minute, as in teeny-tiny, and complain that it's far too big.

I think there's a bunch of people out there who'd buy one just to put it on their chest so they could tap it and announce "One to beam up" then stand there like they're expecting to leave.
-- Canuck, May 08 2007


I need this. Also, give the sand a bright color so that it attracts attention. I can't stand people watching me when I'm thinking!
-- django, May 08 2007


version 2 would be a vista installation 'progress bar', in LED, that never actually gets anywhere...
-- bumhat, May 09 2007


Can it have a little speaker at the back which amplifies the sound of the sand to make it more ominous.
-- marklar, May 09 2007


[marklar] of course. For best results, you could have two badges, one for each nipple; when one got close to timing out, you could flip the other one.

They would have to emit a low rising tone of course for that extra element of aural suspense.
-- bumhat, May 09 2007


[+] A semi-bun. I like the idea better if I, the question asker, get to set the amount of time that I'm willing to stand and wait for you to sort out an answer to a fairly simple question.
-- Noexit, May 09 2007


I would like there to be an accented violin chord when the last grain hits the bottom.

{+}
-- Night, May 10 2007


The minute timer in my Perquackey game tends to stick. What if the wearable one does? Won't it look a bit rude to be tapping at the thing, snarling "Hurry up already!"?
-- elhigh, May 10 2007


//After the minute is up, you can say "I am not responding. I have encountered an error and need to close." Then run away at top speed and go home//

I do that sometimes. But instead of running, I either stand perfectly still or just collapse. All the technology I wear makes this belivable. Sadly, they usually just laugh and/or kick me in disbelieve.
-- Shadow Phoenix, Oct 21 2007


maybe it could play the "jeopardy" music while it counts.
-- rascalraidex, Oct 22 2007


I like the idea of the pin but made with a LCD or tiny plasma screen displaying the hour glass. You could set your desired time for the full color video display to reach the proverbial bottom. It could also play a variety of downloadable "waiting" tunes, and only retail about $14,569.99
-- visualbacon, Oct 22 2007


//I can't stand people watching me when I'm thinking!//

try being a woman. works everytime and you don't even need neon sand.
-- k_sra, Oct 23 2007


//maybe it could play the "jeopardy" music while it counts//

Oooh - I like it!
-- energy guy, Oct 23 2007



random, halfbakery