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Presenting the Alphabet: 18 Gifts that Start with U

Posted: January 06, 2023
Presenting the Alphabet: [ET] Gifts that Start with U

U...U...U...letter, U! U have gone and done it again! What am I going to do with U? I'll tell U exactly what. I'm going to showcase and applaud U in the form of 18 gifts that start with U.

Note: All alphabet gifts are priced as they were at printing on January 6, 2023. Pricing, and availability, are subject to change.

USS Enterprise Ring

USS Enterprise Ring
USS Enterprise Ring

A USS Enterprise engagement ring is what happens when true love collides with the reluctant decision to propose to a lady. As a male with a basic appreciation for the Star Trek TV series and movies, plus a deep respect for William Shatner, I understand Trekkies' commitment to the galactic anthology.

I also understand that when you've been with a girl for 5 years and she out of nowhere sets a ring-it-or-lose-it ultimatum, sometimes it's easier just to apply for a diamond loan than to risk the perils of singledom, such as figuring out what can go in the dryer and what needs to line dry, and never again receiving homemade rocky road fudge bars for your birthday. The bright side here is that if you're a Star Trek fanatic, at least you can attach something you truly love to something it would be fairly inconvenient to live without.

$895 & Up ➠ Geek Jewelry

The Undoing Project

The Undoing Project

The Undoing Project isn't so much a story of psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky's Prospect theory as it is of the uncanny, almost twin-like kinship and professional symbiosis the men developed during their years of research together. Many consider it one of the greatest partnerships in science. And if that sounds like a booorrrrringggg read to you, let me give the book a little more context: Michael Lewis wrote it. He also wrote Liar's Poker, Moneyball, The Blind Side, and Flash Boys. A compelling author, regardless of the topic.

But if you're into the human mind, how it works, how it decides, and how it makes predictably illogical and poor decisions All. The. Time. you'd probably dig The Undoing Project regardless of who put it into words.

$14.35 ➠ Amazon

Ultraskiff 360 Watercraft

Ultraskiff 360 Watercraft
Ultraskiff 360 Watercraft

A while back, I showed my black-hearted ex-girlfriend Karen the Ultraskiff 360 and she asked if it was a Sit 'n' Spin for the water. And for once, before rolling my eyes at her lack of enthusiasm for anything she couldn't wear, drink from a stemmed glass, or use in the same sentence as the words "Taylor Swift", I thought about her comment.

Maybe it wasn't a dig. And maybe it wasn't that far off base either. Sure, the more knowledgeable and respectful would probably call the Ultraskiff 360 a personal watercraft for lake goers and seafarers. But it does kind of look like a Sit 'n' Spin for fishermen. I bet it's at least as fun of a ride.

$1,999 & Up ➠ Ultraskiff

Undead Teds - Zombified Teddy Bears

Undead Teds - Zombified Teddy Bears
Undead Teds - Zombified Teddy Bears

Whoa. I thought the scariest thing I'd ever seen was a real live British boy who looks like Chucky, but Undead Teds have staged a coup and now reign supreme. Even if they don't have the same bone-chilling, soprano accent. Which they might. Teddy bear zombifier Phillip Blackman is English. Who's to say that while he's ripping out your stuffed buddy's stuffed parts and replacing them with bloody gashes and oozing organs, he isn't also teaching him to say, "I'm going to decimate your brains" with a glottal stop?

$113 ➠ Undead Teds

Uncuff Links

Uncuff Links

Cufflinks that brandish all-caps disclaimers and warnings? My interest is piqued. Sparrows, peddler of lock picks and other Houdini-style tomfoolery, sells Uncuff Links, wrist adornments that inconspicuously incorporate a universal handcuff key into their design. In an elegant display of dual function and synergy, the concealed uncuffers will both open almost all standard handcuff locks, and keep all French shirt cuffs tightly closed. Imagine the Bond-style fun you can have sneaking off with the new girl from HR during the office Christmas party this year.

Understand Rap - Lyrics in the Queen's English

Understand Rap - Lyrics in the Queen's English
Understand Rap - Lyrics in the Queen's English

According to Understand Rap: Explanations of Confusing Rap Lyrics You and Your Grandma Can Understand the lyrical musings of hip hop artists are revered for their double entendres, their clever turns of phrase, their wicked metaphors, and their innate ability to confuse white people. Now, sure, some of the word-mashing brilliance is self-explanatory. Ludacris, in "My Chick Bad": "All white top, all white belt/And all white jeans, body lookin' like milk." Drake, in "Forever": "Last name Ever, first name Greatest/Like a sprained ankle, boy I ain't nothing to play with."

But what about some of the more abstract lines, especially those that: allude to atmospheric conditions in the hood; discuss activities restricted to gangstas; or use the ever-changing slang terminology for money, drugs, and females? For those lyrics, Understand Rap is here to elucidate.

For example, the line, "If Jeezy's payin' LeBron, I'm payin' Dywane Wade," from Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind", is apparently about buying drugs for a bargain price that correlates directly to NBA players' jersey numbers. No way would Grandma have figured that out on her own.

$12.95 ➠ Amazon

USBKill Computer Killer

USBKill Computer Killer
USBKill Computer Killer

If you're using a USBKill stick you're either pen-testing, trashing your old PC for recycling, or being very, very...very evil. Come on now, I know he cooks eggs in the staff room microwave, and eats beef & bean burritos for lunch and then farts decaying anchovies at a paper mill the rest of the afternoon, but does he really deserve to lose all the contents of his personal laptop when he leaves a 3 on Friday to make his kid's soccer game and forgets to take it home with him?

Dudes, the morality of that decision is in your hands.

In its most ethical and appropriately-applied form, the CE-approved USBKill is a testing device that gauges how well your USB ports can stand up to power surge attacks.

$54 to $86 ➠ USB Kill

United States Geology Map

United States Geology Map
United States Geology Map

I can't believe this United States Geology Map is 2D. Even in the closeup shots it looks like a raised relief map, a 3D piece of artwork. But maker 4D Map Art flat-out states, multiple times, that despite the optical illusion, and despite its creator's seeming affinity for additional dimensions, the United States Geology Map is printed in 2D. So if you're cool with a 2D United States Geology Map that's simply digitally rendered well enough to look like it's in 3D, this is your United States Geology Map.

$64 & Up ➠ Etsy

UpperSlide Cabinet Caddies & Spice Rack Pullouts

UpperSlide Cabinet Caddies & Spice Rack Pullouts
UpperSlide Cabinet Caddies & Spice Rack Pullouts

Is your kitchen cabinet chaos getting a little too...spicy for your tastes? Or maybe a little too plastic storage container-y? UpperSlide Cabinet Caddies and Spice Rack Pullouts tidy up overflowing seasoning jars, baking product boxes, and other kitchen clutter, plus make them easy to find and access, with various sizes and shapes of wood racks mounted on sliding metal channels. Even better, all UpperSlide organizers are handcrafted by Old Glory 1 Woodworks in Louisville, KY, and made with 99% US-sourced content.

$56.25 & Up ➠ Etsy

Use The Force Bathroom Sign

Use The Force Bathroom Sign

When mere pushing, grunting, and clenching every other muscle in your body while sitting on the toilet doesn't work, use The Force. Or at least stare at this Use The Force bathroom sign hanging on the wall for some comic relief.

$8.99 ➠ Amazon

UNO Retro Edition

UNO Retro Edition

The UNO Retro Edition doesn't just bring back memories of my childhood weekends at my nana and grandpa's (Nana always tried to let me win, Grandpa was competitive) but also memories of a conversation I had with a Canadian a few weeks ago. A conversation in which the game of UNO came up and he called it, he called it...YOUNO! All innocent and good-natured, like all things Canadians say and do, so I knew he wasn't joking.

And I was like, "Wait, what did you say? YOUNO? Is that how they pronounce it in Canada?" And he was like, "Pronounce what?" And I said, "OONO, the game of OONO." And he said, "No, it's YOUNO." And I said, "No, it is absolutely OONO." And we continued on like that for about 45 minutes because neither of us had anywhere to be, and maybe we were both high, and then I forgot all about it until now.

$13.99 ➠ Amazon

Under Desk Hammock

Under Desk Hammock
Under Desk Hammock

The Under Desk Hammock from Uplift Desk certainly solves the problems of how and where to take a nap at work. As for the why - you'll have to justify that one yourself.

Then again, while installing a hammock under your desk to sleep in may raise eyebrows around the office, at least having the hammock there will make it clear what you're doing under your desk. I say that because at my first job out of college I worked with a lady who was a little cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, and one day we came back from lunch, and there ol' Fiona was, curled up under her desk. My boss freaked out and started shrieking, thinking she'd had a seizure or died or something.

Nah. Just takin' a power nap.

$55 ➠ Uplift Desk

UFO Storage Jar

UFO Storage Jar

When I give my mama this UFO Storage Jar for all the cookies and other special treats she makes before I come over, I'll just tell her the lid is a ladies' gardening hat instead of an alien spaceship. That way we'll both get something out of it.

$39.41 ➠ Amazon

Unstable Unicorns Party Game

Unstable Unicorns Party Game

Would you trade your friends for an army...of unicorns? Unstable Unicorns invites players to do just that while playing its strategic card game "about everyone's two favorite things: Destruction and Unicorns."

Over the course of 30 to 45 minutes, 2 to 8 soldiers will compete against one another to accrue a crew of Unstable Unicorns. You'll start with a Baby Unicorn card, and try to collect more Magical Unicorns with special powers to protect your own army, and destroy your friends'. The first person to assemble a complete stable of mythical beasts ready for battle wins.

$14.42 & Up ➠ Amazon

UVee Adult Toy Cleaner

UVee Adult Toy Cleaner
UVee Adult Toy Cleaner

If you're someone who thinks adult toys are dirrrrrrty, the UVee is here to help you clean them right off. In fact, the UV-C sanitizing machine's tagline could be, "Get clean after you get off!" Or, "Get off in seconds, clean off in minutes!"

UVee's sex toy sanitizer runs a 10-minute cycle to kill 99.9% of bacteria that might have taken up shop on your vibrators, beads, and butt plugs after you tossed them aside the night before. You can customize the unit interior with dividers to accommodate various sizes of toys (though you'll probably need an alternative cleaning plan for the Wanachi Mega Massager) and the back of the UVee has USB charging ports and an additional outlet so you can keep motorized toys charged while they're de-funking.

$150 ➠ UVee

Ujjo Hot Sauce for Coffee (and Other Drinks)

Ujjo Hot Sauce for Coffee (and Other Drinks)

Mama Mia, that's a spicy m-...cup of coffee? Ujjo hot sauce for coffee is here to spice up your morning brew. In a good way, if you agree that Lauren D'Souza's hours of experimenting and taste testing during quarantine have paid off.

Ujjo isn't just about layering a gimmicky punch of spice heat on top of the steaming temperatures of a hot cup of coffee. The sauce is spicy, yes, but instead of adding acid to acid with a vinegar base, Ujjo combines subtle sweeteners and warm spices with its chili peppers, and swirls them into a water-based sauce. A sauce intended to enhance your coffee, or any beverage for that matter, in a way that makes you want to drink it for pleasure, not just to win a dare.

$13.50 ➠ Ujjo

Uncle Bekah's Inappropriate Trucker Hats

Uncle Bekah's Inappropriate Trucker Hats
Uncle Bekah's Inappropriate Trucker Hats

Cover up your bad hair, and score yourself some evil glares with Uncle Bekah's Inappropriate Trucker Hats. Mama may have told you if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, but Uncle Bekah believes if you don't have anything nice to say, "Put it on a hat."

Inappropriate Trucker hats run the gamut of inappropriateness in both potency and topic. We start with "This Band Sucks" and "I Hate Working Here," and end up at "Stop Staring at My FUPA," "I Bleached My Asshole for This," and "I'm Here to Fuck Your Dad." Ouch. (Unless, of course, you're Dad!)

$25 ➠ Uncle Bekah

Upaloop Fitness Stool

Upaloop Fitness Stool
Upaloop Fitness Stool

Upaloop-a, doompa-de-doo / I've got a brand new workout for you. Upaloop-a, doompa-de-dee / A fitness stool that will shrink a belly.

Take a seat, my dudes and ladies, and let the Upaloop Fitness Stool teach you how to twist, turn, and rotate your way to a stronger core and spine, improved posture, and possibly even better mental focus. The swiveling seat does more than just turn you to and fro, it forces you to find balance and rhythm as you rotate along the arced path created by the Upaloop's jointed post. Think of seated hula hooping, minus the hula hoop.

$99.97 ➠ Amazon
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