Dinglehopper

The dinglehopper is an artifact from the sunken ship which Ariel and Flounder explore early in The Little Mermaid. It is in fact a fairly ordinary object, but Ariel prizes the dinglehopper as it is an artifact of the human world.

Conflicting Information Regarding the Dinglehopper
Scuttle, whom Ariel and Flounder consult after their discoveries, identifies this object as "the dinglehopper." According to him, it is used to comb the hair so as to achieve an aesthetically-pleasing appearance.

In reality, the dinglehopper is an eating utensil; a three-tined fork (presumably made of steel or silver as it shows no signs of rust). Ariel later discovers this when presented with another one while dining with Prince Eric and Sir Grimsby, to her minor embarrassment.

Legacy of the Dinglehopper
Ariel displayed the dinglehopper in a candelabra between a knife and spoon in her undersea grotto. It was perhaps destroyed by King Triton, along with most of the other objects therein.

However, the dinglehopper lives on in other Little Mermaid merchandise such as the NES video game. Additionally, due to the success of the initial film, "dinglehopper" has entered the English lexicon, at least where the Disney fandom is concerned.