Have I mentioned I love Google Sets? Something about ostensive defintions just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside! Here are some practical uses of Google Sets (and similar apps) that I have gathered from around the net:

I found these in this O’Reily article:

Enter the name of the company you work for. Enter the name of one of its main competitors. Click “small set.” Voila! There’s how the web classifies your company.

You’re packing for a weekend trip and you want to check if you’ve forgotten something? type in five items you remembered to pack (toothbrush, towel, etc.) and then generate a list..

You’ve just moved to a new house and you want to be sure you’ve notified everyone who cares about your new address – type in a few things such as electricity, comcast, post office etc. and then generate a list—you’ll be surprised at the number for things you forgot.

There’s this tip from Google Groups

Music related searches – I like Band X…. find me similar

And here’s an inspired few from me:

• Tired of the same old breakfast food, commute activities? Get suggestions on what to eat for breakfast or what to do during your commute.
• Writers can search for synonyms or topic ideas
• Can’t remember the seven deadly sins?
• Use the app as a part of a parlor game. One group has to create a list of four related items. The second team gets points for guessing what Google Sets will produce… kind of like 10,000 Dollar Pyramid.

There is also Query by Example. Look at the Popular searches on this site. There are lists of planets, constants, business schools, alternate spellings, colors, rock bands, oceans, prime numbers, political parties, and tons more. Great for writers, anyone looking to make some creative connections or simply as a reference. Very useful!