A very long time ago my brother had one of those on this butt. 

Oh WAIT !!!!   That was something else. 

This one, Alan May nailed. 

It's a type of oil specifically made for gargling.

It's a decorative downspout... designed to carry water away from a building, usually taking the form of grotesques....  and interestingly enough the word "gargoyle" is from the "gurgling" sound the water makes as it passes through.

I see one every morning when I first look in the mirror!

it was actually used for a purpose in old architecture...it acted as a diversion for water to preserve the mortar of the masonry on the siding....  ugly things..... not my taste, for sure!!!!  but some folks love them.... 

I have seen them on very old buildings.

It is a mythical creature...I think I have seen statues on castles of them guarding the draw bridge

Love Kathleen's answer!!  LOL

There was a cool movie about these creatures awhile ago - pretty cool how they turned from stone to flesh

A conveyor of H2O in a decorative disguise!

Thank you.

Man you guys suck. I can barely answer a question. 

We have them on vintage buildings and they are meant to scare away evil spirits.

Gargoyles are creepy!  They remind me of Vincent Price Movies! 

It is that mean and nasty concrete creature...

An grotesque flying monster hanging off the top of buildings to divert water

Recently visited the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Tx. The Tower Life Building is surrounded w/ gargoyles peering down from the top

a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of a building, typically acting as a spout to carry water clear of a wall.

They are gothic creatures (often times a mix between a dragon and a lion) that typically are used as a spout on a rain gutter to keep water off a building or wall.  

They are actually parts of gutter systems.  When I visited Notre Dame in Paris, you could get a real picture of how they worked. They also scare away evil spirits!

It's basically a water spout, but I don't know why they became so scary and grotesque over time.

It's like a stone downspout to keep water away from the side of the building, often looking like some sort of creature. The ones you see on some of the cathedrals and churches, especially the old ones in Europe (e.g., Notre Dame) are pretty cool looking.

Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers Alan May has the answer for this one.

It was a short lived but surprisingly good cartoon.  It started soon after Star Trek: The Next Generation ended and featured Jonathan Frakes as the main voice.

Our local museum in Clarksville has some fantastic gargoyles if you happen to look up and see them. They are meant to scare away evil spirits I think.

Too easy!

That's practically grotesque -- now, get your mind out of the gutter...

Saw this modern version this year while traveling in Germany. 

Looks like lots of people knew this one.

I know this one because I've seen the "Hunchback of Notre Dame"

A copy of my face setting on a post.....

You are into SCI-Fi with the last two!

Wildly crazy adornment on a gutter or roof top. Kept away evil spirits by looking down & watching the people from the building.

Norte Dame in Paris has the best ones. 

There are all kinds of metal heads that have them in their front yards & such - pretty lame.

Nice to read Alan May's description of these ugly critters.