FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Its a whatchamacallit you know
Quiz about Its a whatchamacallit you know

It's a whatch-amacallit, you know? Quiz


Oddball and humorous names that are given to people and things.

A multiple-choice quiz by Pick61. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Humanities Trivia
  6. »
  7. Vocabulary
  8. »
  9. Unusual and Obscure Words

Author
Pick61
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
355,779
Updated
Dec 26 23
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
13 / 15
Plays
1659
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 166 (11/15), Guest 199 (14/15), lindamclean (14/15).
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. I've always liked the sound of the word 'loblolly'. Any idea what it might be? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. When there were such things as soda shops, there was also something called a soda jerk. Can you guess what that was? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. Dad was an angler. What does an angler do? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. What is a 'copper'? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. To what occupation might a 'bean counter' belong? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. In the 1950's, Al Capp, who was the cartoonist who created 'Lil Abner', came up with the term 'Kickapoo Joy Juice'. What was it? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Have you ever used a Chicago typewriter? Probably not, as it's a dangerous instrument. What might it be? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. What is the 'Big Apple'? It has nothing to do with a fruit. Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. If a person is said to be 'vertically challenged', he is what? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. If you are in a 'greasy spoon', where are you? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Where might you find a 'tar' or a 'swab jockey'? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. What means of conveyance might be described as a 'hack'? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. American baseball players have a language all their own, using such terms as 'gas' or 'heat' for a hard thrown ball. What might they mean when they refer to 'wings' and 'wheels'? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. What might your occupation be if you're a wrangler? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. In the theatre, what might a 'ham' be? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 01 2024 : Guest 166: 11/15
Feb 26 2024 : Guest 199: 14/15
Feb 20 2024 : lindamclean: 14/15
Feb 20 2024 : njbruce: 14/15
Feb 20 2024 : toatesod: 14/15
Feb 20 2024 : dana27: 12/15
Feb 14 2024 : BerylCooper: 15/15
Feb 14 2024 : scubagal70: 14/15
Feb 14 2024 : hamer_time: 13/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. I've always liked the sound of the word 'loblolly'. Any idea what it might be?

Answer: A thick porridge

The word loblolly seems to come from combining lob, a Yorkshire word meaning to boil, and lolly, an old Englisjh word for a soup or stew. The term also came to be applied to a swampy area, where the footing was similar to that of a cooked gruel. In the days of sail the assistant to a ship's surgeon was often called the loblolly boy, in reference to the food he would serve to sick and injured sailors.
2. When there were such things as soda shops, there was also something called a soda jerk. Can you guess what that was?

Answer: A counterman who drew soda from a tap

He usually wore a white cap. His job was much as a bartender who will pull the tap handle to draw you a draft beer. 'Jerk' has come to describe an inferior or insignificant person.
3. Dad was an angler. What does an angler do?

Answer: He's a fisherman

In the mid 15th century, the word described a 'fisher with hook and line'.
4. What is a 'copper'?

Answer: A policeman

'Copper' probably comes from the old English word for 'seize' or 'grab'. It has morphed into 'cop'. In the U.S., they are also referred to as 'heat' or 'fuzz'.
5. To what occupation might a 'bean counter' belong?

Answer: Accountant

The term has been in popular use since the 1950's. It can refer to any position which helps control costs and expenses.
6. In the 1950's, Al Capp, who was the cartoonist who created 'Lil Abner', came up with the term 'Kickapoo Joy Juice'. What was it?

Answer: An illegally distilled alcoholic drink

Kickapoo Joy Juice came to describe any strong liquor. Distilled by Lonesome Polecat and Hairless Joe, it was said that 'the potency is such that the fumes alone will melt the rivets on a battleship.'
7. Have you ever used a Chicago typewriter? Probably not, as it's a dangerous instrument. What might it be?

Answer: A Thompson submachine gun

Thompson produced thousands of these guns for military use. By the time they were manufactured, however, World War I was over, so he sold them on the open market. The criminal element found them most useful.
8. What is the 'Big Apple'? It has nothing to do with a fruit.

Answer: New York City

The term comes from early jazz musicians, who referred to any city as an 'apple'. New York, of course, would be the 'Big Apple'.
9. If a person is said to be 'vertically challenged', he is what?

Answer: Short

Short people, bless them, have been referred to as 'shorty', 'stumpy', 'pipsqueak' and 'fire plug', among many other things.
10. If you are in a 'greasy spoon', where are you?

Answer: A not too clean dining establishment

Greasy spoons are slowly disappearing from the American landscape, due to the many fast food places around. They were also called 'roach palaces'.
11. Where might you find a 'tar' or a 'swab jockey'?

Answer: On a ship

'Tar', 'swab jockey' and 'anchor clanker' are terms used by other branches of the U.S. military to describe sailors. It is in a good natured sense that these names are applied. Honest!
12. What means of conveyance might be described as a 'hack'?

Answer: A taxi

'Hack' comes from 'hackney', a 16th century English term for 'ordinary horse'. It has been used at various times to describe any drudge or undesirable thing, such as a prostitute, hack writer or hack politician.
13. American baseball players have a language all their own, using such terms as 'gas' or 'heat' for a hard thrown ball. What might they mean when they refer to 'wings' and 'wheels'?

Answer: Arms and legs

They might also refer to the ball itself as a 'pill' or 'BB'. The bases are 'sacks' and home base is a 'plate'. Your shortstop may have a 'cannon for an arm'.
14. What might your occupation be if you're a wrangler?

Answer: A cowboy

'Wrangler' in the western U.S. describes a person in charge of a group of cattle and/or horses. They can also be referred to as 'cow-punchers', but I have never heard of anybody actually punching a cow. But it wouldn't surprise me if it happened.
15. In the theatre, what might a 'ham' be?

Answer: An overacting performer

'Ham' comes from early American minstrel shows and is a shortening of the word 'ham fatter' which referred to an overacting, inferior performer.
Source: Author Pick61

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us