Hobbies: My Hands Are Itchy! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Maginot line

Does the Maginot line sound familiar? If you're a history buff, it will. The Maginot line of fortifications was built in eastern France and designed to keep the Germans out leading up to World War II. Why the French forgot that the Germans went through Belgium during WWI, and could easily do so again, rendering the Maginot line superfluous, is a debate for the follies of history (and the topic of a very different quiz).

The Life line gives clues on vitality and vigor but not necessarily longevity.

The Heart line reveals a person's emotional health. Likewise, the Mercury line gives insight into overall health and is also called the Liver line.

Answer: With his hands

Noodling is a crazy human activity. Basically, the fisherman sticks his hand in a catfish hole to anger the fish with the hopes the fish will bite down on his hand at which point the fisherman wrestles the fish to the surface. (Yes, really.) This is all the more difficult because the catfish in question typically weigh between 40 and 70 pounds, and are very strong. Adding to the danger, many other creatures inhabit abandoned catfish holes, like snakes and snapping turtles. All of these challenges somehow "add" to the allure of Noodling.

Unfortunately, Noodling can have a devastating effect on the catfish population as it selectively targets the male catfish while he is guarding his clutch of eggs. Combined with the danger involved, Noodling has been outlawed in most of the world.

Answer: Dirt

I recommend Googling an image of a Dorodago ball of shiny dirt. Yes, Hikaru translates as "shining". Doro as "mud. A Dango is a round, rice flour dumpling. The art of making a Hikaru Dorodago requires a high level of patience and care, as the balls are very fragile.

The artist starts with mud, makes it as spherical as possible, and lets it dry completely. Once the mud is dry, the artist carefully dusts it and may finish with a dusting of finer grained dirt. The polishing process, if done correctly, results in a shiny, beautiful sphere!

Answer: Lye

Lye is combined with fat and oils to make soap. Sodium hydroxide is a caustic base that has many uses, from paper production to drain cleaner. Extra care must be taken to avoid getting lye on the skin or from breathing the fumes from its reaction with the fats and oils. Gloves should always be worn while making soap. Soap recipes should be followed exactly to have the perfect balance of ingredients.

Answer: The model of the engine

Typically, the goal is to spot every type of model for a class of train. Some even go so far as to try and spot each type of stock car, which is much more extensive. In the 1930s and 1940s, steam locomotives became a fascination for many people, especially the British.

In 1942, Ian Allan, a public relations clerk for the railway system, is credited with starting the hobby of trainspotting when he grew tired of answering letters asking the same questions about specifics for each type of train. The hobby took off in the late 1940s and lists were produced detailing types of engines to look for and document. Trainspotting gave perfect strangers a common interest and could spark life-long friendships. Spotters will often share with friends when and where they found a rare engine to help others in their quest to find them all.

Answer: To send your toy on vacation

Toy voyaging is based on the premise that toys can go on holidays without their owner! So an itinerary of places is listed on the toy's web page and then people from around the world volunteer to help make those trips possible. So if your toy wants to visit the Eiffel Tower a fellow voyager from Paris may volunteer to have your toy sent to them and then take a picture with your toy in front of the Eiffel Tower.

The toy may then be sent for a photo op in front of the Great Pyramids and so on. Toy voyaging has its roots in the traveling toy gnome in the 2001 film Amelie.

Answer: A rare stamp

The Inverted Jenny is a rare stamp which has an upside down plane due to a printing error. Only a few have ever been found which results in a huge price tag at auction. These stamps were produced in 1918 in the currency of 24 cents. The plane is a Curtiss JN-4 a biplane called a "Jenny". Stamp collecting became a hobby from about the time the first adhesive stamp, the "Penny Black" was first produced.

Answer: As a catalyst

By far, the most common use of rhodium is in catalytic converters to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, usually combined with platinum or palladium. Rhodium is the rarest of the precious metals. It has a low density, a high melting point and does not corrode in air or water. Due to these properties, rhodium has many uses including as a coating to reduce tarnishing on jewelry or silverware.

Answer: The ironer must have on a white apron

Extreme ironing does not require an apron but wouldn't it be the perfect touch? Extreme ironing has been done in just about every place imaginable, including while skydiving, rock climbing, waterskiing, and even under water! I have no idea how the wrinkles stay out when underwater...

The iron does have to be hot so there is the added excitement of the risk of getting burned. There are a few candidates for extreme ironing's first practitioner, but Phil Shaw from Leicester, England is most frequently credited as the first.

It seems the more extreme and creative, the better. As long as it is outside with an actual hot iron, and a full ironing board with legs, it is considered to qualify. Frequently, extreme ironing is a social group activity with two people holding the board while a third presses out the wrinkles. I'm holding out to see some extreme ironing on the international space station!

Answer: To make arms look bigger

Ducks, like other flock animals, will tend to move away from a predator as a group. So as the shepherd moves towards the duck, the group as a whole will move in the same direction as the shepherd in an effort to get away from the shepherd. The staff comes in handy as the shepherd can hold the staff out in the left arm which will make them appear wider to the duck on the left and as a result the herd of ducks will turn right. By appearing wider, the ducks also will be less likely to part into two groups.

It is also important to shepherd at the duck's pace. Going too fast will cause the ducks to panic or maybe fly away. Duck herding has become a popular corporate team building exercise with plenty of laughs built in!