A Tricky Little Trade Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fletcher

Similar to the French word "flèche", which means "arrow", fletching refers to the addition of "fletchings" (being stabilization fins) to the end of arrow shafts. Traditionally, fletchings were made from feathers, but in modern bows fibers and plastics may be used. Fletchers may also be known as "tippers".

Answer: Cobbler

"To cobble" is an English phrase referring to the hasty joining or putting together of something. Though it is unclear when the term was first used to describe menders of shoes, there is evidence to show that the term has been in use for centuries. In the UK, Northampton, a town known for its long shoemaking history, has a professional football team often known by their nickname "the Cobblers".

Answer: Cooper

Coopers are known for making wooden vessels which include barrels, casks, and vats. Historically, these vessels have been made using wooden slats that are heated to enable them to be bent to shape. In modern times, coopers may also be found operating machinery which creates new wooden vessels, rather than hand-forming them.

Answer: Stevedore

Also known in the UK as simply "dockers", stevedores have been essential to ports for centuries. Though, historically, stevedores simply lifted and moved cargo between modes of transportation (i.e. carts and ships), modern stevedores are expected to understand the mechanisms for working complex equipment which loads and unloads heavy cargo and have a clear understanding of health and safety regulations.

The origin of the word "stevedore" appears to derive from the Spanish word "estibador", which means "a man who unloads cargo".

Answer: Wet nurse

Historically, prior to the invention of formula milk, women who were unable or preferred not to breast-feed a child would seek to employ or find a wet nurse to provide the child with sustenance. Though the practice fell out of favour during the twentieth century, it has made a comeback more recently as medical advice extols the virtues of breast feeding in infants. Wet nurses may include women who had recently given birth themselves and others who constantly maintain their lactation via manual methods.

Answer: Chandler

Historically, the term "chandler" has referred to makers of candles, and also to those who looked after or maintained the supply of candles in rich households. However, more recently, as candle making by hand has become fairly rare, a chandler may also be the owner or manager of a shop that sells candles and other forms of lighting.

The word "chandelier", now meaning an ornamental, branched light fitting, derives from an old French term for the same occupation.

Answer: Bosun

The word "bosun" is a contraction of the term "boatswain", which has been in use for centuries. The bosun manages a ship's deck crew and has general oversight of, and responsibility for, the hull and its contents. Depending on the ship, the bosun may also have other duties including supervision of rigging, anchors, and/or flags.

Answer: Haberdasher

Using the British meaning of the term, haberdashers are known for selling smaller articles required for sewing, dressmaking, and general tailoring, including buttons, sewing needles, thread, and ribbons. In the USA, the term "haberdasher" is more commonly used to refer to someone who specifically sells men's clothing or smaller articles relating to it.

Answer: Collier

Historically, the term "collier" has been used for miners - i.e. the people who actually obtain the coal from the ground. However, in more recent times, as coal mines become increasingly scarce or automated, the term may also refer to someone who sells or transports charcoal. A coal mine may also be referred to as a "colliery".

Answer: Fiddler

The term "fiddle" may derive from the Latin term "fidula", which means "violin". Traditionally, it was used to describe any similarly stringed and bow-operated instrument but in modern times refers most commonly to the violin. The term "fiddler" is now most commonly used now to refer to those musicians who play folk or traditional music on the violin. "Fiddler" may also refer to someone who cheats, swindles or steals smaller items or amounts.