60 Fun Facts About Career

What does a farrier do?

The trade combines a blacksmith's metalwork with a vet's knowledge of the lower leg.

What does a cooper make?

The staves are heated or steamed to bend them; the workshop is called a cooperage, and the surname Cooper comes from the trade.

What did a fletcher traditionally do?

The word comes from the French flèche, meaning arrow; the fins on an arrow are its fletching.

By British tradition, what separates the two shoe trades of the cordwainer and the cobbler?

British tradition restricted cobblers to repair work, and cordwainers, named for Cordoba leather, are often misidentified as cobblers.

What does a wheelwright build?

The suffix wright comes from the Old English for a worker, as in shipwright and playwright.

A milliner makes and sells what?

The trade is called millinery; a hatter is the same thing.

A chandler in a medieval household was responsible for what?

Before electric light it was an important office; the word survives in ship's chandlers, who supply boats.

In British English, what does a haberdasher sell?

In the United States the same word means a men's clothing store, which is why the two nations argue about it.

A luthier builds or repairs what?

The name comes from lute; guitar and violin makers are both luthiers.

What is a perfumer sometimes affectionately called?

The French is nez; the job is essentially that of an artist trained to convey moods with smells.

An actuary is a professional who does what?

Qualifying takes a series of professional exams over several years; most actuaries work for insurers and pension funds.

What is a horologist interested in?

Horology covers everything from sundials and hourglasses to marine chronometers and atomic clocks.

What is a lexicographer's job?

Practical lexicography is the writing and editing of dictionaries; the theoretical side studies how words and meanings are organized.

Which field is the study of insects, and is often confused with the study of word origins?

Etymology is the study of the origin of words; entomology comes from the Greek for insect.

What does an ornithologist study?

It is a branch of zoology, and amateur birdwatchers have contributed to it more than to almost any other science.

A cartographer makes what?

Cartography combines science, aesthetics and technique to model reality so spatial information can be communicated.

A seismologist studies what?

The word comes from the Greek seismos, earthquake; the field also covers tsunamis, glaciers and man-made explosions.

A meteorologist studies what?

Its best-known application is forecasting, but it also serves aviation, agriculture, energy and the military.

What does an epidemiologist study?

It is a cornerstone of public health, identifying risk factors and targets for prevention.

What does a phlebotomist do?

The puncture itself is called a venipuncture, the same technique used to start an IV.

A podiatrist specializes in which part of the body?

Podiatry has both medical and surgical sides.

Which eye-care professional is a medical doctor who can perform surgery?

Optometrists examine eyes and prescribe lenses, holding a four-year Doctor of Optometry degree in the US; ophthalmologists diagnose and operate on eye disease.

An audiologist treats disorders of what?

The name comes from the Latin audire, to hear.

A dermatologist is a doctor of what?

Like podiatry, it has both medical and surgical sides.

Geriatrics is the medical care of whom?

It comes from the Greek geron, old man, and iatros, healer; pediatrics is the opposite end of life.

What does an oncologist treat?

Oncology covers the study, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease.

Which specialty deals with the urinary system and the male reproductive organs?

Its organs include the kidneys, bladder and urethra; the name comes from the Greek for urine.

An anesthesiologist is responsible for what?

The specialty also encompasses intensive care, critical emergency medicine and pain medicine.

What is a doctor's period of postgraduate on-the-job training called?

Residents already hold a medical degree; veterinarians, dentists and pharmacists have residencies too.

"First, do no harm" is often attributed to which medical text, though it does not appear there?

The original Greek text vows to abstain from intentional wrongdoing and harm, but the Latin primum non nocere is a later phrase.

What exam must a law graduate pass to practice as a lawyer in a US state?

It is administered by the jurisdiction's bar association; the LSAT is the test for getting into law school.

What is a paralegal?

Paralegals work in law firms and in corporate compliance on tax, labor, environmental and zoning matters.

In the United States, what does a notary public actually certify?

American notaries do not authenticate the document itself; elsewhere notaries may draft deeds, wills and international contracts.

Roughly how fast must a court reporter write to pass the US Registered Professional Reporter test?

The three speeds are for literary text, jury charge and testimony, all at very high accuracy.

What is a sous chef?

The rank comes from the kitchen brigade system devised by Auguste Escoffier, in which every station has a title.

In Escoffier's kitchen brigade, which cook prepares the sauces?

The garde manger looks after cold dishes, salads and charcuterie; the saucier also finishes meat dishes.

What is a sommelier?

The Court of Master Sommeliers has awarded its top diploma to only 293 people worldwide since 1969.

What does a barista literally mean in Italian?

In English it has come to mean specifically someone who makes espresso-based drinks.

Who is the gaffer on a film set?

The same word means the head of a glassblowing workshop.

What is a best boy in the film credits?

There are two: best boy electric under the gaffer and best boy grip under the key grip.

What are Foley artists responsible for?

The craft is named after sound-effects pioneer Jack Foley.

Which crew member is also called the director of photography?

The DP is the chief of the camera and lighting crews.

An arborist looks after what?

Unlike foresters, arborists focus on the health and safety of single trees rather than harvesting wood.

What is a vintner?

The job runs from monitoring grape ripeness through crushing, fermentation and filtering.

Which tradesperson installs and maintains systems for drinking water, hot water and drainage?

The word comes from the Latin plumbum, lead, the metal pipes were once made of.

What is a taxidermist's job?

Animals are usually posed to look alive; the word means arrangement of skin.

A glazier is a tradesperson who works mainly with what material?

Glaziers cut and install everything from windows and skylights to mirrors and storefronts.

What does a steeplejack do?

Once ladders are up, the classic tool is the bosun's chair, a plank seat the worker hauls up or down.

The word croupier originally referred to someone who did what?

It comes from croupe, a horse's rump, by analogy with a rider sitting behind on horseback.

One theory says 'concierge' contracts a French phrase meaning what?

That servant looked after lighting and cleanliness in medieval palaces; a rival theory traces it to Latin conservus, 'fellow servant'.

A sexton is an officer of a church charged with looking after what?

The word shares a root with 'sacristan', from the Medieval Latin for 'custodian of sacred objects'.

On a ship, which team does the boatswain lead as its most senior rate?

The word has been in English since about 1450, from Old English 'bat' plus Old Norse 'sveinn', a young servant.

What was a ship's purser principally responsible for?

Royal Navy pursers received no pay from the early 14th century but were entitled to profits on supplies.

In which region did the theatre prompter, or souffleur, stay integral into the 2020s?

Repertory theatres there rotate several plays a week, so actors cannot memorise everything; elsewhere the stage manager keeps the prompt book.

By what less common name is a beekeeper also known?

Both 'apiarist' and 'apiculturist' come from the Latin apis, bee; the bees remain free to swarm and leave.

In the Scottish Highlands, what is a ghillie?

The word comes from Scottish Gaelic gille, 'lad, servant'; ghillies once carried chiefs across rivers.

According to Sommeliers Australia, a sommelier's role is strategically on a par with which kitchen post?

Beyond wine, modern sommeliers may develop the wine list and train the rest of the restaurant staff.

The word 'coroner' derives from the same source as which English word?

Medieval English coroners were Crown officials who counterbalanced the power of sheriffs and bailiffs.

How often did a 1582 English ordinance require chimneys to be swept?

A chimney fire could cost the owner a fine of three shillings and fourpence.

In which of these countries did master chimney sweeps belong to guilds and NOT use climbing boys?

British master sweeps typically took workhouse or orphan boys as apprentices to climb the flues.