Traditional Trades & Professions Quiz – Level 2 (Medium)

From the same root as “vintage,” a vintner is a seller of wines. This profession is not necessarily responsible for the direct production of wine, and instead encompasses the broader business of bringing wine to market.

Often perceived to be relatively unskilled, the occupation known as a “tinker” referred to a craftsman who specialized in repairing pots, pans, kettles, and the like. Many modern folks may not realize that tin cookware is susceptible to rust, denting, and damage to soldered joints cause by excessive heating. This maintenance kept tinkers busy. Our verb “to tinker” comes from this antiquated trade title.

With word coming into English from Old French, the job of a “chandler” is to make and sell not only candles, but also other wares made from oils and fats. This often included soaps, paints, and nautical supplies.

Glaziers are skilled craftsmen who work in glass. This occupational title is still in use, and in modern parlance refers to tradesmen who is able to assemble, install, and repair glass products (such as windows) in residential and commercial buildings.

Carding is part of the process of preparing wool fiber for spinning into yarn or thread. A carder, therefore, is someone who uses tools with many closely grouped metal pins (such as “hand cards,” which look like wide, flat brushes) to align the wool fibers to be parallel to each other.

Though joiners were more commonly found in the past, the term is still used to refer to artisan woodworkers who produce complex or ornamental work. These craftsman possess greater skill for fine work and are known for making furniture and other items of domestic use. A joiner is involved in a separate trade from that of a “carpenter” who is more likely to be occupied in building large structures.

“Clark” is an obsolete spelling of “clerk,” a worker who keeps written records, handles paperwork.
Interestingly, “Clark” could also refer to a male member of minor religious order, or “cler(e)c,” who were allowed to marry and have children, thus establishing “Clark” as a surname. These religious men were often the only literate people in their communities, a fact which lead to the eventual use of clerk (clark) as a general term for professional secretaries and/or scholars.

“Greensmith” is an obsolete term for a copper smith, a metalworker who manufactures items from copper. “Greensmith” may be a reference to the verdant color of the patina copper develops via weathering.

Sharing a name with the high-pitched pipes (whistles) these seafarers have traditionally carried, a bosun is a skilled sailor who oversees the work of subordinate deck hands on a vessel. Bosun may also be spelled “boatswain.”

Surviving as a surname, the occupational title “baxter” is an obsolete alternative to “baker.”