1930s Trivia

1. When my Uncle Don got home from work, he called for a growler. What was a growler?

From Quiz Back to the 1930s Again (American)

Answer: A galvanized pail of beer

The local tavern filled galvanized pails with beer to be consumed at home. Escaping carbon dioxide made a sound like a growl. Uncle Don, a coal miner, while he cleaned the coal dust from himself, sent someone to the tavern to bring back his nightly growler. Sometimes this would be one of the children. That was ok if the tavern owner knew the family. Today the word "growler" is still used to describe draft beer sold for off-premises consumption but the old galvanized buckets are now museum pieces and have been replaced by glass or metal containers. Traditionally a growler is 64 ounces but may vary subject to marketing.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Iceman

Ice boxes varied depending on features. There was a compartment lined with zinc or tin and some type of insulating material such as cork. The first ones received blocks of ice harvested from frozen lakes, rivers, and ponds during the winter and stored for warm weather use in ice houses. In the early 1900s, refrigeration replaced the harvesting and produced a less polluted product but it was not yet practical for home use. Ice trucks delivered block ice for home use. More expensive models had spigots to drain the ice melts; basic models required daily disposal of the melted water. Some ice boxes were intricately designed pieces of furniture. People would check their ice boxes and see how much ice had melted. Using the card, if they needed a 75 pound block, they would make sure the 75 was at the top and visible from the street to alert the iceman. Historically the modern mechanical refrigerator did not become prominent in homes until after World War Two.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Japan

The invasion marked the rise of Japanese militarism and drew strong criticism from US Secretary of State Henry Stimson.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: Alabama

The TVA was established in 1933, mainly to control floods and to produce electricity. It effects seven states.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s Again (American)

Answer: Betsy Wetsy

By pouring water into the mouth of the Betsy Wetsy, it passed through, thus imitating urination. Betsy Wetsy had blue sleepy eyes with eyelashes and its arms and legs were jointed. A layette, baby bottles, a plastic bath tub, and other accessories were sold with it. The sale of the Betsy Wetsy peaked just after World War Two and was phased out in the 1980s. Dolls for girls reflected the role model of the times that young girls would be wives, homemakers, and mothers. Boys had toy soldiers, comic book heroes, and action figures as role models for masculine endeavors such as protector, defender, and strength. My grandmother looked over my comic book collection and had no problem with Superman, Batman, or Captain Marvel but shook her head at Wonder Woman.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Inkwell

Holes known as inkwells are a common feature of old school desks, and would have held a small container with the student's ink. With the invention of the fountain pen replacing the dip pen and with ball point pens, the inkwell became obsolete. Adventurous boys often used a pellet that they called 'carbide'. If dropped into an inkwell, it would foam all over the desk and probably the floor beneath. It was great fun until one got caught.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Franklin Roosevelt & Franklin Delano Roosevelt & Franklin D. Roosevelt & FDR & Roosevelt

Franklin Roosevelt was President of the United States during WWII. His "New Deal" helped America out of the Great Depression.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: Helium

It was the year Germany invaded Poland and the United States claimed to be neutral.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Arrange to have your ashes hauled

Truth is that there's not much one could do with ashes and clinkers. Handymen could be hired to haul them away to a trash dump or you could do it yourself. Legend has it that when a single/widowed/divorced female accumulated ashes, a kindly male neighbor would help out, often looked upon with amused suspicion by neighbors. Thus 'getting one's ashes hauled' developed a sexual connotation. Lyrics to blues genre music has a number of examples of this phrase.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Adolf Hitler & Hitler & Adolph Hitler

Within a few months, Hitler proclaimed the Third Reich, opened the first concentration camp at Dachau, eliminated all political parties other than National Socialism, and secured his dictatorial rule.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: University of Michigan

He had national fame from 1938-1940. His position was tailback.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: Frank Frisch

Four winning pennants with the New York Giants and four winning pennants with the St. Louis Cardinals.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s Again (American)

Answer: Baseball

A herd of donkeys was unloaded in a town and generally taken to a softball diamond with some seating although an open pasture could be modified. By arrangement, local groups were recruited to form teams such as the Lions or Kiwanis as a fund raiser. This created community involvement and attendance. When the batter hit the ball, he had to jump on the back of a donkey and ride to first base, sometimes falling, sometimes with a donkey that balked at running, or there was a pause when the animal chose to relieve itself. Baseball/softball rules were interpreted loosely and the winner had to score the most runs and avoid stepping in something. Laughter rang out all through the game.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Iran

The affinity of the name "Iran" with "Aryan" delighted the Shah.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: 102

It is located in New York City and was the first large skyscraper.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s Again (American)

Answer: Zoot suit

A zoot suit was men's suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. Later a pork pie hat with a long feather, pointy shoes, and long gold colored chains were used as enhancements. Cab Calloway, a popular musician, band leader, and singer was given credit for introducing the style that young minority men began to imitate. It was regarded in some quarters as an emblem of pride. However, there were elements of hooliganism attached to the zoot suiters. When World War Two came on the horizon, the making of garments was streamlined and zoot suits could only be purchased from 'underground' tailors. In addition, newly recruited servicemen felt that zoot suiters represented an unpatriotic element and riots ensued between servicemen and zoot suiters that were racially inspired. I'm the hippiest number in town and I'll tell you why, I'm the snappiest dresser right down to my inch wide tie, And to get you wise I'll explain it to you, A few of the things that a face is supposed to do. I wear zoot suit jacket with side vents five inches long, I have two-tone brogues yeah you know this is wrong. But the main thing is unless you're a fool, Ah you know you gotta know, yeah you know, yeah you gotta be cool. So all you tickets I just want you to dig me, With my striped zoot jacket that the sods can plainly see, So the action lies with all of you guys, Is how you look in the other, the other, yeah, the other cat's eye. Well don't you see, well don't you see, well don't you see now, Well don't you see now, come on baby, 'cause don't you see now, oh baby, Well don't you see now, you drive me wild, hmm hmm hmm, you're crazy-looking now.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Rotogravure

Actually, rotogravure refers to a rotary printing press with cylinders, running at high speed for long runs of magazines and specialty items. But in many places it was part of a weekly process to highlight in sepia local events and happenings. Remember Fred Astaire in "Easter Parade"(1948) wanted to get his trophy girl friend in the rotogravure? Thus the term rotogravure became an elitist domain.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Francisco Franco & Franco & General Franco

Franco succeeded in turning in the revolt into a revolution. In 1947, he declared Spain a kingdom and nominated himself to the post of regent for life.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Chamber pots

Many children giggle when the topic of human bodily functions is mentioned. However, chamber pots have been a part of many cultures for hundreds if not thousands of years. Historically, chamber pots were a female convenience enabling them to be used for nighttime urination. Generally they had a lid or an improvised one and were part of the bedroom ensemble. Some were quite ornate and were hand painted while others were simply a galvanized bucket. With the advent of indoor plumbing, they were slowly phased out in progressive countries by the mid 1950s.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Chicago

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: Football

Not to be confused with a real life football star.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: To grab slivers of ice

Ice chips were enviable because the ice man had to use his ice pick to carve his delivery into specifications. The chips had no practical use so the loss of them was not important. However, children in the street and the fact that safety issues were evident, meant that ice men discouraged the practice. Some ice men would hand children chips but it would slow down their deliveries. But on a hot summer day the chips were paradise.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: War of the Worlds & The War of the Worlds

"The War of the Worlds" panicked Americans who believed that Martians were actually invading Earth.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: John Dillinger

He was shot dead outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago in 1934.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Pre-code

Pre-code films were produced after the silent era in Hollywood until the advent of formal screen censorship in roughly 1935. These films often had fallen women, a peek at lingerie, adult storylines and the most daring even hinted at sexual ambiguity. Conservative film goers were often shocked by the escapades of Hollywood actors in the headlines. Also, the plots were often related to social issues. Fallen women and colorful criminals were not always punished for their transgressions. Locally, censorship boards were set up to review the 'worthiness' of films for the community. This created a hodgepodge of issues that film producers and directors had to contend with. "Banned in Boston" summaries the situation. The Hayes Office, headed by Joseph Breen, set forth a list of restrictions on film makers that had an impact on the industry until the early 1950s. Eighty some years later many seem silly, such as a gentleman must have at least one foot on the ground or floor if he is kissing his love or married couples must always have twin beds.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Albert Einstein & Einstein

That was the fundamental process behind the atomic bomb.

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: Kate Smith

She was known as the first lady of radio and was closely associated with the song 'God Bless America'.

From Quiz Back to the 1930s

Answer: Dick and Jane

A whole new world opened for children like me when I first met Dick and Jane. It was a reading system based on word recognition. Its fatal weakness was not supporting the system with a strong phonic program and later critics would decry 'why Johnny can't read'. Nonetheless it served its purpose well in perspective and many in my generation still look back with nostalgia on Dick, Jane, Sally, and Spot.

From Quiz Remember the 30s?

Answer: Charles Drew

Dr. Charles Drew was the director of the American Red Cross. Ironically, segregation laws of that time prevented him to donate his own blood (he was an African-American).

From Quiz The 1930s

Answer: Hitler

His 'Third Reich' was already a principal European power.

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:47 AM

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