Watchamacallits and Thingamyjigs! Quiz

Answer: Hookah

A hookah is a type of water pipe that has been used for centuries to smoke special tobaccos, hashish and opium. Using a hookah is usually a group activity with everyone using the same mouthpiece. Hookah cafes are popular all over the world, but have their origins in the Middle-East and parts of southern Asia.

Answer: Doily

A doily is a small decorative mat usually made of cotton or linen thread. They are used to protect furniture as well as for decorative purposes. The name comes from a London draper named 'Doiley'.

Answer: Burqa

The burqa, or chadri, is an all-enveloping outer garment worn by female population in Islamic countries. There are many different varieties of this garment which vary by geographic region. The main reason for wearing this garment is modesty. It is thought that a female should not show her beauty to any man that is not her father, husband, or other male relative.

Answer: Fainting couch

Popular amongst 19th century women, the fainting couch has a back that wraps around only part of the couch and a seat that is raised at one end. Some fancier houses would even have "fainting rooms", that were equipped with multiple fainting couches, ready and waiting for the women of the house and their visitors to use.

It has been suggested that these rooms came about during the period when corsets were in common use, and that lacing the garments too tight caused the wearer to faint.

Answer: Samovar

A samovar is a type of container used to heat and/or boil water and is often used to make tea. They are very popular in areas of Russia, eastern Europe, and parts of the Middle East. They can be very elaborate in appearance but are actually very simple appliances.

They usually use coal or charcoal to heat the water, which boils around the tea leaves. Communal tea drinking using a samovar is a very popular activity in these regions.

Answer: Trident

The Greek/Roman gods Poseidon and Neptune are usually depicted as carrying a long three-pronged weapon known as a trident. This weapon was used in combat and for fishing. The term 'trident' comes from Latin and means 'three teeth'.

Answer: Bolo

Sometimes called a shoestring tie, the bolo tie is a popular accoutrement in western or cowboy style clothing. It usually consists of a braided leather cord with decorative metal tips called aglets. Semi-precious stones such as turquoise and agate are used to make the slide.

Answer: Kris

This is an image of an Indonesian kris. These weapons are often meticulously carved. It is thought to be more than a weapon and is believed to have magical powers that help protect its owner. They are worn as an indicator of social status and as an indicator of heroism on behalf of the wearer. Kris have been used for over 2,000 years in both Indonesia and other parts of southeastern Asia.

Answer: Slide rule

The simple piece of equipment is known as a slide rule and is used for multiplication and division, as well as logarithms and trigonometry. Although it looks somewhat like a regular ruler, it is usually not used for drawing straight lines nor for measuring length. It is a simple mechanical analog computer and was a must in many fields such as early aviation, engineering, and finance.

Answer: Tureen

A tureen is a deep, covered serving dish, usually used for serving soups and stews. As these were one of the first serving dishes brought to the table, they were often very ornate and highly decorated. A tureen has a cover and handles so that it may be carried without the holder being burned.

A similar type serving dish is the sauciere, which is used for sauces and gravies. While similar in appearance the sauciere is simply a small tureen.