Butcher, baker, candlestick-maker
Many last names come from the kind of work one's ancestors did. It's easy to see the origins of names like Archer, Baker, Taylor, or Weaver. But what about Cartwright (a maker of wagons), Fletcher (an arrowmaker), or Hayward (a fence keeper)?
See if you can match the surnames in the first list with their occupations in the second.
1. Bailey
2. Chandler
3. Clark
4. Cooper (or Hooper)
5. Crocker
6. Faulkner
7. Lardner
8. Sawyer
9. Travers
10. Hatcher
11. Foster
12. Turner
a. one in charge of a forest
b. candlemaker
c. bowlmaker
d. toll collector
e. lathe operator
f. barrelmaker
g. keeper of the cupboard
h. clerk or scribe
i. bailiff (officer of the court)
j. keeper of falcons
k. chicken raiser
l. carpenter
ANSWERS
(1) i, Bailey, bailiff; (2) b, Chandler, candlemaker; (3) h, Clark, clerk or scribe; (4) f, Cooper, barrelmaker; (5) c, Crocker, bowlmaker (as in crockery); (6) j, Faulkner, one who keeps falcons; (7) g, Lardner, keeper of the larder, or cupboard; (8) l, Sawyer, carpenter (one who saws wood); (9) d, Travers, toll collector (to 'traverse' means to go across); (10) k, Hatcher, chicken raiser; (11) a, Foster, forester; (12) e, Turner, lathe operator.
SOURCES: 'The Play of Words,' by Richard Lederer; 'The English Teacher's Book of Instant Word Games,' by Ruth Rice; Webster's Dictionary.
(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society
