The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep: The Friday Quiz: The Padre's Patent

« Apologies and Answers | Main | Late Friday Quiz: Name that Odor »

The Friday Quiz: The Padre's Patent

Getting right to it, before I fall asleep at the keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...huh? Whuzza? Oh, right, sorry.

The first patent recorded for an innovation on one of these devices was given to the Reverend Samuel Henshall, an English clergyman, in 1795. His main contribution was "the Henshall button" which helped an increasingly popular device work better. The device itself had its origins in musketry -- though not part of a gun itself.

By what name do we know this device?

First correct answer posted to comments wins just one more read-through of There's a Monster at the End of this Book, but no promises about doing the Grover voice (I just wind up sounding like Yoda anyway). But that's the last one, and then it's time to eat some of your soup. No Googling or saying "Yucky!" really loud and laughing and laughing like it's hilarious and then overturning the damn bowl for god's sake. One guess per comment, but comment as often as you like.

Posted by BT on November 29, 2007 11:50 PM | Permalink

Comments

snuffbox

Posted by: art | November 30, 2007 04:58 AM

tinderbox

Posted by: art | November 30, 2007 04:59 AM

Ye olde cigarettee lightere?

Posted by: herbivorous | November 30, 2007 08:52 AM

Original cigarette lighters had two sticks that rubbed together.

Umm...an automatic wad wrapper?

Does your Yoda voice include inverting the sentence?

"Very strong, did you know that you are?"

Posted by: boxjam | November 30, 2007 09:43 AM

Nothing yet.

(Boxjam's last made me think of an imagined Yoda/Grover conversation: "Hmpf...so...it is a Super-Grover you wish to be, yes?")

Posted by: BT | November 30, 2007 10:00 AM

The internet?

("Henshall button" eventually bastardized to "Apple button.")

Posted by: herbivorous | November 30, 2007 11:02 AM

Tobacco tamper (for pipes)?

Posted by: Jonathan | November 30, 2007 11:30 AM

Beer spigot/nozzle/tap thingie?

Posted by: bootsy3000 | November 30, 2007 11:38 AM

A loom setting device?

Posted by: bootsy3000 | November 30, 2007 11:39 AM

Spring-loaded tampon inserter?

Posted by: bootsy3000 | November 30, 2007 11:40 AM

Beer Bottle opener?

Posted by: bootsy3000 | November 30, 2007 11:41 AM

Close, but no tampon...

Posted by: BT | November 30, 2007 01:12 PM

Ice cream maker.

Posted by: Scraps | November 30, 2007 01:41 PM

spring loaded tamping iron.

Posted by: boxjam | November 30, 2007 02:24 PM

Stapler?

Posted by: bootsy3000 | November 30, 2007 02:27 PM

Nope. But you almost certainly own at least one.

Posted by: BT | November 30, 2007 03:04 PM

Doorbell. Before the button you just had to raise a commotion outside.

Posted by: Jonathan | November 30, 2007 04:46 PM

Zipper (not zippo).

Posted by: art | November 30, 2007 06:08 PM

or snaps (not scraps).

Posted by: art | November 30, 2007 06:19 PM

can opener.

Posted by: boxjam | November 30, 2007 07:56 PM

I think this sets the single-quiz record for near-misses.

Posted by: lewombat | December 1, 2007 09:12 AM

remote

Posted by: shananan | December 1, 2007 11:58 AM

Plastibulb opener.

Posted by: Scraps | December 1, 2007 04:32 PM

Box cutter.

Posted by: Scraps | December 1, 2007 04:33 PM

church key

Posted by: art | December 1, 2007 05:52 PM

Cork screw.

Posted by: boxjam | December 1, 2007 08:43 PM

Boxjam uncorks the correct answer. The venerable corkscrew's design comes from that of the "gun worm", used to remove unspent bullets or wadding from the barrel of a muzzle-loading gun. Henshall's innovation was to mount a metal disc or "button" between the "worm" and the handle, ensuring that the screw wouldn't go through to far, and would get a better "grip" on the cork.

Posted by: BT | December 1, 2007 09:42 PM

OK, if there's no quiz today, here's a question (maybe I've asked it before, can't remember):

What's the only album in history to go platinum in the U.S. without ever having cracked the Billboard Top 100?

Posted by: boxjam | December 7, 2007 10:22 AM

The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep

The Wombat File is a Delaying Tactic that May Save Your Life

The Friday Quiz: The Padre's Patent

Comments

Post a comment