A whimmydiddle, also known as a geehaw, is an Appalachian toy found in the hills of North Carolina made of laurel with notches cut into the stick. A propeller or whirligig is at the end and twirls when another stick is rubbed along the cut marks on the first stick. Eventually, a person can make the whirligig move one way or the other. The ability to do this is why the whimmydiddle is also called a hooey stick, a truth stick, and a voodoo stick since the direction the whirligig spins can be interpreted as a yes or a no to an answer. The Collins English Dictionary gives an insight into the hooey stick name stating the definition is nonsense and rubbish. If a whimmydiddle can detect nonsense and rubbish, then this is a fitting name for the whimmydiddle! How does the hooey get detected? Is the truth stick really judging hooey? Steven Shepard explains the trick!
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Old Toys with Weird Names
There are some toys with unusual names where just the name of the playthings inspires interest. Finding out there is movement involved only makes the attraction keener. Who could resist the allure of a whimmydiddle or a flipperdinger? Especially if they could be made using natural materials around the farm, maybe even gourds?
A whimmydiddle, also known as a geehaw, is an Appalachian toy found in the hills of North Carolina made of laurel with notches cut into the stick. A propeller or whirligig is at the end and twirls when another stick is rubbed along the cut marks on the first stick. Eventually, a person can make the whirligig move one way or the other. The ability to do this is why the whimmydiddle is also called a hooey stick, a truth stick, and a voodoo stick since the direction the whirligig spins can be interpreted as a yes or a no to an answer. The Collins English Dictionary gives an insight into the hooey stick name stating the definition is nonsense and rubbish. If a whimmydiddle can detect nonsense and rubbish, then this is a fitting name for the whimmydiddle! How does the hooey get detected? Is the truth stick really judging hooey? Steven Shepard explains the trick!
A whimmydiddle, also known as a geehaw, is an Appalachian toy found in the hills of North Carolina made of laurel with notches cut into the stick. A propeller or whirligig is at the end and twirls when another stick is rubbed along the cut marks on the first stick. Eventually, a person can make the whirligig move one way or the other. The ability to do this is why the whimmydiddle is also called a hooey stick, a truth stick, and a voodoo stick since the direction the whirligig spins can be interpreted as a yes or a no to an answer. The Collins English Dictionary gives an insight into the hooey stick name stating the definition is nonsense and rubbish. If a whimmydiddle can detect nonsense and rubbish, then this is a fitting name for the whimmydiddle! How does the hooey get detected? Is the truth stick really judging hooey? Steven Shepard explains the trick!
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Another Toy with an Interesting Name
The flipperdinger is a whole other toy but one with movement as well, although challenging. It is a hollow tube such as a reed (or maybe the dipper part of a dipper gourd!) with another, smaller, hollow reed attached to one end holding a small ball. Over the ball is a metal ring which looks like a basketball hoop. When the main reed is blown into, the air rushes along the reed and forces its way up the smaller reed making the ball levitate. It is a game of air forces and producing enough air to make the ball go up through the wire ring and down again to its original resting place. This might be a little harder to master but what fun it must be trying! Look at the youngster trying to make it work.
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