Are you a shutterbug or a dough puncher?

What’s your passion? Are you a skilled chef or do you love sketching landscapes? Perhaps you enjoy puttering away in your workshop or kicking back with a home brew. If you don’t have a hobby, you can find a new one based on its fun title. If you truly love your hobby and interest, why not make a career out of it? Here's some inspiration for a new hobby or profession.

Shutterbug

This title might drop out of use since both amateurs and professionals own digital camera nowadays, but a "shutterbug" is another word for a photographer. The term comes from the part of a camera called the shutter, which allows light to reach the camera’s sensor before it closes and takes the photo.

Green thumb

You might have been told you have a green thumb, but did you know a "green thumb" is also another name for a gardener? The term originated since the mossy coating that grows on some pots will turn your thumbs green if you handle enough of them. If someone calls you a black thumb, perhaps it’s time to try a new hobby.

Trainspotter

You're a "trainspotter" if you take any hobby to the next level. On one hand, a trainspotter is literal term for someone who loves to watch trains, but it can also be someone who has a super niche interest. If you love something and recognize all the obscure details that no one else would notice, your friends might call you a trainspotter.

Baby catcher

Being a "baby catcher" might sound dangerous, but there’s no baby throwing involved. A baby catcher is another name for an obstetrician and delivering babies isn’t the only job involved. Obstetricians also oversee women’s reproductive health, as well as diagnose and treat any related problems.

Whistle-stopper

The term "whistle-stopper" comes from the days when politicians traveled by train to visit campaign stops. A whistle-stop tour was a trip where the politician visited a lot of cities, but didn’t spend a lot of time in one place. Politicians still run similar campaigns, but these days, travel by plane is faster. A whistle-stopper is a politician, legislator, or a candidate for a similar office.

Desk jockey

"Desk jockey" is a tongue-in-cheek term for someone who works a nine-to-five desk job. It combines desk work and disk jockey and not necessarily in a flattering way, since many people see desk work as mundane. However, if you are a desk jockey, you probably know just how many tasks you can juggle at once — much like an on-air disk jockey.

Boffin

"Boffin" is British slang for someone who works in a technical field such as a scientist or engineer. How did the term come about? It started as a descriptor for someone who was weird or quirky. Think of Einstein’s hair and assume people applied that to every scientist they met.

Dough puncher

There are plenty of slang words for chefs and cooks. You’ve probably heard of hash slingers, but what about "dough punchers?" The name dough puncher comes from the way a baker kneads dough to transform it into a warm loaf of bread or delicious pastry.

What did we miss? What’s the nickname for your favorite occupation?

Photo credit: Malte Wingen/ Unsplash