Crazy careers

Food testers had it worse than you think, and more odd jobs from the past

Image: Clem Onojeghuo

From medieval Europe to early industrial America, people have taken on some truly bizarre professions. Many of these jobs existed out of necessity, cultural tradition, or lack of technology. Others were born of superstition or unusual demands of society’s elite. From leech collectors to sin-eaters, here are 10 real jobs from history that may sound absurd today but were once legitimate ways to earn a living.

Image: David Trinks

Doctors in medieval Europe and well into the 19th century used leeches for bloodletting. To obtain the large numbers required, collectors waded into marshes and let the creatures attach themselves to their legs.

The demand was so high that wetlands across Europe were nearly stripped of leeches. Despite the grisly nature of the work, it was a stable source of income for poor laborers.

Image: Josh Olalde

In medieval England, ale tasters checked the quality and fairness of beer sold in taverns. They ensured proper strength, taste, and pricing for consumers.

While the role sounds more fun than work, it involved serious regulation. Some tasters also inspected bread, showing how essential beer was to medieval diets.

Image: Daniil Komov

While this job doesn’t sound so strange—we have modern equivalents of this after all—the comparison doesn’t fully capture how essential their work was to 19th-century cities plagued by poor sanitation and overcrowded streets.

In Paris and London, rat catchers became semi-celebrities of street life. Their work helped reduce disease risks, though they themselves faced high exposure to bites and plague.

Image: Boudewijn Huysmans

In Tudor England, "gong farmers" cleaned cesspits and privies. The word "gong" had nothing to do with the Asian percussion instrument; rather, it derived from an Old English term referring to a privy and its contents.

They worked at night to avoid public disgust, carrying waste in buckets outside city walls. The job was dangerous due to toxic fumes, but surprisingly lucrative. Workers often earned more than many skilled tradespeople, though at the cost of extreme social shunning.

Image: Jessica Kantak Bailey

In Tudor and Stuart England, princes weren’t punished directly. Instead, their "whipping boy" was flogged whenever they misbehaved—a form of indirect punishment meant to instill guilt in the young prince.

The practice only worked with boys close to the prince, ensuring emotional impact. One of the most cruel practices of the era, whipping boys often gained favor and lifelong connections at court.

Image: Griffin Quinn

A colorful euphemism for "grave robber," this profession flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries, as demand for cadavers by medical schools reached an all-time high while legal supply remained scarce.

Despite being illegal and widely despised, it was a lucrative career. The trade also created related jobs, as concerned families hired cemetery watchmen and private grave guards. In some infamous cases, "resurrectionists" even escalated to murder to meet demand.

Image: Stephen Radford

In gunpowder factories, specialized workers tested batches by igniting small amounts to check burn quality. How each batch responded to ignition determined the safety and effectiveness of the product.

The work was inherently perilous—accidents were frequent, and uncontrolled explosions could have devastating consequences for both workers and factories. Yet, gunpowder was so essential to empires that testing remained a permanent job.

Image: Gold's Gym Nepal

Did you know treadmills were originally designed for prisoners? Keep that in mind on your next visit to the gym. In 19th-century Britain, prisoners powered massive treadmills that ground grain or pumped water.

The devices also served as punishment through hard, monotonous labor. The so-called "everlasting staircase" could last for hours, leaving inmates utterly exhausted. Perhaps this also explains how prisoners could later easily outrun guards—talk about a double-edged sword.

Image: Amy-Leigh Barnard

Food tasters were employed at royal and imperial courts to sample dishes before rulers ate, ensuring safety from any poisoning attempts. The role existed in ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and even into modern times.

While certainly not the worst job a commoner could hold among royalty (whipping boys and grooms-of-the-stool arguably had it worse), and though some tasters lived comfortably at court, their job was literally a matter of life and death.

Image: engin akyurt

In 17th- and 18th-century Britain, some families hired "sin-eaters" to consume bread and beer placed on a corpse. The ritual symbolized absorbing the deceased’s sins.

Despite their spiritual services, sin-eaters were social outcasts. Typically paid in food or a few coins, they carried a heavy stigma, as they were believed to take on the spiritual burden of the dead they served.

Decoding

Being a "treasured guest" is not a compliment. This is the hidden meaning

Have you ever heard "Code Adam" while shopping for groceries at Walmart? Or maybe you’ve heard how "Dr. Firestone" was being paged during a routine hospital visit. They sound like harmless announcements. But behind these ordinary words are secret codes staff use to signal emergencies without causing panic. From hospitals and supermarkets to airports and Disney Parks, these phrases quietly warn employees that something is happening. You hope you never hear them, but if you do, it helps to know exactly what they mean.

We all love getting special attention at airports or hotel desks, but if you hear the clerk call you a "treasured guest," don’t feel so flattered. You may not be as VIP as one could think.

In the hospitality industry, "treasured guest" has become a humorous bit of industry folklore to describe someone causing trouble. Maybe a customer yelling at staff over expired coupons, demanding impossible accommodations, or throwing a full-blown tantrum at the front desk. Whatever it is, the phrase has become the staff’s secret way to warn co-workers without escalating the situation in front of the customers. Most guests don’t realize the meaning, but once you know it, you may start hearing it more often. We just hope it’s not about you.

Imagine you’re pushing a shopping cart through Walmart when suddenly the overhead speaker announces, "Code Adam." You can easily assume it’s some kind of employee meeting or cleanup request. But when you see them start locking the exits and moving around, you know something’s wrong.

This code was created in 1994 by Walmart in collaboration with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), in memory of the tragic case of 6-year-old Adam Walsh. Adam was abducted from a Sears department store in 1981 while shopping with his mother. His father, John Walsh, later became famous for hosting the TV program America’s Most Wanted and advocating for missing children. Even if Adam’s story ended in tragedy, Walmart created the emergency system in Adam’s memory, and other retailers soon adopted it nationwide, intending to have a quick response to missing or abducted children.

You’re sitting in a hospital waiting room during a routine check-up when you suddenly hear "Code Blue, Room 214." Most people immediately know it sounds serious, even if they are not entirely sure why.

The phrase "Code Blue" is used at hospitals to draw the necessary staff and equipment to perform a resuscitation. It was created in the early 1960s at Beathany Medical Center by Dr. Hughes Day. Before then, hospital resuscitations were often chaotic and poorly coordinated. In 1961, Dr. Day received a grant to build one of America’s first cardiac care centers, and he developed both the Code Blue alert system and the modern crash cart to improve survival rates during cardiac emergencies. Today, the system is used in hospitals across the country, sometimes with specialized versions like "Code Blue Pediatric" or "Code Blue Neonate."

Imagine visiting a loved one in the hospital when the intercom calmly announces, "Paging Dr. Firectone to the third floor." Your head surely goes, "Dr. Firestone’s probably having a busy day up there." He is, but it’s not what you think.

The phrase is actually a discreet fire alert used to warn staff about smoke, flames, or overheating equipment without frightening patients and visitors. Hospitals adopted these coded announcements after realizing that openly yelling "fire" over loudspeakers could create panic, especially among patients who aren’t able to move quickly. "Code Red" is an alternative used by many health centers today, but it also hints at the situation while keeping hallways calm.

You’re standing at a checkout counter when the cashier picks up the phone and quietly says, "I need a Code 10 authorization." If you think that’s just another way to get a supervisor’s approval or technical issue, think again. In reality, the cashier may suspect the credit card is stolen or fraudulent.

Code 10 was developed through a cooperative effort between major credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard, along with international standard organizations. As credit cards became more common in the 1960s and 1970s, stores needed a discreet way to alert banks about suspicious activity without directly accusing customers and potentially putting employees at danger. When a cashier requests a Code 10, the bank’s operator begins asking yes-or-no questions to assess the situation and guide the employee on what to do next.

You’ve probably experienced those long airport security lines. The wait is usually uneventful. But sometimes, you can hear "Code Bravo" over the speakers. Maybe it’s a delay, or maybe it’s an issue with luggage. Within seconds, people stop moving, the security line freezes, and exits may even close. It’s something bigger.

Code Bravo is the emergency phrase used by airport security and the Transportation Security Administration to signal a serious security threat, such as an unattended bag, a breach at a checkpoint, or someone slipping into a restricted area. The term comes from the international phonetic alphabet used in aviation and military communications, where "Bravo" represents the letter B. When this is called, security staff immediately lock down affected areas, stop screening lines, and search for the source of the threat. To passengers, it’s sudden and confusing, but to security, it’s a carefully rehearsed response.

You are heading back to your cabin on a cruise ship when the speakers announce, "Code Alpha, Deck 7." You may think Alpha is related to the captain, but that’s not the case. It means someone on board is suffering a medical emergency.

The phrase comes from the NATO phonetic alphabet, where "Alpha" represents the letter A. In maritime emergency jargon, it became shorthand for a Priority A medical situation requiring immediate response. Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line commonly use the term, though some ships use variations like repeating "Alpha" three times. Once the code is announced, onboard medical teams rush toward the specified deck or cabin. If necessary, stretcher crews are mobilized, and in severe cases, the ship may even divert course toward the nearest port for emergency evacuation. Passengers are enjoying the views, but the staff is running to save a life.

Anyone who remembers the CB radio craze of the 1970s probably smiles when they hear "10-4." Movies, truckers, and radio fans turned those number codes into a part of American culture. So if you overhear "10-33" on a police scanner, you might assume it’s just another routine message. But it’s not as simple as it sounds.

The 10-code system was first created in 1937 by Illinois State Police communications director Charles Hopper and later standardized by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, better known as APCO. Officers needed short phrases they could understand clearly over crackling radio signals. The 10-33 code commonly means an officer needs emergency assistance. In some departments, it also signals radio silence so dispatchers can focus on the crisis unfolding in real time.

Disney World is amazing, the parks offer something for everyone, and there are things to see wherever you look. But that’s exactly the kind of place where a child can easily disappear into a sea of strollers, balloons, characters, and crowds. For that reason, Disney has developed the "Signal 70," which alerts cast members and security that a child has become separated from their family.

The number comes from older police and emergency radio systems, where "70" was commonly associated with missing persons. Disney adopted the phrase because it allows employees to communicate discreetly without frightening or alarming nearby guests. If a member finds the child, they gently -and magically- escort them to Baby Care Center, where they coordinate the reunion.

Cruises are great to relax, enjoying a good book under the sun with a nice drink by the side. Until you hear "Echo, echo, echo" on the speakers. If you do, something is happening somewhere else on the ship.

The code is used among cruise employees to signal that dangerous winds or a navigational hazard are affecting the ship. It comes from the international maritime phonetic alphabet, where "Echo" stands for the letter E. In maritime signalling, the letter traditionally means "I am altering my course to starboard." And, in time, the phrase became associated with urgent ship maneuvers and weather-related warnings. However urgent, the repetition of the word by three doesn’t represent life-threatening situations. It alerts the crew of a certain hazard to prepare while avoiding panic among passengers.