The Ultimate Farm Slang Quiz

By: Talin Vartanian
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
The Ultimate Farm Slang Quiz
Image: Bubaone / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Life on a farm is more than just growing and harvesting crops or feeding fodder to livestock. A wide variety of slang words, phrases and idioms are used to describe people and specific situations. In this quiz, we'll take a look at 35 different words and phrases that have been popular throughout many years of farm life.

Let's take a look at two of these idioms. For example, do you know what it means to "get one's goat?" It actually has nothing to do with goats themselves. Rather, it means to make someone upset or irritated. An example of a sentence with this phrase would be "I can't stand talking to him anymore, he's just been getting my goat lately!"

Another example of a common farm phrase is "put out to pasture." This means that a farmer must retire from their line of work due to their old age. An example sentence would be "My aging father wanted to keep working, but the boss put him out to pasture and hired a young developer instead."

If you think you're an expert on farm slang words and phrases, than we challenge you to score at least a 70% on this farm slang quiz! Show us what you can do right now!

When you sell crops for money, this is known as a...?
Cash crop
Britches
Fixin' to
Clod-hoppers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A cash crop is when a farmer sells fruits, vegetables and grains off of the premises of the farm. For example, "I earned lots of money from all the cash crops that I sold over the past week!"

Advertisement

What does "The Back 40" mean?
A way of asking how someone is
Another way of saying "I'm doing great"
An out-of-reach pasture or far afield land
A type of shed
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An out-of-reach or far afield land is also known as "The Back 40." For instance, "Tomorrow, I have to go out to the back 40 to collect some wood."

Advertisement

Farmers wear heavy shoes when doing farm work. Do you know what these shoes are called?
Auger
Broadcasters
Yield Mapping
Clodhoppers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Farmers wear large shoes when doing farm work so they can protect their socks and feet from things like wet soil and manure. These are known as clodhoppers, which also make quite a bit of noise when you walk in them!

Advertisement

Farmers typically wear jeans on a farm, but do you know what they're called?
Britches
Uppity
Top dressing
Yapper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You won't catch a farmer without wearing some britches (or jeans) on a farm. Here's an example sentence, "Hey buddy, have you seen my britches? I've got some farm work to do!"

Advertisement

What does it mean if meat is "well hung?"
It's hung in a room so it can age
It's of high-quality
It's of bad quality
It refers to cooked meat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Meat that is hung to age is referred to as "well hung." For example, "Once I clean out these pigs, they'll be well hung in this room over here."

Advertisement

To fix something in a strange but workable fashion is called...?
Put out to pasture
Get one's goat
Jimmy-job
Putting all your eggs in one basket
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A jimmy-job involves fixing something in an unconventional way. For example, "My dad has taught me how to jimmy-job a bunch of home repairs."

Advertisement

When farmers put fertilizer on top of soil, what is this known as?
Top dressing
Value chain
Groundwater
Varmint
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Top dressing is the layer of fertilizer that farmers put on top of soil to help plants grow. For example, "I can't find the top dressing to put on this soil, have you seen it?"

Advertisement

A "difficult task" equates to which of these phrases?
High on the hog
Hard row to hoe
Talk the hind leg off a donkey
Stubborn as a mule
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Hard row to hoe" means that a task or job is difficult in nature. For example, "Trying to get this machine to work is a hard row to hoe."

Advertisement

Wild animals that cause a nuisance to farmers are known as...?
Taters
Broadcasters
Varmint
Yappers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Varmints are wild animals that may eat or destroy farmer's crops. Examples includes rodents, crows, foxes and wild boars. Here's an example sentence, "Where did all of my crops go? Those varmint must have eaten them again!"

Advertisement

When you burn down trees to make room for crops, this is called...?
Ranching
Smallholding
Slash-and-burn
Mixed farming
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Slash-and-burn is when trees are cut and burned down to make room for new crops to grow. For example, "Here's the area of trees that we need to slash-and-burn."

Advertisement

Some farmers live on a really small farm. Do you know what that's called?
Fallow
Ranch
Smallholding
Holding
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A smallholding is simply a very tiny farm that farmers live on. For example, "I think I'm going to move into a smallholding since I"m getting too old to look after my big farm."

Advertisement

If I own a piece of farm land, this is called...?
Disk
Intensive
Cob
Holding
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Holding is a phrase that is used to describe ownership of a piece of farm land. The land can be either purchased or rented by the tenant as well.

Advertisement

Farmers tend to nickname their cows as...?
Cowpie
Mutton
Pigsty
Boss
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Farmers actually call their cows "boss," because the old Latin word for "cow" is "bos." Farmers may also signal their cows to move by saying, "Come here Bossie!"

Advertisement

Some cows are brown in color. Do you know what they're nicknamed as?
Brown shellers
Brown Swiss
Brown cows
Brown fowl
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Another name for brown cows is brown swiss. For example, "We're going to need some brown swiss on this farm if we're going to produce high-quality dairy products."

Advertisement

When farmers use their crops and livestock to live off of (but not to sell for money), what is this called?
Mechanization
Ranching
Subsistence farming
Sheller
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Subsistence farming is when a farmer uses their livestock and crops to live off of. There is typically not enough leftover to sell for money or for profit.

Advertisement

When you grow crops and raise animals on the same farm, this is known as...?
Hydroponics
Paddy field
Mixed farming
Fowl
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mixed farming is when crops and animals are grown and raised on the same farm. For example, "If I were to be a farmer, I would utilize mixed farming since I love vegetables and animals."

Advertisement

When a farmer chooses to raise crops instead of livestock, this is also called...?
Arable farming
Grazing
Fish farming
Subsistence farming
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arable farming is when a farmer focuses on raising crops (like fruits, vegetables and grains) over animals. For example, "I prefer doing arable farming since it's easier to maintain."

Advertisement

One of these words also means "corn." Can you spot it?
Nodule
Offal
Silage
Maize
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Another word for "corn" is "maize." Maize also refers to a type of plant that is used to feed livestock. For example, "I'm going to need some more maize if I'm going to feed all of these animals."

Advertisement

A person who helps to raise cattle is called a...?
Cattle farmer
Cattleman
Cattle rancher
Livestock breeder
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A cattleman is simply someone who helps to raise cattle. For example, "I'm getting too old to raise cattle myself, I need to hire a cattleman to help me out on this farm."

Advertisement

When a farmer raises crops and livestock to sell for profit, what is this called?
Paddy field
Commercial farming
Hectare
Grower
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Commercial farming is when a farmer raises livestock and crops for the use of sales (aka profit). This type of farming also utilizes large fields of land and heavy machinery.

Advertisement

Do you know the type of field where rice is grown?
Silage
Grain field
Paddy field
Dry field
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rice is grown in a paddy field, which is a very wet or flooded type of field. For example, "I'm having a tough time growing rice in my paddy field this year because of how hot and dry the climate has been!"

Advertisement

When a farmer primarily raises livestock, this is known as...?
Pastoral farming
Arable farming
Mixed farming
Holding
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pastoral farming is when a farmer primarily focuses on raising livestock for food. These types of farmers don't really raise crops either. For example, "I think I'm going to switch gears by transitioning into pastoral farming this year."

Advertisement

What does "cereal" refer to?
A type of chicken
Crops, such as wheat or barley
To work long hours
A type of agricultural machine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the context of farm life, "cereal" actually refers to crops that they grow, such as barley or wheat. For instance, "I'm going out to harvest some cereal today."

Advertisement

Old machines are typically stored in the ______.
Warehouse
Garden
House
Yard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With regards to farm life, a yard is where old machines are stored. For example, "I'm going out to the yard to get that machine workin'."

Advertisement

An "animal thief" is also called a...?
Lodging
Header
Straw
Poacher
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A poacher is someone who steals animals from farmers. For example, "One of my pigs is missing; a poacher must have taken it."

Advertisement

What does "PTO" stand for?
Power take-on
Power take-off
Pull take-on
Pull take-off
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With regards to machinery, "PTO" stands for "power take-off." It's used to transfer power to various types of machines.

Advertisement

Where do farmers sit in a tractor?
The "top"
The cab
The interior
The cushion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A cab does not mean a taxi with regards to farm life; it's the place where farmers sit in a tractor. For example, "I left my wallet in the cab, can you go get it?"

Advertisement

A large farm is called an...?
Back 40
Estate
A lick and a promise
House
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A large farm is also called an estate. For example, "My wealthy grandfather owns a large estate in the rural acres of Wisconsin."

Advertisement

Some farmers grow peach trees on a farm. Do you know what this is called?
Peach orchard
Peach land
Peach farm
Peach crops
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A peach orchard is a group of peach trees on a piece of farm land. For example, "I think I'm going to start a peach orchard to sell some peaches for extra money."

Advertisement

Do you know where apple cider is made from?
Apple orchard
Rangeland
Cider mill
Dairy farm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As the name implies, apple cider is made from a cider mill. The juice is removed from apples to create that sweet and slightly tangy apple cider that we're all familiar with.

Advertisement

Corn kernels that taste a bit sweet are called...?
Sweet corn
Sugar corn
Fluffy corn
Sugar cobs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Corn kernels that taste sweet are simply called sweet corn. This is also used to describe the young age of the corn. For example, "I'm going to use some sweet corn to make a delicious side dish for dinner."

Advertisement

When a farmer uses GPS data to look at certain aspects of their farm, this is known as...?
Value chain
Chemigation
Yield mapping
Top dressing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yield mapping is when a farmer uses GPS data to look at positive and negative trends of their farm, such as the quality of the crops being grown. This can also help a farmer notice certain problems in their crops.

Advertisement

What is it called when a farmer breeds certain types of fish?
Fly fishing
Fish farming
Bottom trawling
Angling
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fish farming is the process of breeding fish, which can be used for profit or as food for the farmer. For example, "I'm going to be transitioning into fish farming starting next year."

Advertisement

Plants are sometimes grown in water instead of soil. What is this known as?
Agronomy
Paddy field
Mixed farming
Hydroponics
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hydroponics is a method that is used to grow plants in water instead of soil. For example, "I'm going to study the nutritional value of plants through the method of hydroponics."

Advertisement

What's another word for a farm?
Homestead
Fallow
Agronomy
Culture
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Another word for a house is a home, which means that the answer is homestead. A homestead is a fancy word for a farm, which also includes all of the animals and buildings.

Advertisement

You Got:
/35
Bubaone / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images