What % 1950s Housewife Are You?

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
7 min
What % 1950s Housewife Are You?
Image: Lew Robertson / Stone / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Between the cooking, the cleaning, the shopping and the family-minding, it's amazing that's 1950's housewives had time to look like movie stars. Could you have handled the enormous task of keeping a household running like clockwork back then? And manage to look gorgeous while doing it? After you answer all the questions in this quiz, you'll know how well you measure up to the lifestyle they maintained back then. 

Perfectly tucked bed corners and breadmaking might not be high on your list of priorities, but it would have been if you were a '50s housewife. Don't worry, though! We're not going to hold you to a set of impossibly high standards. Instead, we're going to ask you how you do things now. Each one of your answers will show off the things you have in common with a '50s housewife, and they'll help us figure out if you make the cut.

Whether you've made it a personal goal to be more like one of them, your own mom was one, or you've learned a few things from the generations before you, there's a good chance you're more of a '50s housewife than you think. Answer each question as honestly as you can, and we'll let you know exactly how much '50s housewife you are at heart. Will the outcome surprise you? 



Q 01 Lip balm
WIN-Initiative / Stone / Getty Images
Which one of these things would you pick up from the Avon lady?
Lip balm
Eyeshadow
Hand sanitizer
Perfume
Q 02 Dinner on table
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
Dinner is going to be on the table when your SO gets home from work, right?
It will be if they stopped at the drive-through.
We work from home, so we just eat when we feel like it.
That's my favorite part of our day together. You should see what I've made!
Our schedules make it hard to eat together every day.
Q 03 Clothesline laundry
domoyega / E+ / Getty Images
When's the last time you dried your laundry by hanging it on a clothesline?
I don't have space for a clothesline.
I've never done that, but it might save me some money.
Not recently, but that might keep the kids busy for a while. Good idea!
I always hang things like sheets on the line.

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Q 04 Jello Meat Concoction
Youtube via busvlogger
Are you brave enough to try out one of those Jell-o and meat concoctions from '50s cookbooks?
I'm gagging ... gross! I would never try that.
It might be a fun Halloween food.
It's not as bad as you think!
If I don't go to the store soon, I might give it a shot.
Q 05 Dress and pumps
Image Source / Image Source / Getty Images
How would your SO react to coming home and seeing you wearing a dress and pumps?
I might have some explaining to do.
My SO would probably faint.
That's normal for us. It's just another day.
I'm sure I would get a few compliments before they asked what I want.
Q 06 Making bread
fcafotodigital / E+ / Getty Images
What's your very favorite part of making bread for your family?
It's great for kneading out aggression. Plus, I get some alone time in the kitchen.
I really like Trader Joe's bakery, where I pick it up.
I love sharing sourdough starts with my friends.
The smile on their faces when they eat it means everything to me.

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Q 07 Sleep with curlers
Flashpop / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Did you fall asleep with curlers in your hair last night?
Who does that?
Oh, yes. I also wore a flannel nightgown.
No, but I used my curling iron this morning.
I might do that tomorrow. It will give me something to do.
Q 08 Fresh flowers
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
Are there fresh flowers on your dining room table?
I have a lot of laundry on my dining room table.
It's serving as my desk right now.
Yes! How did you know?
No, but there's a nice candle.
Q 09 Hallmark cards
Unsplash by Annie Spratt
You have a stack of Hallmark cards in your desk drawer, don't you?
I might have a few leftover Christmas cards.
I don't send cards anymore. An email works just fine.
I do! You never know when you might need them.
I always care enough to send the very best, but I don't think I have any lying around.

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Q 10 June Cleaver
ABC
What do you think you might have in common with June Cleaver?
I am also good looking enough to be on TV.
Who's that?
I'm always the voice of reason around here.
I also wear gloves when I leave the house.
Q 11 SPAM with eggs
Youtube via Arlene and Phil's Kitchen
Which one of these SPAM dishes are you more likely to make when supplies are running low?
Ewww! None. That's disgusting.
You can't go wrong with SPAM and eggs.
SPAM fried rice is awesome!
Grilled SPAM is always a hit!
Q 12 Stain on button down shirt
inhauscreative / E+ / Getty Images
What's the best way to get a coffee stain out of a button-down shirt?
They make sprays for that.
Throw the shirt away and get another one.
I soak it in a baking soda and vinegar paste.
The dry cleaner will know what to do.

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Q 13 Quiet down to watch news
sturti / E+ / Getty Images
How would you get the children to quiet down so you can watch the evening news?
If I had kids, I would give them cookies to keep them quiet.
There might be shushing; there might be yelling. Who knows with these kids?
The kids have to go to their rooms. The news is scary!
We would wait until the kids were in bed.
Q 14 Often vacuum
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
How often do you think a living room should be vacuumed?
I should be vacuumed more than I do it.
You'll have to ask the Rumba.
To be properly clean, it needs to be vacuumed at least five times per week.
If my pets are shedding, once a day. Otherwise, once a week.
Q 15 Knitting or crocheting project
Unsplash by Fleur
Have you started a new knitting or crocheting project recently?
I never learned to do either one.
I'm more likely to finish something on Netflix.
I always make handmade gifts around the holidays.
Oh, that's a good idea! I'm bored, and I haven't tried anything like that in far too long.

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Q 16 Floral or polka dot
TerryJ / E+ / Getty Images
Would we find more floral prints or more polka dot prints in your closet?
You'll find a lot of solid blacks.
I have a pair of polka dot pajamas.
Floral is more flattering for my body shape.
My wardrobe wouldn't be complete without polka dots.
Q 17 Oatmeal cookies
Pixabay by AllNikArt
What kind of cookies do you keep stashed away in your cookie jar?
I don't own a cookie jar, but it's not a bad idea.
I keep a pack of Oreos hidden from everyone else.
Sometimes, I make oatmeal, and sometimes, I make peanut butter. It just depends on my mood.
I like to make no-bake cookies from time to time.
Q 18 TV Dinner
Jeffrey Coolidge / Stone / Getty Images
Pot pies or TV dinners? Which one makes a better meal?
As long as I can microwave them, I'm down with either one.
What's wrong with ramen?
TV dinners have all the food groups.
Pot pies are comfort food around here.

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Q 19 Shopping trip
Ed Freeman / Stone / Getty Images
Where would you start your 1950s shopping trip? There were no supercenters back then.
The butcher
The fishmonger
The local Five and Dime
I have no idea how people shopped before Instacart.
Q 20 Neighborhood kids
H. Armstrong Roberts / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
How do the neighborhood kids usually address you?
I don't know. I try to avoid them.
I can't say that here.
Mrs. or Mr.
Sir or Ma'am
Q 21 Get up in the morning
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
What's the very first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
I hit the snooze button.
Watch the news and hope for a better day.
I make a hot breakfast, pack lunches, and wake the kids.
I have to make the bed. If I don't, it will make me crazy all day.

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Q 22 Unexpected guests
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
Surprise! You have unexpected guests. How do you greet them?
I would ask to take their coats.
I don't. You call first, or I hide behind the curtain until you're gone.
I'll make tea and bring out a tray of cookies.
I'm sure I'll buy a Kirby by the time they're gone.
Q 23 Tupperware
ICHIRO / Photodisc / Getty Images
Do you have a large collection of Tupperware or just a few pieces?
I have a lot of random lids, but I have no idea what happened to the containers.
I only have a couple. They're looking kind of orange, though.
I have enough for a couple of households.
I have some, but I have more empty butter containers than Tupperware.
Q 24 Ironing
Monalyn Gracia/Corbis/VCG / Corbis / Getty Images
How much starch do you use when you're doing the daily ironing?
I only iron when I am going somewhere fancy.
20 minutes in the dryer works better. That's as close to ironing as I get.
I use just the right amount. You want things to be stiff but not unmovable. The pleats in my dress are perfect!
I never use starch, but I do more ironing than my friends.

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Q 25 Big household decisions
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
Who usually has the final say on big household decisions?
We take a vote.
My bank account gets that honor.
My SO and I reach a decision together.
I let someone else handle the stressful stuff.
Q 26 50s Soap opera
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
What part of your life most resembles a '50s soap opera?
The bathtime drama could win an award.
My SO is always plotting or scheming something.
We are a rather wholesome bunch.
I'm always lounging around wearing silk with a martini in my hand.
Q 27 Cake baked
Image Source / Image Source / Getty Images
Which word describes the last cake you baked?
Flat
Crispy
Moist
Decadent

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Q 28 Fondue
Pixabay by annca
Are you more likely to serve pigs in a blanket or fondue to your friends?
Pigs in a blanket dipped in fondue is where it's at.
My friends would gag at the sight of either one.
You can't go wrong with pigs in a blanket.
Everybody loves fondue!
Q 29 Bath and massage
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
Your SO is a little stressed out, how do you help them unwind?
I try to get them to talk about it.
Maybe a good meal and a little TV will do the trick.
A nice bath and a massage always helps.
A little peace and quiet is good for the soul. I'll take the kids out for a while.
Q 30 Sunday drive
George Marks / Retrofile RF / Getty Images
Will you gather everyone for a nice Sunday drive this week?
I can't see that happening.
No, but we might go for a walk.
We do it every week!
We really should make an attempt to get out for a while this weekend.

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