What % 1950s Housewife Are You?

By: Teresa McGlothlin

6 Min Quiz

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?

WIN-Initiative / Stone / Getty Images

Which one of these things would you pick up from the Avon lady?

Lip balm

Eyeshadow
Hand sanitizer

Perfume

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Image Source / Image Source / Getty Images

Which word describes the last cake you baked?

Flat

Crispy
Moist

Decadent

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!

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.

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.

4 Minute Quiz 4 Min

About Zoo

Our goal at Zoo.com is to keep you entertained in this crazy life we all live.

We want you to look inward and explore new and interesting things about yourself. We want you to look outward and marvel at the world around you. We want you to laugh at past memories that helped shape the person you’ve become. We want to dream with you about all your future holds. Our hope is our quizzes and articles inspire you to do just that.

Life is a zoo! Embrace it on Zoo.com.