# Worlds s e c o n d oldest occupation/profession **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 29, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794 "2004-02-29T21:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![primaxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@primaxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/primaxx)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/1 "2004-02-29T21:42:52Z")
Hi, I played Trivial Pursuit a couple of years ago, and I got the question: What is concidered to be the worlds _second_ oldest occupation/profession? Of course there was a misprint, so the answer was “1814”… Are there anyone who knows the correct answer to this? (FYI: At least in Norway prostitution is generally known (or called) the worlds oldest occupation/profession) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/2 "2004-02-29T21:49:56Z")
Brewer/winemaker/distiller? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/3 "2004-02-29T22:13:06Z")
[Dowsing?](http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~geo101vc/Lecture17/sld002.htm) [Hypnotherapy?](http://infinityhypnosis.tripod.com/understanding.html) [Spying?](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3490120.stm) [Motherhood?](http://www.popula.com/sh/no_602/2124867.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/4 "2004-02-29T22:18:25Z")
According to one of the pimps in AMERICAN PIMP, the answer was “pimp.” Granted, I’m sure the guy in question had a degree in pimpology, but it sounds good to us laymen. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/5 "2004-02-29T22:27:59Z")
How about **astronomer**? No matter how primitive or advanced a society, the need for accurate timekeeping, calendars, etc would be essential to the functioning of that society. Perhaps if the astronomer was really good, he could predict eclipses and maybe earn a reward from a practitioner of the world’s _oldest_ profession. 😃 On a more mundane level perhaps \*_cook_ is the second oldest profession. Yes, it might be handy to know the exact time and date but most folks would probably settle for a good meal. “Calendar? Schmalendar !!! Bring on the grub!!!” ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/6 "2004-02-29T22:34:43Z")
Predating cook by a bit, how about **hunter/gatherer**. Takes afew smarts to kill dinner with a pointed stick, or avoiding those nice berries that make the clan fall down and never get up again. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/7 "2004-02-29T22:46:34Z")
> [@primaxx](#): > > Hi, > I played Trivial Pursuit a couple of years ago, and I got the question: > What is concidered to be the worlds _second_ oldest occupation/profession? > Of course there was a misprint, so the answer was “1814”… > Are there anyone who knows the correct answer to this? Actually, the misprint is that it should have read “MDCCCXIV”, which is an acronym for the profession (possibly unprintable). Any Latin buffs to help? ---
**Author:** ![Drethelin2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Drethelin2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drethelin2)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/8 "2004-02-29T23:29:33Z")
I would guess first oldest would be prostitute, then warrior, then priest. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/9 "2004-03-01T00:20:21Z")
> [@](#): > > What is concidered to be the worlds second oldest occupation/profession? Beggar (somebody had to ask for it). Hey, it’s an old “Barney Miller” joke. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/10 "2004-03-01T00:38:48Z")
Consultant. Although some might confuse it with the first oldest profession. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/11 "2004-03-01T03:37:33Z")
My guess would be that of the moneychanger or banker. After all, someone had to establish the rate of compensation for the sellers of booty, right? 😉 Pimp has to be wrong-this was way before the invention of the Stutz Bearcat, the Caddy Eldorado convertible, or the diamond stickpin. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/12 "2004-03-01T04:05:45Z")
I always wondered … If prostitution was the oldest occupation … Then how did her first client get the money to pay her? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/13 "2004-03-01T04:18:04Z")
Vice squad, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/14 "2004-03-01T05:25:26Z")
Espionage. Espionage is the world’s second oldest profession. I know because it was on the History (or Discovery) Channel onetime and they said it, so I went over to my mom and asked what the first was. Then she sat me down and explained to me that prostitution was the world’s oldest profession, and then she explained to me what prostitution was. ---
**Author:** ![primaxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@primaxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/primaxx)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/15 "2004-03-01T06:20:42Z")
What can I say? Other than Thanks!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/16 "2004-03-01T06:26:45Z")
Notwithstanding all of the historical claims, I have to ask, “Which came first? The hunter/gatherer or the harlot?” Would the prostitute be before the warrior, or would the warrior necessitate the prostitute? Hey, it’s a double edged sword. Which came first? The need to propagate genes or the need to feed the offspring of propagation? Tripler I’m personally at a philisophical crossroads. ---
**Author:** ![Unregistered\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3da27b/32.png) [@Unregistered\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unregistered_Bull)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/17 "2004-03-01T07:20:30Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Notwithstanding all of the historical claims, I have to ask, “Which came first? The hunter/gatherer or the harlot?” > > Would the prostitute be before the warrior, or would the warrior necessitate the prostitute? > > Hey, it’s a double edged sword. Which came first? The need to propagate genes or the need to feed the offspring of propagation? > > Tripler > I’m personally at a philisophical crossroads. You’d have to something to trade first for the sexual favors. So wouldn’t prostitution logically be the second or even third after thief / robber? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/18 "2004-03-01T07:33:53Z")
I don’t think prostitution is that old of a profession, the familar cliche notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/19 "2004-03-01T11:33:28Z")
> [@CheekyMonkey613](#): > > I always wondered … > > If prostitution was the oldest occupation … Then how did her first client get the money to pay her? Prostitution is known as the _oldest_ profession, not the _first_ profession. If there were professions before prostitution that no longer exist, prostitution could still be the oldest. That said, isn’t the “world’s oldest profession” thing just a joke anyway? ---
**Author:** ![htns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@htns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/htns)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794/20 "2004-03-01T11:58:50Z")
I’m suprised no one came up with the classic Reagan quote by now: “I’ve heard it said that politics is the second oldest profession, and I’ve come to realise that it bears a gross similarity to the oldest profession.” Okay, possibly apocryphal, maybe misquoted, but I still like it. So there. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-s-e-c-o-n-d-oldest-occupation-profession/231794.md?page=2)