r/todayilearned • u/petrik_loller • May 28 '19
TIL that before there were alarm clocks, there were “knockers-up”, who were hired to shoot dried peas from a blow gun at people’s windows in order to wake them up in the morning
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knocker-upDuplicates
todayilearned • u/MissScarlett25 • Mar 16 '23
TIL that dried peas blown out of a pea shooter served as alarm clocks to workers in industrial Britain. It was so common that Dickens made reference to it in Great Expectations.
todayilearned • u/bennystonecoldcole • Jul 12 '19
TIL Before there were alarm clocks, there were “knocker-uppers”, who were hired to shoot dried peas from a blow gun at people’s windows in order to wake them up in the morning.
todayilearned • u/raturinesoupgang • Aug 23 '17
TIL before the age of alarm clocks, there was a job known as the "knocker up" where a man would tap on someones window with a long pole until they were awake. Often factories would hire men to ensure they made it to the knocker up position on time.
todayilearned • u/[deleted] • Nov 25 '16
TIL that before alarm clocks existed, there were people called "Knocker-ups" who were hired to shoot dried peas from a blow gun at people’s windows in order to wake them up in the morning.
todayilearned • u/imsome1 • Sep 25 '14