Issue Date: December 30, 2007

In this article: Quiz Answers Scoring

WD-40: The uncanny icon in the iconic can

Test your knowledge about the indispensable solvent as it turns 50.

By Martin Mazloom

During the Cold War, a company in San Diego developed a chemical "weapon" that would forever change the world. Perfected in 1953, the agent performed so well that employees began to sneak it home for private use. Finally, in January 1958, the company decided to cash in and sell it to the American people. The weapon's name? WD-40.

Next month, America's burning love affair with WD-40 turns 50 years old, and it shows no sign of cooling off. In fact, the can with the cryptic cognomen can be found in eight out of 10 U.S. households. Originally invented to combat corrosion, WD-40 continues to be America's leading solvent for fighting not only rust, but also squeaks, grime and objects that just won't budge. But over the decades, enterprising users have discovered loads of other applications for it -- everything from removing crayon from walls and extracting gum from shoes to creating rainbow formations in empty aquariums.

Furthermore, WD-40, whose mystery formula is known only to a select few, has become a worldwide phenomenon. WD-40 is now sold in more than 160 countries, and more than 2 million cans of it are produced globally every week.

But just why has WD-40 been successful for so long? "It's an honest product," says Garry Ridge, CEO of the WD-40 Company. "It does what it says it will and more. It exceeds people's expectations."

Self-help gurus may contend that to get ahead in life, it pays to be a squeaky wheel, but the WD-40 legacy proves that it pays even more if you know how to silence one.

To celebrate its 50th year, we want to see how much of a WD-40 groupie you are. Take this quiz to find out:

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1. What does WD-40 stand for?

A Worldwide Deluge, 40 days & nights
B Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try
C Worldwide Distribution in 40 years or less
D Washington, D.C., and Denver, 40th parallel

2. A person in Asia once used WD-40 to ... A squeeze an elephant through a small barn door
B remove a python snake coiled around the undercarriage of a bus
C keep a lion at the zoo from trying to climb over his fence
D give a peacock's feathers a lusty shine

3. WD-40 was originally invented for what specific purpose? A to prevent rust on missiles
B to keep jazz musicians'instruments working well
C to make tank tracks run more smoothly
D to stop squirrels from climbing up birdfeeder poles

4. Written down on a 50-year-old steno notepad, the WD-40 secret formula is kept where? A under CEO Garry Ridge's mattress
B inside a fake can of WD-40 at the company headquarters
C in a bank vault in California
D at the Smithsonian Institution

5. In 2001, the WD-40 Fan Club was established. Its website lists ... A the names of those who have figured out WD-40's secret ingredients
B poetry inspired by WD-40
C dating tips on how to pick up members of the Spam Fan Club
D 2,000 uses for WD-40

6. According to the WD-40 Fan Club, people have used WD-40 to do everything below except ... A remove a stuck prosthetic leg
B spray on watch bands to keepfrom pulling out arm hairs
C lubricate bed wheels for more speed while bed racing
D dye a cat's hair crimson and clover

7. In 1992, Denver police used WD-40 to ... A dislodge a naked burglar from an air-conditioning vent
B get a trapped raccoon to slide down an 80-foot tree
C free a 10-year-old's tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole
D create a world-record 50-mile-long rainbow

8. Responsible for mixing a few "ingredients" together to create the WD-40 elixir in a vat at WD-40's San Diego headquarters, facility manager Ken East is affectionately known as ... A The Magic Man
B KE-over 40
C The Brewmaster
D Ken E. "G"

9. In 2005, the BBC reported that pub owners were using WD-40 to ... A keep rodents from gnawing at barrels of liquor
B detect counterfeit money
C keep pricey drinks highly addictive
D prevent patrons from snorting cocaine

10. In 2001, WD-40 became the official multipurpose problem solver of which organization? A Australian Association of Bed Racing Enthusiasts
B NASCAR
C "The Late Show With David Letterman"
D International Alliance of Airplane Mechanics

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Answers: 1) b; 2) b; 3) a; 4) c; 5) d; 6) d; 7) a; 8) c; 9) d; 10) b

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Scoring: 0-3, GOOD: Consider yourself normal!
4-6, VERY GOOD: Consider trying out for Jeopardy!
7-9, TOO GOOD: Consider taking up a simple hobby, like hand shadows or napping.
10, NOT GOOD: Consider getting some help. For free treatment from a respected support group, go to wd40.com and click on "Fan Club."