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Are You Upperclass? Trivia Quiz

In 1954, writer Nancy Mitford humorously described the differences between speakers of U (Upperclass) and non-U (non-Upperclass) English. JUST FOR FUN: see if you speak like the British Upperclass!

A multiple-choice quiz by pagiedamon. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
pagiedamon

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
290,950

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
2652

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (6/10), Guest 91 (9/10), Guest 86 (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. As a member of the Upperclass, what are you using when you spray a liquid substance to your body to enhance your smell? Hint

Odor

Perfume

Scent

Cologne

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Getting ready to face the world as a member of the Upperclass, you must check your reflection to ascertain that you look your best. What do you look into? Hint

Mirror

Prism

Reflector

Looking-glass

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. You are an Upperclass man or woman who has just visited my abode. Meeting my expectant gaze, you say, "You have a lovely home".

True

False

4. On a cold and gloomy night at your large country manor, you and your friends decide to start a roaring fire. As an Upperclass man or woman, what do you call the ornate structure built around and above your fireplace? Hint

Mantlepiece

Hearth Shelf

Fireplace mantle

Chimneypiece

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. As a member of the Upperclass, what do you call the last course of dinner? Hint

Pudding

Dessert

Sweet

Afters

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. You love to have fruit preserves on your toast in the morning. What is the Upperclass word for this type of spread? Hint

Preserve

Marmalade

Jelly

Jam

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Guests have arrived to your lovely estate. Always the Upperclassman (or woman), you invite them into a room designated for entertaining visitors. What do you call this room? Hint

drawing-room

formal living room

lounge

morning room

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. When someone asks you how your grandmother is doing, you wish to relate the incidence of her death. How do you, as a member of the Upperclass, impart this information? Hint

She expired.

She passed on.

She died.

She perished.

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. You are a member of the Upperclass and have deigned to speak to a non-U person. You wish for your companion to repeat something he has said, so you say, "Pardon?".

True

False

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. You plan to write a letter to an old school friend. As an Upperclass man or woman, on what type of paper are you writing? Hint

Writing-paper

Cardstock

Note-paper

Loose-leaf

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 01 2024 : Guest 86: 6/10
Nov 28 2024 : Guest 91: 9/10
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 86: 10/10
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 27: 3/10
Nov 19 2024 : Guest 42: 3/10
Nov 18 2024 : Guest 140: 10/10
Nov 18 2024 : Guest 223: 3/10
Nov 18 2024 : Guest 42: 4/10
Nov 18 2024 : Guest 86: 2/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. As a member of the Upperclass, what are you using when you spray a liquid substance to your body to enhance your smell?

Answer: Scent

"Scent" is a term that brings to mind hunting, shooting, and fishing--all outdoor activities that were popular with the Upperclass. Keep in mind that it was the Upperclass who owned or had the easiest access to places where one could hunt, shoot, or fish. (Editrix Office, 2006)

2. Getting ready to face the world as a member of the Upperclass, you must check your reflection to ascertain that you look your best. What do you look into?

Answer: Looking-glass

The use of the word "looking-glass" has become less common over time, even among Britain's Upperclass. However, during Mitford's formative years, only non-U speakers would say "mirror".

3. You are an Upperclass man or woman who has just visited my abode. Meeting my expectant gaze, you say, "You have a lovely home".

Answer: False

According to Mitford, members of the Upperclass would instead say "You've a very nice house". They would be complimenting the actual edifice (i.e., the house), rather than referring to the intangible concept of "home".

Answer: Chimneypiece

Chimneypiece was the accepted term of the British Upperclass of Mitford's youth. People who used the words "mantlepiece" or "fireplace mantle" immediately revealed their decided non-U-ness.

5. As a member of the Upperclass, what do you call the last course of dinner?

Answer: Pudding

Mitford explained that pudding was the term Upperclass speakers used when referring to any dessert. The words "sweet" and "afters" were and are common in Britain, but not among the Upperclass. "Dessert" is the common word for the final course in the United States.

6. You love to have fruit preserves on your toast in the morning. What is the Upperclass word for this type of spread?

Answer: Jam

Jam is a common word for both U and non-U speakers in Britain. However, only non-U speakers would have referred to the fruit-spread as jelly, preserve, or marmalade (according to Mitford).

7. Guests have arrived to your lovely estate. Always the Upperclassman (or woman), you invite them into a room designated for entertaining visitors. What do you call this room?

Answer: drawing-room

The drawing-room was traditionally the room used when one had company. This word is used less frequently in modern times, and mainly in England. The only reason people would refer to a room as a drawing-room is to distinguish it from other gathering rooms.

8. When someone asks you how your grandmother is doing, you wish to relate the incidence of her death. How do you, as a member of the Upperclass, impart this information?

Answer: She died.

U speakers typically use words that are more specific, concise, and less politically-correct. Non-U speakers, in an effort to sound more refined, tend to use euphemistic and grander-sounding words. (Editrix Office, 2006)

9. You are a member of the Upperclass and have deigned to speak to a non-U person. You wish for your companion to repeat something he has said, so you say, "Pardon?".

Answer: False

In Mitford's view, the Upperclass would never say "Pardon". They would be much more likely to say, "What?" or even "Eh?" There is a wry tale about a young English boy who informed his teacher: "My Mummy says pardon is a worse word than ****". (Editrix Office, 2006).

10. You plan to write a letter to an old school friend. As an Upperclass man or woman, on what type of paper are you writing?

Answer: Writing-paper

Mitford wrote the novel "The Pursuit of Love", which was based upon her own childhood experiences. Uncle Matthew, a patriarchal character in the novel, begins to rant when a young lady asks for note-paper, instead of writing-paper. Indignant, he yells, "I was always led to suppose that no educated person ever spoke of notepaper, and yet I hear poor Fanny asking Sadie for notepaper". In Mitford's British, Upperclass upbringing, writing-paper was the only acceptable term for paper used to write letters or notes upon.

P.S. Don't worry if you're not "upperclass". I certainly am not!

Source: Author pagiedamon

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Are You Upperclass? Trivia Quiz

In 1954, writer Nancy Mitford humorously described the differences between speakers of U (Upperclass) and non-U (non-Upperclass) English. *JUST FOR FUN*: see if you speak like the British Upperclass!

In 1954, writer Nancy Mitford humorously described the differences between speakers of U (Upperclass) and non-U (non-Upperclass) English. JUST FOR FUN: see if you speak like the British Upperclass!