Dictating Linguistic Terms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kaiser Wilhat II

The words 'hat' and 'helm' are synonyms. Thus Kaiser Wilhelm II yields Kaiser Wilhat II. Arthur Flegenheimer was the real name of American gangster "Dutch Schultz" and was not a dictator in the sense of this quiz. Adolf Hitler became Adolf Pitler. Tsar Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, became Tsar Nicholad, "lass" and "lad" being antonyms.

Answer: Napoleon Malaparte

'Bon' and 'mal' are opposites, making Napoleon Bonaparte become Napoleon Malaparte. Paul Reubens is not a dictator but rather the real name of Pee Wee Herman. Nikita Kruschev has had a portion substituted with a homophone. Oliver Cromwell/"good" has been given the synonym treatment.

Answer: Fuhrer's Furors

Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer, was more than once in a rage. Il Duce was the title of Mussolini. SARS is a contagious disease unrelated to anger. The others examples are not homophones, merely rhyming words.

Answer: Francisco Franco-American

Francisco Franco, generalissimo of Fascist Spain, combines with Franco-American, a company known for their canned Italian foods. Alger Hiss was exposed as a spy/traitor during the McCarthy Era but wasn't a dictator, and Chicken of the Sea only makes tuna.

Answer: Stoseph Jalin

Spoonerisms occur when the first letter or syllable of two words are transposed. Thus Joseph Stalin becomes Stoseph Jalin. Willie Loman (in pig Latin), deceased salesman, was a literary character and not a dictator. The other names have merely added or changed a letter to the names Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo, the head of Japan's government during World War II.

Answer: Mao Ze

Thomas Bowdler lends his name to the term bowdlerize: "Remove material that is considered improper or offensive from (a text or account), esp. with the result that it becomes weaker or less effective," as per Merriam Webster. Mao Zedong, apparently too offensive in full for Mr. Bowdler, has been edited. Jefferson Davis was not considered a dictator even with his names reversed. Lenin became Lanolin, but couldn't be considered offensive. Nero without the 'R' may have been edited, but not for reasons of decency.

Answer: Hideki To-freakin'-jo

Wikipedia tells us that, "Tmesis is a linguistic phenomenon or figure of speech in which a word or set phrase is separated into two parts, with other words occurring between them." TV's John Becker (spelled backwards) has an abrasive personality but is not a dictator. Pol Pot, with vowels changed, had a relatively short but brutal reign of terror in Cambodia. Hitler's name has been spoonerized.

Answer: Benito Mussolini

Wikipedia explains, for the risk of my imprecision, "a clerihew is a whimsical, four-line biographical poem invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley." I had best leave them to Edmund after producing that awful example. Valerie Bertinelli, an actress who has recently been identified with the Jenny Craig weight-loss program, was not a dictator and would be unintentionally maligned were this written about her.

Answer: Icholaenay Eausescucay

Nicholae Ceausescue, dictator of communist Romania is the answer. Hitler's names end in -ay, but the first word or syllable of his names have not been placed at the end of those names. No disrespect intended to Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former secretary-general of the United Nations, who was alluded to by substituting porcine terms into his name.

A dictator he is not. Kim Jong Il, dictator of North Korea, has had a synonym substituted.

Answer: Kim Jong Ill-mannered little punk

Parapraxis, another name for a Freudian slip, suggests some insight into one's subconscious via an error of speech. Mary Baker Eddy (names transposed in the question), the founder of The Church of Christian Science is not known by me at this time to be a dictator. Stalin's name has, well, stalled. Lenin's name was substituted with a homophone.