Titles and Honorifics Quiz | Cultures

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. It's often an amusing fact that those people with the MOST titles seem to think the least of them. Who said "I am no lover of pompous title, but only desire that my name may be recorded in a line or two, which shall briefly express my name, my virginity, the years of my reign, the reformation of religion under it, and my preservation of peace"?

Answer: Queen Elizabeth I

It should be noted that in a document from 1559, this same modest lady was referred to as "The most high and mighty Princess, our dread sovereign Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queen of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the true, ancient, and Catholic faith, most worthy Empress from the Orkney Isles to the Mountains Pyren�e."
(quote source: "The Columbia World of Quotations")
(Elizabeth's title from www.heraldica.org/topics/britain)
The incorrect choices are all rather famously non-virgins.

2. The highest decoration that can be awarded to a member of the British Commonwealth armed services is the Victoria Cross. Honorees are entitled to use "VC" after their names. What inscription is engraved on the medal?

Answer: For Valour

The Victoria Cross was created after the Crimean War. The Royal Warrant that accompanies the Cross reads in part: "To those officers or men who have served Us in the presence of the Enemy and shall then have performed some signal act of valour or devotion to their country".
Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, personally changed the name from "Military Order of Victoria" to "Victoria Cross" and the Queen herself changed the motto from "For the Brave" to "For Valour", as she asserted that all who fought in battle were brave.

The Victoria Cross was the first British military decoration available equally to all ranks of all services.
Any soldier in uniform wearing the VC or the ribbon is saluted by all other soldiers of all ranks. Even a general must salute a private awarded a VC.

The chance of surviving an act of gallantry that would merit the Victoria Cross is estimated to be 1 in 10.
(info from www.anzacday.org.au/education/medals/vc/default.html and www.victoriacross.net/facts.asp)

3. The correct way to address a present or former President of the United States is "The Honorable (President's name, such as William Jefferson Clinton), President of the United States".

Answer: False

In a radical departure from mother-country standards, the United States bequeaths no formal title on its Chief Executive except "President".
"Mr. President" (someday "Madam President" or "Ms. President") and "Chief Executive" itself are not official titles.

"The President of the United States, by law, is not the Honorable, but simply the President. In the First Congress the matter of his title was exhaustively debated; some members wanted to call him the Honorable and others proposed His Excellency and even His Highness. But the two Houses finally decided that it was "not proper to annex any style or title other than that expressed by the Constitution.""
(http://www.bartleby.com/185/20.html)

4. This United Nations Secretary-General's name includes an honorific.

Answer: U Thant

"U" (pronounced "OO") is a Burmese honorific that approximates the English "Mr". Mr. Thant, who was from Burma (present-day Myanmar) had no first name, at least that I was able to find.

5. In the Roman Catholic church, the Pope is addressed as "Your Holiness" and cardinals as "Your Eminence". How is a bishop addressed?

Answer: Your Excellency

A Catholic bishop, who is addressed as "Your Excellency", is an ordained priest who is in charge of a diocese. An archbishop is a bishop who is in charge of an archdiocese, which is simply an important (usually large) diocese. "The title is purely honorific and carries no extra jurisdiction, though some archbishops are also metropolitan bishops." (www.wikipedia.org)
"Your Grace" as an honorific is also used to refer to British Dukes and Duchesses, and was also used by medieval English kings until about the time of the Reformation, when "Your Majesty" became more common.

6. He's Sir Ben Kingsley now, but he originally bore the name of an Indian deity. What was Sir Ben's birth name?

Answer: Krishna Bhanji

Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu are Hinduism's three major deities. Krishna is one of the nine avatars of Vishnu. Mr. Kingsley was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.

7. The Amharic title "Negusa Negest" belonged to which of the following historic people?

Answer: Haile Selassie

"Negusa Negest" means "King of Kings". "Negusa Negest ze Itiopia" can be translated as "Emperor of Ethiopia".

8. In the UK, men may be appointed as a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. But what appointment are women given?

Answer: Dame Commander

There are many orders of knighthood in the UK. Knight Commanders (male) are entitled to use the title "Sir"; Dame Commanders (female) are known as "Dame".

9. Which of the following is NOT a title used by rulers of Indian princely states pre-1947?

Answer: Sri

"Sri" is a common Indian honorific, from the Sanskrit for "splendor" or "majesty", but it was not a title rulers used. Instead, rulers of princely states bore titles such as Thakur, Nizam, Rao, Rana, and the more familiar Raja and Maharaja. The word "Nawab" will be familiar to English speakers as "nabob", used to mean a wealthy and powerful man.
(definitions from dictionary.com)

10. Japanese honorifics are only used to refer to persons of Japanese descent.

Answer: False

The Japanese language uses many honorifics, some quite narrow and specific. Not only can these honorifics refer to people, but also to events, things, and even ideas. Certain ordinary things which are considered very important in Japanese culture, such as tea and rice, are frequently addressed with honorifics.
(for examples, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorific)

11. What does the Hebrew title "Rabbi" mean?

Answer: Teacher

The word "rabbi" originates from the Hebrew meaning "teacher". (Originally, the word meant "Master".) The term has evolved over Jewish history to include many roles and meanings. At one time it was applied to all Jewish scholars. Today it usually refers to those who have received rabbinical ordination and are educated in Jewish law. (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org)

12. You've trekked a considerable way through the quiz, and your feet hurt. If you are in the United States, which of the following practitioners do you now require?

Answer: DPM

Aren't a string of letters after a person's name just fascinating? Your feet may require a DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine) rather than a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), a FACOG (Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) or, most especially, an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).

13. When King Henry VIII divorced his first queen, Catherine of Aragon, what title did he decide she would thereafter be known by?

Answer: Dowager Princess of Wales

Catherine had been married to Henry's older brother Arthur, who was Prince of Wales. Arthur died and Henry married his brother's widow, which was fine until she didn't give him a son. When Henry divorced Catherine, he declared that she would be known as "Dowager Princess of Wales" or "Princess Dowager". Catherine NEVER accepted this title and called herself "Queen of England" until the day she died.

14. Which of these famous names includes an honorific or title?

Answer: All of them

Prince Siddhartha Gautama of India is known as the Buddha, or "Enlightened One". The word is from Sanskrit. Similarly, "Christ" (or its Greek form, "Christos") means "Anointed". "Khan" means "King" or "Ruler" and was used widely throughout Asia.
(Info from dictionary.com)

15. Many authors have created complex hierarchies for their imaginary worlds. Some of these include Tolkien's "Middle-earth" lords and kings, the alien military ranks of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars", and, yes, even "Harry Potter". According to the "Harry Potter Lexicon", which of these titles is given to witches on the Hogwarts staff who are NOT professors?

Answer: Madam

According to the "Lexicon", the honorific "Madam" (or "Madame") is used by witches. "Harry Potter" fans will know Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey, and Madam Pince from Hogwarts.
(For more about "HP" titles, see www.hplexicon.org/hogwarts/titles.html)

Thank you for playing this quiz, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Feel free to select a title or an honorific for yourself on your way out!

Source: Author LilahDeDah

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Beatka before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Titles and Honorifics Trivia Quiz

In many cultures, titles and honorifics can indicate a person's place in society, occupation, or achievements. How many of these do you know?

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