Which One Is It? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Duke

British actress Gemma Jones starred as Louisa Trotter in "The Duchess of Duke Street" (1976-77). Louisa started as a lowly servant girl, who caught the eye of a royal personage, and rose to become proprietress of the Bentinck Hotel on Duke Street, London. The story begins around 1900 and progresses through the First World War and into the 1920s, following the lives of Louisa and members of the hotel staff. Also involved in the plot (and with Louisa), is Charlie Tyrrell, Lord Haslemere (Christopher Cazenove).

In Britain, the highest rank of the aristocracy, below royalty, is that of duke. A duchess is normally the wife of a duke, though not in the case of the TV show here discussed.

Answer: Duke

Marion Morrison is usually given as the birth name of American actor John Wayne, occasionally with different middle names. Wayne is widely known as "Duke", a nickname said to have derived from the name of a childhood pet dog. Wayne (1907-1979) had a long career in the movies, often in westerns or war movies and usually as the hero. He won a Best Actor Oscar for "True Grit" (1969)

Answer: Duke

Edward Kennedy Ellington (1899-1974) was better known as jazz pianist and band leader "Duke" Ellington. Born in Washington, D.C., he was also a composer and early inductee to the Songwriters' Hall of Fame. He was Oscar-nominated for Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture for "Paris Blues" (1961), but lost to the team of writers for "West Side Story".

Answer: Duke

Edwin Donald Snider (1926-2011) was a baseball player better known as Duke, or occasionally, "The Duke of Flatbush". He played for the Dodgers in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles for the first sixteen years of his eighteen year career (1947-64). An outfielder, he retired with a .295 batting average and 407 home runs. Additionally, he appeared in six World Series, winning two, with a .286 BA and 11 home runs.

Answer: Duke

Most often heard in the phrases "put up your dukes" and "duke it out", the origin of this slang term for fists is believed to be Cockney rhyming slang. Duke of York was rhymed with fork, which was nineteenth century slang for finger or hand. As often happens with rhyming slang, the part that actually rhymes is dropped, leaving "duke" to mean "fist". Oh, yes, those two phrases mean "prepare to fight" and "fight it out" or something very similar.

Answer: Earl

American actor Jason Lee plays the title character of the TV series "My Name Is Earl" (2005-2009). After winning the lottery, Earl Hickey decides to use the money for good, and sets out to right every wrong he's ever committed in his life. The tricky part is that not everybody wants anything to do with Earl and his good intentions, leading to some amusing situations.

The title of earl comes third in importance in the British nobility, after duke and marquess and just above viscount. An earl's wife is known as a countess.

Answer: Earl

Jazz pianist Earl Kenneth Hines (1903-1983) was given the nickname 'Fatha' (father) due to his having been instrumental in the development of jazz piano. Born in Pennsylvania, Hines developed a 'trumpet-style' way of playing the piano that was unlike earlier piano players' style.

Answer: Earl

The character Robert Crawley is the fictional Earl of Grantham, portrayed by Hugh Bonneville in the "Downton Abbey" television series, and subsequent movies. The early part of the television saga is concerned with finding a male heir to the earldom, after the cousin slated to inherit dies in the sinking of the Titanic.

This is necessary as Crawley only has daughters, who at the time could not inherit other than in special circumstances.

Answer: Earl

Of the full names of all of Elizabeth II's children, the easiest to remember has to be that of her youngest, Prince Edward, born in 1964. This is because they provide an easy mnemonic in that they spell EARL. You want to know the full name? Why it's Edward Antony Richard Louis, of course!

When he wed in 1999 his mother made him the Earl of Wessex, a title later used by his son James. In 2023 Edward's brother, King Charles III, conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh upon him.

Answer: Earl

Earl Grey tea was (probably) named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey who was prime minister of England in the 1830s. It is suggested that he enjoyed the black tea blend, flavoured with oil of bergamot (a citrus fruit) giving his name to it. The tea itself is said to have many health benefits, including providing more energy, weight loss and brain boosting.

Answer: Count

Count Chocula is one of the older members of the General Mills family of "Monster" cereals, having first been sold in 1971, alongside Franken Berry. As might be expected, the name of the first-named cereal, and its mascot, are a play on the famous vampire from Transylvania, and the flavour is chocolate.

The title count is not used in the British aristocracy, but is the European equivalent of an earl, with the feminine version of each being countess.

Answer: Count

Count Dracula, fictional hero of Bram Stoker's horror novel, is said to be based on the real-life Transylvanian ruler, Vlad the Impaler. The eponymous hero/villain of "Dracula" became the model for subsequent depictions of vampires in literature and on screen, with Bela Lugosi becoming typecast in the role.

Answer: Count

Colloquial phrases such as "down for the count" and "count me out" can be traced to the boxing ring, where the referee will count, loudly and demonstratively, (usually) to ten whilst a fallen boxer attempts to rise from the floor. If the boxer is unable to get to their feet, they are "counted out" and lose the match. Occasionally, a "standing eight count" will be applied, to determine if an upright, but woozy, participant is fit to continue.

Note: While "dukes" could be seen as a boxing term, "count" won't work with fists. As they are not interchangeable, only one solution is possible.

Answer: Count

Edmond Dantes is the eponymous hero of "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas, who is unjustly imprisoned due to some treacherous acquaintances. Dantes manages to escape, eventually, and sets out to seek revenge for this injustice. There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the story, with Dantes portrayed by Robert Donat (1934), Jim Caviezel (2002), Pierre Niney (2024) and several others.

Answer: Count

Count von Count is the Muppet on "Sesame Street" who teaches children about numbers, most specifically about counting. Making his debut in 1972, and originally performed by Jerry Nelson (1934-2012), the Count continues to appear, voiced by Matt Vogel. At first the Count was a bit menacing and villainous, but over the years he has become more amiable.

Answer: Baron

The National Hockey League's Cleveland Barons only existed under that name for two years (1976-1978), having previously existed as the California/Oakland/Bay Area/California (again) Seals/Golden Seals (1967-1976). Suffering from financial difficulties the team soon merged with the Minnesota North Stars, which eventually became the Dallas Stars. Why Barons, you ask? That was in honour of an earlier American Hockey League (AHL) team of that name in Cleveland, whose name had been chosen by a public contest in 1937.

Baron is the lowest-ranking title of the British peerage, sitting below viscount and above baronets and knights. The female term is baroness.

Answer: Baron

First World War German fighter pilot and ace, Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918) has long been known as "The Red Baron", presumably due his habit of flying a red aeroplane in combat. He is usually credited with 80 victories over Allied aircraft. The controversy over who actually brought down the Red Baron continues, and I don't propose to argue the point here.

Answer: Baron

British comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen created the character Borat, and starred in that role in "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan". Now you have read the title, you pretty much know about the movie. Baron Cohen himself is Cambridge-educated, and apparently completely unlike his character.

Answer: Baron

An automobile called the Chrysler LeBaron has existed in some form since the 1930s. Between 1931 and 1941 the coach making firm LeBaron made the chassis for a line of Chrysler automobiles. From 1955 to 1975 the Imperial LeBaron, a Chrysler offshoot, served as a competitor to Cadillac and Lincoln. Between 1977 and 1995, three generations of LeBaron were produced, in various body styles.

Answer: Baron

The group of rebellious barons who persuaded King John (of England) to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215 were canny enough to include a clause appointing a body of 25 of their number to ensure the king's compliance with the document he had just signed. Although not all clauses are relevant in the modern day, those that are are central to British law.