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Quiz about Manners Maketh Man
Quiz about Manners Maketh Man

Manners Maketh Man Trivia Quiz


If there's one thing that people all over the world can't stand, it's rudeness - but rudeness is relative! What might be harmless in one culture may be considered impolite in another. This quiz takes a look at manners and etiquette across the globe.

A multiple-choice quiz by Kankurette. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Kankurette
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
395,812
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
335
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. What innocuous-seeming gesture can be considered to be rude in Greece? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In 'The Joy Luck Club' by Amy Tan, a story of four Chinese-American families, the Chinese-American character Waverly Jong brings her white American fiancé over for dinner with her parents, and he offends her Chinese mother by helping himself to big portions of a dish. What, according to Chinese cultural norms, would have been the polite thing to do instead? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Members of which religious group do not shake hands with members of the opposite sex outside their family? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. When eating with chopsticks in Japan, where should you NEVER put them when you've finished your meal? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Discussing which subject in Britain is traditionally considered rude or tacky? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. When visiting someone's home in Russia, it is polite to bring them a gift, and this can include flowers. What colour flowers would NOT be suitable as a gift? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What part of the body is considered unclean in Thailand? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In Islamic culture, it is considered polite to give gifts with your left hand.


Question 9 of 10
9. In which African country is it considered rude to salt your food? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Spitting is seen as rude and unhygienic in many countries, but among the Maasai people of northern Kenya and Tanzania, spitting is seen as a greeting, and even a sign of respect.



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What innocuous-seeming gesture can be considered to be rude in Greece?

Answer: Waving

If you want to insult someone in Greece, hold up your hand with your palm facing towards them with your fingers spread. This gesture is known as a 'moutza', and a double moutza involves using both hands, with one palm pressed against the back of the other hand. Because waving at people generally involves pointing your palm outwards, it can come across as rude in Greece.
2. In 'The Joy Luck Club' by Amy Tan, a story of four Chinese-American families, the Chinese-American character Waverly Jong brings her white American fiancé over for dinner with her parents, and he offends her Chinese mother by helping himself to big portions of a dish. What, according to Chinese cultural norms, would have been the polite thing to do instead?

Answer: Take a small spoonful and wait until everyone else had had a piece

Cultural clashes between Chinese and American norms are a huge part of the book and Rich, Waverly's fiancé, commits several faux pas in this scene. He also refuses second helpings (it is polite to have several small helpings), spills his food on his lap, and pours soy sauce on a pork dish when Waverly's mother makes self-deprecating comments about it.

The polite thing to do would be to make a point of eating the dish and talking about how delicious it is. Other things that are considered bad table manners in China include playing with your chopsticks, and insisting on paying for a meal instead of your host (though it is considered polite to protest that you don't mind paying).
3. Members of which religious group do not shake hands with members of the opposite sex outside their family?

Answer: Orthodox Jews

This practice is known as shomer negiah ('negiah' is Hebrew for 'touch'). Some rabbis say handshakes with the opposite sex are acceptable if it means avoiding embarrassment, but as a rule, it's frowned upon in Orthodox Judaism. If you're a woman and an Orthodox Jewish man won't shake your hand, he's not being rude - he's just forbidden to touch women unless they're his wife, or related to him (kids, mother, etc.) Some very religious Orthodox Jews won't even sit next to members of the opposite sex in case they accidentally touch them, and hugging and kissing are also off the agenda. (I knew an Orthodox Jewish man at university who used to give people 'air hugs'!) Liberal, Reform and Conservative Jews do not follow this practice.
4. When eating with chopsticks in Japan, where should you NEVER put them when you've finished your meal?

Answer: Standing up vertically in a bowl of rice

Death is a taboo subject in Japan, and should not be brought up at the dinner table. Sticking your chopsticks straight up in your food is very bad manners, as it is reminiscent of incense sticks used at funerals, which are placed standing upright in a bowl of rice.

It's also considered to be unlucky. Passing food to someone else with your chopsticks is also a no-no, as one traditional Japanese funeral custom involves the relatives of a dead person passing bone fragments around using chopsticks.
5. Discussing which subject in Britain is traditionally considered rude or tacky?

Answer: Money

According to traditional British etiquette, it is very vulgar to ask someone how much they earn. A 2015 study by University College London even claimed that Brits are more comfortable talking about our sex lives than our finances! Part of this is because people may feel insecure about earning less than someone else, talking about being well off or earning a lot can be seen as boasting, or because excessive interest in money is seen as greedy and therefore crude. According to an article in 'Vice', the taboo also stems from the British class system, and the days of landed gentry owning certain amounts of land and the laws governing said land. Etiquette expert Jodie Smith was quoted as saying, "Those who have (money and land) don't talk about it."
6. When visiting someone's home in Russia, it is polite to bring them a gift, and this can include flowers. What colour flowers would NOT be suitable as a gift?

Answer: Yellow

Like Japan, Russia has its own flower-related beliefs, and this includes the colour of flowers. The colour yellow represents infidelity, and to a lesser extent, is associated with funerals. If you give your girlfriend yellow flowers, she might interpret as you dumping her.

There's even a Russian song about break-ups called 'Zhyoltye Tyul'pany' ('Yellow Tulips'). Also, when giving flowers, there must be an odd number, not an even one, as even numbers of flowers are also associated with funerals.
7. What part of the body is considered unclean in Thailand?

Answer: Feet

Showing the soles of your feet to people is considered to be very rude in Thailand, so when sitting down, keep your feet on the floor and do not sit with your soles facing outward, and do not point your feet at statues of the Buddha. Stepping on money is also a really bad idea, as Thai currency has pictures of the royal family on it, and disrespect towards the Thai royal family is taken very seriously.

This includes touching pictures of them with your feet, and there have been cases of people being arrested for stepping on Thai money.
8. In Islamic culture, it is considered polite to give gifts with your left hand.

Answer: False

Islamic tradition favours the right hand, which should be used for performing ablutions in the mosque, shaking hands, eating and so on; the Prophet Mohammed did this, and Muslims are expected to follow his example. Islamic toilet etiquette also dictates that you must use your left hand to wipe yourself after going to the toilet, so using it to eat, shake hands and so on is makruh (an abomination). Ideally, you should use your right hand to eat, unless you have an illness or injury which prevents you from doing so, and when giving gifts, give them with your right hand unless they are too big or heavy and require both hands.
9. In which African country is it considered rude to salt your food?

Answer: Egypt

It's not that Egyptians never use salt in their food; indeed, the ancient Egyptians used salt as a preservative for both food and mummies, and feseekh is an Egyptian dish that contains salted (and fermented) fish. It's more the act of sprinkling salt on your food that is considered bad manners. If you sprinkle salt on your food, it is an insult to the cook as it implies that you do not like the flavour of the dish, and feel the need to change it to suit yourself.

When eating with others in Egypt, it is also polite to refill others' glasses and let them refill yours, rather than refilling it yourself.
10. Spitting is seen as rude and unhygienic in many countries, but among the Maasai people of northern Kenya and Tanzania, spitting is seen as a greeting, and even a sign of respect.

Answer: True

Believe it or not, this is true. While spitting is frowned upon in a lot of cultures, among the Maasai, it's traditional to greet people by spitting on your hand before shaking hands. Spitting is also a type of blessing; for example, at Maasai weddings, the bride's father will spit on her breasts and forehead.

A Maasai elder may also spit milk on the ground outside the bride's mother's house before the wedding. When a baby is born, its parents and relatives will spit on it to bring the baby luck.
Source: Author Kankurette

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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This quiz is part of series Commission #55:

Why hello there, ladies and gentlemen! This Author's Lounge Commission catered to both 'men' and 'women' by requiring one of those two words (or their singular forms) be in the titles handed out in January 2019.

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