Nickname of the game
Match the monikers of these cities, famous singers and historical figures in our quiz
Wayne Rooney is Wazza, while Jose Mourinho is The Special One. But when it comes to the nicknames of our cities, it seems we’re not so on the ball…
More than half of us don’t have a clue about pet names for cities in the UK. A quarter have no idea Sheffield is called the “Steel City”, and three-quarters are unaware York is dubbed the “Chocolate City”, a poll for Travelodge found.
See if you can do any better with our nicknames quiz…
British cities
1 What is the nickname for London? Is it a) The Big Smoke, b) The Big Joke, c) The Old Soak
2 Which northern city is known as The Toon? a) Hull b) Leeds c) Newcastle
3 True or false? Brighton is dubbed “London-by-the-sea” for its proximity to the capital
4 As many of its old buildings are hewn from this stone, which place is known as the Granite City?
5 “Brum” is full of Brummies, and is the nickname for which city? a) Bristol b) Birmingham c) Brighton
6 True or false? Brizzle is a gert lush nickname for Bristol, after the local dialect?
7 What is the “capital of the Highlands”?
8 Manchester was famous for being the hub of the cotton industry in the 19th century, but what is its related historical nickname?
9 “The City of Dreaming Spires” is what poet Matthew Arnold called which university city?
10 Where can you find the English Riviera? a) Devon b) Norfolk c) The Lake District?
World cities
11 Often to the strains of accordion music, which capital is called the City of Love?
12 Las Vegas is famous for its gambling and other vices – so what is its nickname?
13 Chicago’s nickname is associated with the weather, but is it a) The Stormy City b) The Windy City c) The Rainy City
14 Seattle is dubbed the Emerald City because it and the surrounding area is so green. True or false?
15 When people talk about the “Fashion Capital of the World”, to which city are they referring?
16 Los Angeles is famous for being the city where dreams come true, but what is its nickname?
17 What is the famously fruity nickname of the US city originally called New Amsterdam?
18 As the birthplace of psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud, which place is sometimes called the City of Dreams?
19 With its famous bridge (and Opera House) what is known as the Harbour City?
20 New York is called “the city that never sleeps” – but what is “the city that never stops”?
Singers
21 Which blind soul singing star was dubbed “The Genius”?
22 Lady Gaga is a stage name, but the Poker Face singer also has a nickname. Is it a) Mother Monster b) Monster c) The Duchess of Darkness 23 Known as one of the greatest singers and film stars, who was Ol’ Blue Eyes?
24 Who was the King of Pop? And who was just The King (and at one time his fatherin-law)?
25 Only one star is known as the Boss. Is it a) Elton John, b) Justin Bieber, c) Bruce Springsteen?
26 Graffiti once proclaimed “Eric Clapton is God”. But what the guitar legend’s real nickname?
27 Which rock star who recently passed away was known as the Picasso of Pop?
28 King of the High Cs is the nickname of which operatic tenor?
29 Aretha Franklin is nicknamed The Queen of Sound. True or false?
30 Which singer has the scary nickname “The Prince of Darkness”?
Historical figures
31 Not tonight Josephine… Napoleon became a mighty emperor but his nickname was a bit smaller. What was it? 32 Which nurse tending to soldiers wounded in the Crimean War was dubbed “The Lady with the Lamp”? 33 Che Guevara, below, was nicknamed Che, but what was his actual first name? 34 Edward Teach was a pirate who terrorised ships around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain’s North American colonies. But what was his nickname? 35 William Shakespeare made an unparalleled contribution to our language and literature, but was he known as: a) The Bard of Avon b) The Bard of the Thames c) The Bard of the Tyne? 36 Martha Jane Cannary was an American frontierswoman. She claimed she got her nickname from rescuing a wounded captain – but what was it? 37 For his wartime exploits in north Africa, what was the nickname earned by German General Erwin Rommel? 38 19th-century outlaw William H Bonney was famously known as: a) Billy The Child b) Billy The Kidnapper c) Billy The Kid 39 Edith Gassion later became the Edith Piaf, but Piaf is French slang for which little bird is? 40 Orange seller Nell Gwyn was his mistress and he was known as the Merrie Monarch – which king was he?