# Can I buy a British title? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903 "2011-12-03T00:13:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/21 "2011-12-03T19:30:20Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I think that most people on the board now don’t actually read the column. Plus only a small percentage of columns have been updated since their initial publication. A good amount of 30-year old columns are seriously out of date. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/22 "2011-12-03T20:24:29Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > Except for Our Lord Jesus Christ. “And did those feet…?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/23 "2011-12-03T20:50:29Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Can you name one single person in Britain who _worships_ titled people? Just one; you don’t have to list all 60-million Britons. Everyone in Britain who has ever addressed a mayor, judge, or magistrate using their official title has worshipped them. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/24 "2011-12-03T21:11:26Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Everyone in Britain who has ever addressed a mayor, judge, or magistrate using their official title has worshipped them. Addressing someone as “Your Worship” is not worshipping them ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/25 "2011-12-03T21:15:32Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Everyone in Britain who has ever addressed a mayor, judge, or magistrate using their official title has worshipped them. Don’t be silly. Plus those are job titles, not titles of nobility. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/26 "2011-12-03T21:28:12Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Addressing someone as “Your Worship” is not worshipping them It most certainly is, for one (admittedly lesser-used) definition of “worship”. (Where do you think the honorific came from in the first place?) Possibly it’s the one **Naxos** had in mind…? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/27 "2011-12-03T21:45:37Z")
[Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) does not list any definition of the verb “worship” meaning “to address someone as Your Worship”. Anyway, I don’t see how it’s any different from “Your Honor”. The nouns “honour” and “worship” (from worth-ship, worthiness) mean much the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/28 "2011-12-03T21:50:41Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) does not list any definition of the verb “worship” meaning “to address someone as Your Worship”. > Anyway, I don’t see how it’s any different from “Your Honor”. The nouns “honour” and “worship” (from worth-ship, worthiness) mean much the same thing. You’re right. It’s not. It’s a job title. And has nothing to do with the subject of the thread. Neither are military ranks, rock stars with silly stage names, or a dozen other examples. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/29 "2011-12-03T22:35:38Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > No, it isn’t. > > “British title” means that some human being should be treated in a special manner because he came out of a particular vagina. > > That’s just stupid, if not insane. > > And it has nothing to do with the willingness of people to worship any object or after-birth bio-waste they are told is “superior” to them. Ok, maybe. I mean, I’m the staunchest republican out there…last king strangled with the entrails of the last priest and all that. But the question is “Can I buy a British title?”, not “Should I buy a British title?” And whether it’s right or wrong to have a peerage system or whether it’s anachronistic, or whether you should treat people differently based on birth, that doesn’t affect whether one is allowed to buy a British title or not. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/30 "2011-12-03T22:43:26Z")
I’m fairly comfortable with monarchy and the British peerage. I don’t think addressing them by their titles is equivalent to blind worship, merely acknowledgement of their legally-recognised titles. I work with Lords daily and regularly address them as ‘My Lord/Lady’ without any notion of being inferior. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/31 "2011-12-03T23:10:17Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > Does that mean one has to come out of a particular vagina to be entitled to that property? Ex-newspaper mogul Conrad Black had to give up his Canadian citizenship to get a life peerage and become an official member of the British House of Lords. His parentage had nothing to do with it, and he didn’t buy the title outright like the OP is asking, although he likely had to spend a fair amount to pave the way for it. > [@Naxos](#): > > All humans who resort to royal claims for superiority are the scum trash of humanity. You might be right in Black’s case. These days, his real peers are the inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/32 "2011-12-03T23:22:25Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > Except for Our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you serious? Umm, the request was that you name “one single person in Britain who worships titled people”… I can assure you that Jesus does not. In fact, right in the middle of watching the game last night (The Savior’s a huge Oregon fan), my friend Luis brought up a question about Prince Charles. “Doof.” was all Our Lord said… but He was busy looking for some stray pieces from a game of Star Wars Clue at the time, so ignored our follow-up questions. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/33 "2011-12-04T00:01:25Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Ok, maybe. I mean, I’m the staunchest republican out there…last king strangled with the entrails of the last priest and all that. But the question is “Can I buy a British title?”, not “Should I buy a British title?” And whether it’s right or wrong to have a peerage system or whether it’s anachronistic, or whether you should treat people differently based on birth, that doesn’t affect whether one is allowed to buy a British title or not. Thank you for posting this. I’d wanted to say something of the sort but everything came out more hostile at **Naxos** or more nearly Junior Modding than I was willing to post. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/34 "2011-12-04T01:17:02Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Plus only a small percentage of columns have been updated since their initial publication. A good amount of 30-year old columns are seriously out of date. The column I linked to was from July, 2011. I would hope most folks would guess that on this subject matter, a 4 month-old column isn’t “out of date.” ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/35 "2011-12-04T09:52:08Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) does not list any definition of the verb “worship” meaning “to address someone as Your Worship”. And why should it? > [@](#): > > Anyway, I don’t see how it’s any different from “Your Honor”. The nouns “honour” and “worship” (from worth-ship, worthiness) mean much the same thing. So do the verbs. I don’t know if [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) indicates this, but the OED certainly does; the second definition of “worship” there indicates that it’s a synonym of “honour”. If you address someone as “Your Worship” or “Your Honour”, you are worshipping or honouring them, in the sense of showing extreme respect and reverence. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/36 "2011-12-04T10:31:27Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > And why should it? Because you appear to be saying that “worship” can mean “to address someone as Your Worship”. I’ve never heard of that usage, and I can’t find such a definition in any dictionary. If, on the other hand, you are claiming that people who address a judge as Your Honor or Your Worship are actually engaging in worship of the judge, i.e. religious adoration or reverence, then I would disagree. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/37 "2011-12-04T10:51:02Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Because you appear to be saying that “worship” can mean “to address someone as Your Worship”. I’m not saying that at all. Neither am I saying that those who address people as “Your Worship” are engaging in religious adoration. I’m saying only that they are worshipping them in the sense of honouring them. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/38 "2011-12-04T16:53:52Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > I’m not saying that at all. Neither am I saying that those who address people as “Your Worship” are engaging in religious adoration. I’m saying only that they are worshipping them in the sense of honouring them. Then you are using the verb “worship” in a sense (“To honour; to regard or treat with honour or respect”) that has, according to the OED, been obsolete for about 400 years. This definition of the word isn’t even listed in many modern dictionaries. While not technically _incorrect_, this usage is likely to lead to confusion as the primary definition of “worship” is to honor someone/thing as divine. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/39 "2011-12-04T17:23:31Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Then you are using the verb “worship” in a sense (“To honour; to regard or treat with honour or respect”) that has, according to the OED, been obsolete for about 400 years. The OED lists it as obsolete, but doesn’t say anything about 400 years. You’re presumably referring to the date of the most recent quotation, but you can’t infer this to be the date it was last used; the most recent quotations for many non-obsolete terms are also a few centuries old. At any rate, I’d dispute that the non-divine sense of “worship” is obsolete, at least in American English, as I’ve occasionally heard it in speech and in pop culture. One example that springs to mind is the Tom Petty song “Echo”: “I promise you this winter / I will worship you like gold”. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903/40 "2011-12-04T23:21:57Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > Whatever you said… > > All humans who resort to royal claims for superiority are the scum trash of humanity. > [@Naxos](#): > > No, it isn’t. > > “British title” means that some human being should be treated in a special manner because he came out of a particular vagina. > > That’s just stupid, if not insane. > > And it has nothing to do with the willingness of people to worship any object or after-birth bio-waste they are told is “superior” to them. [Moderator Note] **Naxos** , these kinds of comments are inappropriate for General Questions. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-british-title/604903.md?page=3)