Queen Elizabeth Just Turned Down This Award. Here's Why

In Great Britain, they tend to be far more plain-spoken and even downright blunt when compared to we euphemism-happy yanks. Should you be in the U.K. and need to perform a bodily function, you may be directed to the "toilet" rather than to a powder room, and the word is even bandied around in public forums by such dignified organizations as the Royal Society for Public Health. Likewise, once you arrive at what is statistically likely to be the latter half of your life, rather than labeling you a senior citizen, they may just go ahead and call you an oldie. In fact, there's a major magazine aimed at an older readership that calls itself The Oldie -– this in contrast to such American magazines popular with a similar demographic: Reminisce, Good Old Days, and Active Over 50.

An unabashed celebration of all things –- and people –- who are not afraid to call themselves old, The Oldie gives out an annual Oldie of the Year award to a public figure who is still contributing to society at a certain age while maintaining what their editor calls "snap in their celery." This year, they wanted to award the TOOTY (the initial "T" stands for "the") to someone who's been snappy for 95 years and counting: HRH Elizabeth II. The queen, however, declined this once-in-a-very-long-lifetime honor.