ILX diplomats, I need your help, now more than ever

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At some point this morning I am going to have to phone up a person called Steven Kuntze.

How do I correctly pronounce his name, so as to cause the minimum of offence or amusement to both the people in my office, and the man himself?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Koontz

Also, cough a lot.

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:15 (twenty-one years ago)

"Steven"

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)

In no way phone and say "Is that guy there? You know, Cunty man. Mr. Twat. Captain Clitoris. He-who-is-the-vadge. The flapman. Lieutenant Labius . . . don't say you're not laughing. I can hear you" etc.

― Bernard the Butler (Lynskey), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Try 'Mr. Kuntze'

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

(Dr. on Mr. otm)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:46 (twenty-one years ago)

don't get too excited

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 20 January 2005 10:58 (twenty-one years ago)

This is so awesome. Matt, please record the call and load it up as an MP3 so we can download it!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 20 January 2005 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Elide the 't' so it's more like "kunzah". Slightly less amusing that way.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 20 January 2005 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I once bottled a presentation about dialectology because the person I was meant to be talking about was called Thomas Wenker.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 20 January 2005 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Me, one day at the start of a new quarter, teaching a class and calling roll: "Okay, is..." *pauses to note that the name of the next student -- a perfectly acceptable Vietnamese name -- is Bich*

Student (having clearly dealt with this before): "It's Bich" (pronounced as Bic like the pens and razors)

Me: "Thanks very much." *makes quick note on the roll sheet and no future problems arise*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 January 2005 13:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Are there unacceptable Vietnamese names?

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 20 January 2005 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Given the nature of politics and things here in OC's Vietnamese-American community, I strongly suspect naming one's kid "Hanoi" or "Ho Chi Minh" would be ill-regarded. (There were large and noisy blockades outside of a video store for a while when all the guy who owned it did was hang up a picture of Ho Chi Minh somewhere inside! Then he got busted for video piracy.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 January 2005 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I bottled it. By asking "can I please speak to your Finance Director. What's his name?" instead.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 20 January 2005 14:01 (twenty-one years ago)

And how was it pronounced?

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 20 January 2005 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Beardedclam!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

The company I work for is dutch, and one of the guys in head office is called Ben de Kock. Causes much amusement in here.

― Rumpy Pumpkin, Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.louisianamusicfactory.com/images/product/3921.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

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