A Man Named Semen

[connoisseur series500]

I came across a lot of funny names while living in Thailand for 11 years.

Here's a sampling (none of this is made up:)

Thurdsak (pronounced, Terd-sak)

Pienpis (actually pronounced "Pee-en-pit," but most foreigners would call her, "pee-n-piss")

Potamas (actually pronounced "Pote-a-ma," but my American friend who was her teacher called her "Pott-a-mus." And yes, she was a rare Thai who was overweight...

Thurdpis (You guys can figure out the pronunciation here...

Fuck (the word for pumpkin in Thai; and yes it is roughly pronounced the way it is in English; sort of between "fuck" and "fack"

Sermsak (just missing that critical "P!"

Pornsak ("porn" is a common prefix and suffix in Thai names.) My wife's full name is Sasiyaporn.

There were a host of others, but I've forgotten after all these years. I left Thailand 9 years ago...

[JSngry]

No, no pun intended.

[chuckyd4]

Went to high school with a kid named Yoo Suk Kim, brother of Won Sok.

If you're in Singapore, stop by and visit Professor Chew Shit Fun and chew the fat, shoot the shit, whatever.

If you don't mind me asking, where'd you go to high school? There was a kid a year below me in my high school with the exact same name. How common could that be?

[sidewinder]

The last name wasn't Cumstein was it?

Or 'Staines' perhaps?

[White Lightning]

We have a prominent MK (member of Knesset) whose last name is pee-ness(pronounced as penis). The guy Changed his name to Paz (gold) to use while aborad...

I had an army boddy whose last name is Schmockler.

[couw]

oh, the heights we reach here around this place...

I know a jazz pianist whose name is Hancock (pronounce: Hang Cock)

and then there the famous mister Bruce(d) Cockburn

[king ubu]

oh the heights, indeed.

Wonder why noone has mentioned great british drummer Phil Seaman so far.

ubu

[SGUD missile]

For a short spell about ten years ago, there was a small Thai restaurant in a far north Dallas strip mall named:

SUK MUK DIK

..and I once played in a mickey mouse society band led by a Russian violinist named;

YUBIN VAKINOV ( and yes, he DID pronounce the first V like a W ..)

and in Europe, there IS a soft drink named PSCHYYTT .and pronounced just as you might expect

[maren]

and in Europe, there IS a soft drink named PSCHYYTT .and pronounced just as you might expect

This works both ways, btw, since English names [words] can be funny in other languages too.

When the new Belgian wife of a bandmate of mine had just moved to the U.S., her English was limited (hubby spoke French) -- and she was stunned to see signs in stores forbidding farting! Laughed hysterically once we explained the true English meaning of "no pets allowed"!

[alankin]

When a friend of mine was student teaching, he had a student named Vagina Butts!

(Her siblings were named Monday Butts and Friday Butts, after the day-of-week of their birth. Their mother must have had a somewhat limited imagination!)

[brownie]

There was that jewish migrant who came to France. His name was Katzman. When he applied for French citizenship, one official suggested he had his name changed to make his name sound less jewish.

The man said no problem. Since his name was to be 'francised', he translated his name into French. And came with a new name 'Chat' (as in shah) and 'Lhomme'.

The story was a big hit on the Parisian jewish radio station.

[BruceH]

and in Europe, there IS a soft drink named PSCHYYTT .and pronounced just as you might expect

Yum!

[mikeweil]

I know a jazz pianist whose name is Hancock

Wonder why one of his longtime musical associates is named "Shorter"?

And there is one Dick Hyman, which is a double .....

[Spontooneous]

In the early days of my newspaper career, I was assigned to write a lengthy obituary of a man whose last name was Boner. This was made far more difficult to carry out in a dignified fashion by the fact that Mr. Boner was a very important man in the grease and lubricant industry.

[Jazzmoose]

For a short spell about ten years ago, there was a small Thai restaurant in a far north Dallas strip mall named:

SUK MUK DIK

This reminds me of a dining establishment that used to be in nearby Mountain View called HONG KEE BARBEQUE. Never could get myself to go in; the idea of honky barbecue just didn't seem that enticing...

[tjluke68]

I was at a store yesterday and the male clerk's name was FACELIS.

[Chrome]

... as long as were on the topic, Detroit Tiger fans will long remember Rusty Kuntz, a member of the 1984 World Champs!

Royals fans too. We had a heydey collecting his cards back then.

I can't help but wonder ... was he ever in the KC lineup with Pete LaCock?

[Dave James]

There used to be a guy in the Portland, Oregon phone directory whose name was Oral Love. When I was in college at Lewis & Clark, I used to delight in sending away for magazine subscriptions under the name of Hugh Jardon. Seems I had way too much time on my hands at that point in my life.

Up over and out.