# How will news reporters say "Mr. Penis" on the air?(newly elected politician) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467 "2004-12-24T13:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/1 "2004-12-24T13:25:32Z")
A major political party in Israel just chose a new leader–Mr. Ophir Pines cite So how will English speaking reporters pronounce his name? And what a name! His first name -Ophir- is pronounced to rhyme with “oh fear” But his last name-PINES- is **not** pronounced like the evergreen tree. It is pronounced in the Hebrew language as “penis”. It may not mean anything in Hebrew, but in English… How can you say that with a straight face? This guy may soon to be a major figure in international news: The leader of the 2nd largest political party in Israel, a serious candidate for the next prime minister. Expect to see him at the White House soon… ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/2 "2004-12-24T13:29:09Z")
- - - I don’t know, but this entire circumstance just fucking rocks. It could only be better if his full name was “Ophir Mai Pines”… ~ ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/3 "2004-12-24T13:33:54Z")
They’ll pronounce it correctly and hopefully straightfacedly. Though I suspect he’ll be introduced once with his full name and then they will use his title an awful lot to refer to him. ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/4 "2004-12-24T14:05:06Z")
I would suspect that, to avoid the inevitable snickers and smirks, the broadcast news organizations will tell their readers to report the name as something like PYE-ness or Peens. Pronunciation guides are common to avoid things like the REE-gun versus RAY-gun question for the late President’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/5 "2004-12-24T15:50:40Z")
> [@DougC](#): > > - > - > - I don’t know, but this entire circumstance just fucking rocks. It could only be better if his full name was “Ophir Mai Pines”… > ~ Or, Ophir Mai Ben(t) Pines. But seriously, the press corps should not flinch about pronouncing someone’s actual name. Filth is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. They seemed to have no problem during the Gulf War when the press conferences were given by military public information officer Col(?) Jerkowsky. [Candidate for IMHO?] ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/6 "2004-12-24T16:03:39Z")
If if this politician turns out to be a real dickhead … 😃 Oh come on! Somebody had to say it! ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/7 "2004-12-24T16:04:49Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > A major political party in Israel just chose a new leader–Mr. Ophir Pines > cite > So how will English speaking reporters pronounce his name? > > And what a name! > His first name -Ophir- is pronounced to rhyme with “oh fear” > But his last name-PINES- is **not** pronounced like the evergreen tree. It is pronounced in the Hebrew language as “penis”. It may not mean anything in Hebrew, but in English… > > How can you say that with a straight face? > > This guy may soon to be a major figure in international news: The leader of the 2nd largest political party in Israel, a serious candidate for the next prime minister. Expect to see him at the White House soon… Related dilemma, did/will they also talk about his elections? And did his yard signs in the English wards say “ELECT PINES!”? ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/8 "2004-12-24T16:20:01Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > A major political party in Israel just chose a new leader–Mr. Ophir Pines. I hear he’s got a son called “Richard”. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/9 "2004-12-24T16:21:45Z")
Since the Bobbitt tale, the word “penis” has been used on the news when appropriate. I remember when a guy whose last name was “Gay” shot up a gay bar. A horrible story, and it was worse watching the newscasters try to read the story keeping the two “gay” aspects straight (so to speak) and not crack up. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/10 "2004-12-24T16:23:51Z")
A quick Google news search shows that most journalists are calling him “Ophir Pines-Paz.” (starting the countdown until “Paz” becomes the new Israeli slang term-- ten… nine… eight…) ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/11 "2004-12-24T16:48:18Z")
I always supress a smirk when [this chap](http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=119) appears on the news. If you look at his e-mail address you’ll see he spells his surname the phonetic way, something the English language media (and his official entry in the Knesset website) have chosen to adapt. For some reason. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/12 "2004-12-24T17:20:38Z")
It should not be that difficult for the newsreaders to say _pih NES_ or _PIH nes_ rather than _PEE nis_. (And how often does the typical Knesset member show up in Brit or Yank news articles, anyway? Now, if he switched to the Likud and was picked as leader. . .) ---
**Author:** ![Oyvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/57b2e6/32.png) [@Oyvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oyvey)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/13 "2004-12-24T17:41:28Z")
To correct the OP, Ophir Pines was not elected as the Labor _leader_, he’s just the first in their ministers list. The Labor primaries in which the leader will be elected are still about half a year away. ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/14 "2004-12-24T19:58:12Z")
> [@DougC](#): > > - > - > - I don’t know, but this entire circumstance just fucking rocks. It could only be better if his full name was “Ophir Mai Pines”… > ~ or Ophil Mai Pines 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/15 "2004-12-24T20:26:51Z")
Oh, those wacky Israelis! In a recent election, there was discussion of which guy was “a man of peace.” In the Israeli accent, that’s “a man of piss.” It may have obscured the issues. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/16 "2004-12-24T20:29:49Z")
Are there any common names in English that don’t come across as “nice and polite” in other languages? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/17 "2004-12-24T21:09:05Z")
How did the media in Georgia report the name of a (winning) candidate for a county sheriff there – Mike Hunt? ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/18 "2004-12-24T21:13:06Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > How did the media in Georgia report the name of a (winning) candidate for a county sheriff there – Mike Hunt? Carefully. Very carefully ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/19 "2004-12-24T21:15:28Z")
Mike Hunt _is_ Aiken. That line still cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467/20 "2004-12-24T22:12:52Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > How did the media in Georgia report the name of a (winning) candidate for a county sheriff there – Mike Hunt? Aiken is in South Carolina, not far from the Georgia border. I used to live about twenty miles away. Mike Hunt. Heh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-news-reporters-say-mr-penis-on-the-air-newly-elected-politician/281467.md?page=2)