# Is 'Knut' funny in Italian?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-knut-funny-in-italian/314895>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-knut-funny-in-italian/314895 "2005-07-30T16:07:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-knut-funny-in-italian/314895/1 "2005-07-30T16:07:33Z")

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Way back in high school, there was an Italian exchange student in my German class. ‘Knut’ is a common German name, but the Italian guy snickered every time the name was mentioned. He said that ‘knut’ (or at least an Italian word that sounds like kuh-noot) is a rude word in Italian, but he couldn’t tell us what it was.

Any Italian-speakers here who can clear this up?

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**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-knut-funny-in-italian/314895/2 "2005-07-30T16:57:33Z")

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[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]  
Way back in high school, there was an Italian exchange student in my German class. ‘Knut’ is a common German name, but the Italian guy snickered every time the name was mentioned. He said that ‘knut’ (or at least an Italian word that sounds like kuh-noot) is a rude word in Italian, but he couldn’t tell us what it was.

The italian word in question is"cornuta"[not sure of the spelling,the A could be an O]

It means that the man is question has been cuckolded by his wife and she’s “put the horns on him”.–goat horns that is!

But ,what the heck,--------being Irish it’s the best I can do.

EZ