Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer

Cafe Society
1

How are you suppose to pronounce “Knipl?” Is the “K” silent?

I was making seltzer in my soda siphon a few minutes ago, and the phrase “the New Yorker’s right to a steady supply of fresh seltzer” ran through my head. This led to thoughts of Ben Katchor’s 1998 graphic novel The Jew of New York, specifically the plot thread about the early 19th century plan to carbonate the Great Lakes and pipe the seltzer water back east to Manhattan. Then I thought about how The Jew of New York was actually pretty crappy, and that Katchor never really topped his weekly comic strips featuring Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer. Then I realized I had never really discussed that work with any actual life real person, and I had no idea whether one is supposed to say “Ka-nipple” or just “Nipple.”

2

I always read it as “nipple.” Because it’s funnier that way.

3

I pronounce the K in my head. I too have never discussed the strip with any other person.

–Cliffy

4

I always pronounced it Ca-Nip-El.

The only time I tried discussing the strip with anyone was during my four-year tenure as a real estate photographer. They had no idea what I was talking about.

5

I always pronounced it like the beginning of “knish.” There are certain parts of Manhattan that always make me think of the strips – I’m thinking of the 20s south of Penn Station for some reason.

I saw Katchor’s The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island and found it entertainingly weird.

6

I have no idea which pronunciation the author intended, but I am pretty sure that in Yiddish the k is pnonounced, but without adding a vowel. Unfortunately that’s pretty unusual in modern English.

7

At some point the author was on NPR, and the K is definitely pronounced.

8

Oh, crap. I’m gonna agree with Miller, and keep calling him “Nipple.”

9

Because it’s funnier that way.