# "Saddam" Hussein **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889 "2001-01-07T20:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889/1 "2001-01-07T20:03:09Z")
Okay, I figure when he was just a little toddler, his Mama would call him for lunch like this: “Saddam! Din-Din!” (or some such drivel) his FIRST name being Saddam. But when he is referred to in the news media he is ALSO called by his first name (unless BOTH names are used). So my question is, if we hate this guy so much, _why_ are we using his first name? We wouldn’t call Adolf Hitler, just “Adolf” right? As in “Adolf reached a new high in mass exterminations today…”. I’m sure it’s a cultural nuance I am not understanding (or maybe it’s an honorific, such as “King”?) and I’m counting on y’all to set me straight. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Noctum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ad\_Noctum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Noctum)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889/2 "2001-01-07T20:16:06Z")
well, Saddam is just one of those guys that the US loves to hate. Hell, man, we’ve tried to kill Saddam more times that I can remember, and so now we pretty much know Saddam personally, like an EVIL next-door neighbor. so Saddam is dumb, mean, and a big poop-head, but we’ve gotten to know Saddam so well, that we address Saddam informally… ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889/3 "2001-01-07T20:33:30Z")
From [http://www.booknotes.org/transcripts/10136.htm](http://www.booknotes.org/transcripts/10136.htm) > [@](#): > > LAMB: In this August 6 transcript, the opening thing is Saddam Hussein – by the way, what is his name? How do you pronounce his name correctly? > > SCIOLINO: Saddam [Sadahm’]. > > LAMB: What’s his first name? > > SCIOLINO: His first name is Saddam. His full name is Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti. The Tikriti comes from his home village of Tikrit, but the accepted way of calling him by name would be to say President Saddam. > > LAMB: In our way, would that be like someone calling George Bush, George? > > SCIOLINO: Well, yes and no. Because al-Tikriti is really his last name and because he dropped that part of his name, Hussein is really his middle name so that it just became accepted practice for us to use President Saddam. > > LAMB: During the last year, we’ve heard three pronunciations. Saddam [Sadahm’] Hussein, Saddam [Sad’um] Hussein . . . > > SCIOLINO: That’s President Bush’s pronunciation. > > LAMB: . . . and Saddam [Sah’dum]. There’s three different ways. How do you know that Saddam [Sadahm’] is right? In other words, we hear people in the media pronouncing it all over and the President pronouncing it one way. > > SCIOLINO: Well, that’s the way he pronounces it and that’s the way his officials pronounce it and that’s the way they pronounce it in the country and that’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889/4 "2001-01-07T20:35:43Z")
I’ve heard that it’s to prevent confusion with King Hussein of Jordan(?). ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889/5 "2001-01-07T20:52:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > \*\*I’ve heard that it’s to prevent confusion with King Hussein of Jordan(?). \*\* I thought so too, **Kat** , but I haven’t seen it change since [King Hussein kicked the bucket](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/hussein_obit.html) in February 1999. ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-hussein/48889/6 "2001-01-07T22:00:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peepthis \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > > \*\*I’ve heard that it’s to prevent confusion with King Hussein of Jordan(?). \*\* > > I thought so too, **Kat** , but I haven’t seen it change since [King Hussein kicked the bucket](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/hussein_obit.html) in February 1999. \*\* If you refer to “Attila the Hun” in that way in order to avoid confusing him with “Attila the Gepid”, it would be more confusing to suddenly start referring to him “Khagan Attila” after AtG takes a dirt nap.