# The dictator in charge of Libya... how do YOU spell his name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128 "2011-03-01T23:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/21 "2011-03-02T21:52:44Z")
محكوم > [@Ann\_Onimous](#): > > That Q dude in charge of Libya. [Him?](http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/Q_portrait.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/22 "2011-03-02T23:52:13Z")
Kadhafi, obviously. Why would you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/23 "2011-03-02T23:56:43Z")
> [@Labtrash](#): > > B-a-t-s-h-i-t C-r-a-z-y You win. The internet was already given away, so here’s your free dysfunctional Middle Eastern country. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/24 "2011-03-03T00:46:45Z")
The extent to which he’s in charge seems increasingly open to question. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/25 "2011-03-03T03:34:42Z")
\*\*Leo: \*\* “Tell them that Khaddafi is spelled with an ‘H’ and two 'D’s and isn’t a seven letter word for anything.” **Margaret:** “Is this for real or just funny?” **Leo:** “Apparently, it’s neither.” **Leo:** “Seventeen across is wrong… You’re spelling his name wrong… What’s my name? My name doesn’t matter. I’m just an ordinary citizen, who relies on the Times crossword for stimulation. And I’m telling you that I’ve met the man twice and I’ve recommended a pre-emptive Exocet missile strike against his air force, so I think I know how…\…They hung up on me.” \*\*CJ: \*\* Almost hard to believe. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/26 "2011-03-03T05:13:53Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > QadaffyDuck is my preference. That’s Q-A-D-A-Double F-Y. D-U-C-UCK. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/27 "2011-03-03T10:56:23Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’m reasonably sure there’s quite a few miles between Mumbai and Delhi, you know. Just a few. And the name of the capital of India is New Delhi. ETA BTW, the local pronunciation in Libya is Gadaffi. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/28 "2011-03-03T14:24:47Z")
Khadaffi, but I usually just think of him as HIM, because he reminds me of the Powerpuff Girls villian > **[HIM](https://powerpuffgirls.fandom.com/wiki/HIM)** > > HIM is a sinister, demonic villain who loves nothing more than chaos and destruction. He is #3 in The Powerpuff Girls Top 10 list of archenemies. His first appearance was in season one of the 1998 version of the Powerpuff Girls series in the episode... ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/29 "2011-03-03T15:07:38Z")
Muammy. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/30 "2011-03-03T19:58:16Z")
I spell it “Gaddafi”, but pronounce it “Throatwarbler Mangrove.” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/31 "2011-03-03T20:09:40Z")
Moe ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/32 "2011-03-03T20:18:43Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > [Him?](http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/Q_portrait.jpg) No,[him.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Desmond_Llewelyn_01.jpg/450px-Desmond_Llewelyn_01.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/33 "2011-03-03T20:19:53Z")
Starts with an “A”, ends with an “E”, and has seven letters. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/34 "2011-03-04T13:53:56Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Starts with an “A”, ends with an “E”, and has seven letters. abalone? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/35 "2011-03-04T14:20:19Z")
> [@ShermanAter](#): > > I think the confusion comes from provincialism in the USA. Nonsense. Gaddafi himself has stated that he doesn’t care how it’s spelled in English. The issue is threefold (1) there is no generally accepted system for transliterating Arabic into Latin characters, (2) there are several sounds in Arabic that don’t exist in English, and (3) Pronunciation varies across the Arabic world. > [@](#): > > and the capitol of India was Bombay not Mumbai. (1) India doesn’t have a “capitol.” (2) The _capit **a** l_ of India is New Delhi (3) “Bombay” is not something invented by provincial Americans. The city was founded and named by the Portuguese. “Bombay” was the official name of the city and is still commonly used throughout India, even in the city itself. In India, no one corrects you if you say Bombay, except for a handful of politicians who capitalize on ethnic tensions to maintain their popularity. (4) “Mumbai,” the current official name, was not commonly used before the change, except among the Marathi-speaking locals of the city. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/36 "2011-03-04T15:31:01Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > And the name of the capital of India is New Delhi. Which is not a town many miles away from the original Delhi, it’s the new part of Delhi. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128/37 "2011-03-04T15:35:49Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Which is not a town many miles away from the original Delhi, it’s the new part of Delhi. This is true. New Delhi is one of the nine districts of Delhi. It’s not a separate jurisdiction. And in casual speech, most Indians often refer just to “Delhi.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dictator-in-charge-of-libya-how-do-you-spell-his-name/573128.md?page=1)