“I’ll take, um, Quotable Pols for 400,” said Kaitlyn. She was the contestant to my right and she had a two-game streak going.

The next ten seconds:

The answer flashed onto the screen against a background of blue. ‘Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac’, discerned this Secretary of State under Nixon.

In his velvety paternal voice, Alex Trebek began to read the answer aloud. “Power—”

I felt a pang of recognition as I finished scanning the answer. I didn’t know the quote, but I was pretty sure I knew Nixon’s Secretary of State.

“—is the ultimate aphrodisiac—”

Henry Kissinger, right? Did Nixon have any other Secretaries of State? I could tell out of the corners of my eyes that Kaitlyn and Parth both knew this one. Their hands were already hovering over their buzzers, which meant this had to be a no-brainer. So Henry Kissinger it was. I readied my own hand.

“—discerned this Secretary—”

But wait! I just came to a disheartening realisation: I didn’t know how to pronounce Kissinger. Was it kiss-singer, like, rhymes with ringer, or was it kissin-jer, like messenger? Oh no, it would be so embarrassing if I buzz in and pronounce it wrong in front of a national audience. Ten million people would watch me fumble this preëminent politician’s name.

“—of State—”

Think, Shannon, think! Kissinger was Jewish, born in Germany. His family fled the Nazis. How would you say Kissinger in German? Kissing-ah? Surely there wouldn’t be the English “dj” sound in a German name. But I thought I once heard someone say Kissinger with the “dj” sound, like messenger. Maybe you say it differently in English than in German? Was I imagining this?

“—under Nixon.”

You have no time! Do something! Panic!

Buzz!

“Who is Henry Kissinger?” said Kaitlyn, who had buzzed in. Kissin-jer.

“That is correct,” noted Alex Trebek.