# "affidavit" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200 "2013-02-23T21:04:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/1 "2013-02-23T21:04:43Z")
Another weak rant: Yes, folks, it’s “affidavit,” not “affidavid,” or worse: “alpha-david:eek:.” With all the endless news from South Africa, suddenly this word appears about every few minutes. You’d think the “talking heads” (especially legal ones) would know this, since they are paid to use the English Language. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/2 "2013-02-23T21:10:03Z")
Arrr! Ye have me affa-davie! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/3 "2013-02-23T21:30:54Z")
Why can’t we have a whole davit? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/4 "2013-02-23T22:47:06Z")
Well, whadda ya know. I always thought that was spelled “affadavit”. Can’t say I’ve ever used the word. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/5 "2013-02-23T23:09:19Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > Why can’t we have a whole davit? You can take a bow. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/6 "2013-02-24T01:37:05Z")
I have noticed that lawyers here in New York tend to pronounce it “affidavid.” Not all of them, but a lot of them. Good lawyers, highly educated lawyers, and, most importantly, lawyers who use and hear this word every single working day of their lives. I never understood this. It grates on my ears. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/7 "2013-02-25T00:37:53Z")
What do affidavits have to do with South Africa? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/8 "2013-02-25T00:42:00Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > What do affidavits have to do with South Africa? I gather the word was used frequently in coverage the Piscatorius peccadillo. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/9 "2013-02-25T00:42:19Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > What do affidavits have to do with South Africa? Hint #1… > [@panache45](#): > > With all the endless news from South Africa, suddenly this word appears about every few minutes. Hint #2 … Oscar Pistorius ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affidavit/651200/10 "2013-02-25T00:58:41Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Another weak rant: > > Yes, folks, it’s “affidavit,” not “affidavid,” or worse: “alpha-david:eek:.” With all the endless news from South Africa, suddenly this word appears about every few minutes. You’d think the “talking heads” (especially legal ones) would know this, since they are paid to use the English Language. You may tell yourself “This is not my affadavid”. You may ask yourself “who the heck is David, anyway?”