# Asterisks

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 8, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052 "2009-06-08T00:06:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/41 "2009-06-09T15:32:46Z")

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The poem doesn’t make _sense_ if you mispronounce the word. The pun is obviously “\*” to mean “ass to risk”. “Rick” isn’t a verb.

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**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:** [June 9, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/42 "2009-06-09T16:48:25Z")

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I know. That’s why I was confused.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/43 "2009-06-09T16:51:24Z")

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[QUOTE=Shagnasty]  
It is “Asterick” for me too and I work in IT so the word comes up pretty often.  
[/QUOTE]

Odd. Around here, we all pronounce it as “star”

But otherwise, there’s an ass to risk.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/44 "2009-06-09T21:47:43Z")

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> [@DesertDog](#):
>
> I dunno how to pronounce it. I’ll go aks my mother.

Is she busy making the pasketti? 😉

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