# clickety-click

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clickety-click/277197>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clickety-click/277197 "2004-11-29T20:01:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clickety-click/277197/1 "2004-11-29T20:01:15Z")

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i was just wondering if anyone could tell me how long is a “click”? i’m refering to old war movies where distance is measured in “clicks”. one great examble is in Apocalypse Now- Martin Sheen says that he is going “15 clicks past the do-lung bridge”. Anyone? Anyone?

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**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:** [November 29, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clickety-click/277197/2 "2004-11-29T20:03:44Z")

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One click equals one kilometer.

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**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:** [November 29, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clickety-click/277197/3 "2004-11-29T20:10:21Z")

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Yes, a klick–spelt with a k–is a kilometre. I occasionally hear the expression in ordinary conversation, but I believe it’s military in origin.

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clickety-click/277197/4 "2004-11-29T22:37:13Z")

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_Clicks_, along with _kays_, is used fairly commonly by the general population in my neck of the woods. It can also refer to kilometres _per hour_: “Constable, I was only doing two or three clicks over…”.