# Just the F.A.Q.'s, ma'am (pronunciation) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 21, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339 "2006-10-21T14:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/21 "2006-10-21T18:59:14Z")
[QUOTE=KayElCee] I don’t think I’ve ever had the need to speak of them, but in my mind’s ear, I always hear “eff-ay-queues,” so that is what I would say. [/QUOTE] Consider the source. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/22 "2006-10-21T19:01:14Z")
[QUOTE=gallows fodder] I say fack but have heard eff ay queue (and when I heard it I thought, WTF?). [/QUOTE] Interesting. I pretty much never think Double Yu Tee Eff. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/23 "2006-10-21T19:07:00Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] Interesting. I pretty much never think Double Yu Tee Eff. [/QUOTE] Well, I think “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”, but then a bunch of cliche nazis in my head start shouting it down and I have to stop… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/24 "2006-10-21T19:12:15Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Well, I think “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”, but then a bunch of cliche nazis in my head start shouting it down and I have to stop… [/QUOTE] Me too. Now I’ve got the wife doing it as well. I think it started the first time she heard me mutter “Foxtrot Mike Delta” in response to something or other. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/25 "2006-10-21T20:09:05Z")
I’ve been thinking about it, and it seems that it doesn’t really come up in conversation very much, which is a little strange considering how ubiquitous the things are on the net. But when I do say it or hear it, it seems like it’s usually fack, not spelled out. An exception is when you’re talking to net newbies. Then you have to both spell it out and explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/26 "2006-10-21T21:09:05Z")
> [@](#): > > “Facks” is perfect if you are old enough. Fine, but you’ll need to give me your fax number. (The above hadn’t even ocurred to me when I wrote the OP, but when I tested the phrase on a friend about 30 minutes ago, he looked around my house and asked “you have a fax machine?”) ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/27 "2006-10-21T21:42:05Z")
I say F.A.Q. if it needs to be spelled out (i.e. somebody not particularly web savvy, or where it might be confused with FACT, FACTS or FAX.) Otherwise FACK. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/28 "2006-10-21T22:06:12Z")
Er, I’ve never heard anyone say “quanda” either - but why wouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/29 "2006-10-21T22:17:46Z")
USA midwest Fak or Fack if you prefer, QNA like DNA (never heard quanda), and What the FucK! ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/30 "2006-10-21T22:25:43Z")
When people spell out Eff Ay Queue it sounds to me like they’re new to this interweb thing. Unfair, probably, but that’s how I perceive it. I’ve always heard it as “fack” in my head, but the subject has yet to come up in conversation. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/31 "2006-10-21T22:32:50Z")
“Fack” and “Q ‘n’ A.” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/32 "2006-10-21T23:49:37Z")
Fack for me, too. Currently Ohio but I get it from the East Coast. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/33 "2006-10-22T03:36:13Z")
Fack man here. I’ve heard F A Q but it sounds funny to me. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/34 "2006-10-22T03:49:28Z")
Ef Ay Cue sounds quaint to me. It’s always “Fak” in my head, or so the voices tell me. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/35 "2006-10-22T04:03:27Z")
Definitely pronounced “fack” among all the people I know. (Midwest) Like **Usram** , I would probably assume that someone who pronounced it as “Eff Ay Queue” was a bit of a newb. (Or, alternatively, they might think that _I’m_ the newb, and are therefore trying not to confuse me.) I’ve heard it pronounced “Fah-queue” a few times as a deliberately humorous mis-pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/36 "2006-10-22T05:05:58Z")
Another vote for “facks” from the midwest. I was struggling with “quanda” until post 31 (thanks **jsgoddess** )! ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/37 "2006-10-22T07:12:51Z")
In my head, I have always pronounced it fack. The few times I have used the term in conversation, I have said fack (quicker than ef ay que) to people who I know would know what it means or just went ahead and said frequently asked questions if I thought the person wouldn’t know what I was talking about. Saying ef ay que sounds strange to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/38 "2006-10-22T08:42:42Z")
Fack and “q n a”. I’ve heard people use f - a - q or frequently asked questions, and it was usually a rookie to the keyboard. In business context, I’d say about 99% of the time it’s FAQ. I work for a global company that puts out an awful lot of fack regarding products. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/39 "2006-10-22T09:07:06Z")
FAQ = “Fack.” Q&A = “Q-and-A.” WTF = “What The Fuck?” But this is all mostly in my head as I don’t get to speak English very much on an informal level (not in an English-speaking country) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339/40 "2006-10-22T11:43:36Z")
While we’re at it, somebody came up with a great French translation for FAQ: _foire aux questions_, “question forum” or “question fair,” if you like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-the-f-a-q-s-maam-pronunciation/377339.md?page=3)