# Re: "Did astronaut Neil Armstrong muff his historic "one small step" line?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 2, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245 "2003-02-02T04:56:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@Jiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jiminy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/1 "2003-02-02T04:56:05Z")
In regards to Mr. C.'s answer to the [“one small step for (a) man”](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_362.html) question, the famous Armstrong line was actually supposed to be a haiku except Neil just didn’t say the last line for some unknown reason. Oh, and, by the way, this is my first post ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/2 "2003-02-02T05:50:08Z")
**Jiminy**. You get an A+ for giving a link to Cecil’s column. That puts you in the top 20% of first-time posters. Now, if you expect to keep up your record, you need to post a cite for your assertion. Something we can _sink our teeth into, and feast on your blood…_. Er, what we need is where you got your info. Again, welcome. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/3 "2003-02-02T06:45:52Z")
I’m having a hard time imagining what the missing last line was supposed to be. Could it be something like… That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind; now Buzz off. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/4 "2003-02-02T08:36:09Z")
How about One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind, Screw the damn Ruskies! ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/5 "2003-02-02T19:02:11Z")
Perhaps it’s: One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind Luck, Mister Gorsky! [Yes?](http://www.snopes.com/quotes/mrgorsky.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/6 "2003-02-03T23:34:23Z")
Except that it still wouldn’t have been a haiku, even if he had put in extra syllables. A haiku, contrary to popular belief, does _not_ need to have any specific number of syllables, but it _does_ need to be about a natural subject. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/7 "2003-02-03T23:40:36Z")
One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind, One burger with fries, please. … it’s all about “one”. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/8 "2003-02-04T00:13:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*Except that it still wouldn’t have been a haiku, even if he had put in extra syllables. A haiku, contrary to popular belief, does _not_ need to have any specific number of syllables, but it _does_ need to be about a natural subject. \*\* Um, cite please? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/9 "2003-02-04T03:46:54Z")
He’s wrong about the syllables. A _haiku_ not only must have 17 syllables, it must scan 5/7/5. (Virtually all English _“haiku”_ fail utterly to scan; the rhythms of the English language fight all syllabically scanned verse.) In syllabic verse, Flat, staccato sound is best – English is not so. He is right about the subject matter; a proper _haiku_ should, at the least, have a word that signals one of the seasons. However, that rule was only added in 1892, when the word _haiku_ was invented. Before that, a 5/7/5 poem was known as a _hokku_ and could have any subject. The new word was invented because, strictly speaking, a _hokku_ was supposed to be only the starting point of a longer poem, but many poets had been writing them alone. Confused? See [HAIKU for PEOPLE](http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/) Anyway, since neither _haiku_ nor _hokku_ is a correct name for a standalone 5/7/5 poem that does not concern itself with Nature, but there are plenty of classical Japanese poems that fit that description, both names are used, even though they’re technically incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/10 "2003-02-04T03:59:58Z")
Thanks for the info, **John**. It didn’t sound right, but frankly I hadn’t thought about _haiku_ for ages. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-did-astronaut-neil-armstrong-muff-his-historic-one-small-step-line/152245/11 "2003-02-05T02:34:09Z")
One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind, This moon becomes us. Thought I’d give it a go. Nice link, John W.