# So it really was a small step for a man **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961 "2006-10-02T13:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/1 "2006-10-02T13:41:33Z")
According to [this](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5398560.stm) BBC report, an Australian computer programmer has cleared up Armstrong’s transmission from the moon landings to show he didn’t fluff his lines after all. > [@](#): > > Ford said that Mr Armstrong completed the whole phrase “one small step for a man” too quickly to pick up every syllable he said. > > But the audio analysis was able to find the signature of the missing word, he said. A bit nit picky, but we can now rest assured. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/2 "2006-10-02T15:40:25Z")
Unca **Cecil** wrote upon this. [Heed the words of the Master!](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_362.html) This Thread should therefore be moved to Comments. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/3 "2006-10-02T16:24:42Z")
I must say I have always heard it as “for a man”. The “a” is not enunciated, but if you’re talking naturally, it’s not. “for a man” -\> “f’r’a man” -\> “fuh man”. No big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/4 "2006-10-02T16:29:33Z")
I always believed Armstrong. He’s maintained all along that’s what he said. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/5 "2006-10-02T16:48:07Z")
I never got why there was such a big deal about this. It’s not like we didn’t know exactly what he meant. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/6 "2006-10-02T17:22:59Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I must say I have always heard it as “for a man”. The “a” is not enunciated, but if you’re talking naturally, it’s not. “for a man” -\> “f’r’a man” -\> “fuh man”. No big deal. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard it probably dozens of times since 1969, in that crackly, static-filled recording, and that’s what I always thought, too. And Armstrong is THE man. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/7 "2006-10-02T18:03:16Z")
It’s no big deal, but I still very much doubt he said it. “Man” follows “for” in the recording with not even a tiny bit of a pause in between; it’s like he’s saying one word. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/8 "2006-10-02T18:40:52Z")
I agree with **Priceguy**. It’s not a big deal – we all _know_ what he wanted to say and meant to say, but I never heard the “a” in there, and I never bought that it was covered up by static. And when you’re eninciating historical words, you just don’t slide over that all-important “a”. Does anyone recall that radio station WABC, in the months leading up to the landing, held a contest to have people come up with what Armstrong _ought_ to say as the first words on the moon? I recall the contest, but not what, if anything, won. I’ll bet it wasn’t “That’s a small step for a man, a giant leap for Mankind”, though. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/9 "2006-10-03T04:11:50Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Does anyone recall that radio station WABC, in the months leading up to the landing, held a contest to have people come up with what Armstrong _ought_ to say as the first words on the moon? I recall the contest, but not what, if anything, won. I’ll bet it wasn’t “That’s a small step for a man, a giant leap for Mankind”, though. [/QUOTE] Prolly something like, “Holy fucking shit I’m fucking walking on the fucking moon!” Or something. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/10 "2006-10-03T04:31:46Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] According to [this](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5398560.stm) BBC report, an Australian computer programmer has cleared up Armstrong’s transmission from the moon landings to show he didn’t fluff his lines after all. A bit nit picky, but we can now rest assured. [/QUOTE] Never mind that- did they pick up anything about Mister Gorski??? ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-it-really-was-a-small-step-for-a-man/374961/11 "2006-10-03T04:54:09Z")
jezeebus friging H christ… we cannot NOW even send a man to the moon w/o a 10 year delay…WTF…Ye, he said “One small step for a man, One giant leap for mankind” but what the FARK possible diffence did it make…we still are killing and fighting over trivial things like OG… In retrospect maybe he sould have said " One small step for a man, one GIANT leap BACKWARDS for mankind"…just sayin’ sorry for the rant…my golly talk about semantics… tsfr