# There's no A in definitely, there's no D in privilege... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858 "2006-05-31T11:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/121 "2006-06-02T12:24:39Z")
**Cal** , you seem to want to turn this into a freakin’ argument. I didn’t invent the term. I was only reporting what I was able to find by physical and visual inspection. The results don’t seem to jibe with the decidedly un-technical publications you read. That doesn’t mean that everybody else in the business of using this gear doesn’t do something with which you disagree. Don’t shoot the damned messenger, OK? And no, I’ve never seen “Open Mike Night”. I stay far, far away from places that have such a thing. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/122 "2006-06-02T12:30:56Z")
I’m not turni9ng it into an argument about which is right. I’m addressing the claims made by others that they never or rarely see “mike”, but always see “mic”. This is a disconnect with my own reality, in which precisely the opposite holds true. I wonder if we’re at some sort of language turning-point here, and the usage is changing, but everyone sticks to their own milieu and only sees the spelling they’re familiar with. Either that or, as I’ve often speculated, the Internet actually connects parallel universes in which things are exactly the same, except for a few tiny differences. It would explain **Great Debates**. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/123 "2006-06-02T12:32:46Z")
I agree with **Dung Beetle**. I’ve seen both, but prefer ‘mike.’ I always want to pronouce ‘mic’ as ‘mick.’ ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/124 "2006-06-02T12:35:17Z")
FWIW I see “mic” far more often than I see “mike.” The latter has always looked and felt wrong to me. Merriam-Webster disagrees (citing two entries for “mic,” neither of which have anything to do with audio hardware) but, well … it can go take a flying fuc. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/125 "2006-06-02T12:40:17Z")
Well, **Cal** , could you maybe come up with a picture of any piece of audio equipment that has the word “Mike” printed over the input socket or on the volume knob? I would conjecture that “mic” is the term used by people in the sound business, and “mike” is, for want of a better description, a civilian term, used by people who know little or nothing about the sound industry and its methods and practices. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/126 "2006-06-02T13:00:18Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Two black eyes? [/quote] Yupski. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/127 "2006-06-02T14:03:53Z")
[QUOTE=Tupug Anachi] It’s “checkout” (one word). Check-in gets the hyphen. [/QUOTE] Ah, then you run into the trouble of people writing, “I’m going to checkout now.” Verb, keep 'em separated. Noun, hyphenate or compound: “The timesheet requires the employee’s sign-offs.” “Employees need to sign off on their timesheets.” ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/128 "2006-06-02T15:45:31Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Haven’t you ever seen signs for “Open Mike Night?” I never see “Open Mic Night”. Or “Open Mic Nite” [/QUOTE] For what it’s worth, “Open Mic Night” (with the quotes) gets 850,000 results on Google. “Open Mike Night” (with the quotes) gets 256,000. So while you personally may not have seen or noticed it, it’s out there. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/129 "2006-06-02T15:47:58Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] For what it’s worth, “Open Mic Night” (with the quotes) gets 850,000 results on Google. “Open Mike Night” (with the quotes) gets 256,000. So while you personally may not have seen or noticed it, it’s out there. [/QUOTE] Also, some of those 256,000 may have been due to the Toronto-based (and rather lame) late night talk show “Open Mike with Mike Bullard.” ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/130 "2006-06-02T15:59:28Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] Well, **Cal** , could you maybe come up with a picture of any piece of audio equipment that has the word “Mike” printed over the input socket or on the volume knob? I would conjecture that “mic” is the term used by people in the sound business, and “mike” is, for want of a better description, a civilian term, used by people who know little or nothing about the sound industry and its methods and practices. [/QUOTE] I’ll agree with that. The little hole on audio equipment is tiny and ‘mic’ is shorter than ‘mike’ and it’s a shortened version of ‘microphone,’ so that works. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/131 "2006-06-02T17:14:38Z")
> [@](#): > > For what it’s worth, “Open Mic Night” (with the quotes) gets 850,000 results on Google. “Open Mike Night” (with the quotes) gets 256,000. So while you personally may not have seen or noticed it, it’s out there. It’s out there, but when I do a Yahoo search the relative probability is reversed – “Open Mike Night” gets about 5 tuimes as many hits as “Open Mic Night”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/132 "2006-06-02T17:16:56Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] IThe little hole on audio equipment is tiny and ‘mic’ is shorter than ‘mike’ and it’s a shortened version of ‘microphone,’ so that works. [/QUOTE] I guess “tiny” is a relative term. Professional microphones generally use a balanced Cannon (XLR) plug, a 3-pin connector which is about 3/4" in diameter. If a mic uses a 1/8" phone plug, it’s pretty safe to say it’s in the realm of Cheap Crap™. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/133 "2006-06-02T21:33:24Z")
You don’t have a “tounge.” NOBODY has a “tounge.” You have a “tongue.” If we get crackin’ now we could have this one licked in our lifetime. It’s “voila.” Pronounced, but NOT SPELLED “wa-LAH” A “viola” is a musical instrument. “Prolly?” WTF is “prolly?” Oh, did you mean “probably?” Too many syllables make your tiny mind hurt or what? The phrase “et cetera” which means “and so forth” is abbreviated the same way it’s spelled, as “etc.” NOT “ect.” ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/134 "2006-06-03T01:00:28Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq] It’s “voila.” Pronounced, but NOT SPELLED “wa-LAH” A “viola” is a musical instrument. [/QUOTE] Huh?! I knew some of you guys south of the border talked funny 😃😃 , but do you **really** pronounce it wa-LAH down there? It’s pronounced as it’s spelled up here (at least by anyone I’ve heard pronounce it). ---
**Author:** ![Idaho\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ba9def/32.png) [@Idaho\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idaho_Red)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/135 "2006-06-03T01:51:55Z")
I put in last week’s church bulletin a mention of our upcoming Vacation Bible School. I put that "this year’s theme will be " yada yada. I was told that meant the contraction and I needed to take out the apostrophe. Ummm, right. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/136 "2006-06-03T02:32:49Z")
[QUOTE=Canadjun] Huh?! I knew some of you guys south of the border talked funny 😃😃 , but do you **really** pronounce it wa-LAH down there? It’s pronounced as it’s spelled up here (at least by anyone I’ve heard pronounce it). [/QUOTE] Err… not where I come from, anyway. (Arizona). I pronounce it “vwah-lah”. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/137 "2006-06-03T10:05:46Z")
[QUOTE=Cranky Hermit] Using ‘callous’ in place of callus-“His hands were calloused” instead of callused. [/QUOTE] Yeah, and “mucous” instead of “mucus”. “Mucus” is what comes out your nose (no it’s not, it’s snot). “Mucous” is an adjective to describe what comes out your nose. QtM (pauses reverently) and I can get away with “myxoid”, as in “degeneration”, which makes me think it could be a new curse to post in **Lobsang’s** I-need-an-Og-substitute thread. “You vapid vessel of myxoid degeneration!” Oh well. Scuse. Early. Need more coffee. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/138 "2006-06-04T04:37:18Z")
[QUOTE=Canadjun] Huh?! I knew some of you guys south of the border talked funny 😃😃 , but do you **really** pronounce it wa-LAH down there? It’s pronounced as it’s spelled up here (at least by anyone I’ve heard pronounce it). [/QUOTE] Well, to my eye it’s spelled as though to be pronounced “VOY-la” but that just sounds iggerunt… I actually have seen message board posts reading “…so you put the cherry on top, and wallah! it’s done!” :smack: I myself, whenever I use that word, pronounce the “v” about as strongly as I pronounce the “u” in “so desu ne!” but I judge that it’s perceived as an unalloyed “w” by the nyekulturni based on missives such as that referenced above. I indulged in a spot of hyperbole there… \<—I staunchly defend my own misuse of ellipses as their usage mimicking my verbal style. It’s colloquial, dammit! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/139 "2006-06-04T04:46:03Z")
[QUOTE=DianaG] What common misspellings make you cringe? [/QUOTE] “Noone.” There’s a fucking space in it. It’s “no one,” not some kind of weird Olde English spelling of the word for midday. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/140 "2006-06-04T12:58:26Z")
Definately. Hypocracy. Lieing/dieing. I never realised how rampant poor spelling is until I got connected to the 'net. Not a spelling error as such but the study of family trees is gene **a** logy, so why do so many people pronounce it ‘gene **o** logy’? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858.md?page=8)