# What Greek letters do we use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776 "2020-08-22T21:02:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Apollon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@Apollon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/41 "2020-08-25T02:51:09Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > How come? I was always baffled by it myself, but I was never curious enough to google it. As far as I can tell, it’s not much in use any more. I remember it was fairly common in the 80s, though. Wikipedia says: _In 1970, graphic designer [Tom Doerr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Doerr) selected the lower-case Greek letter [lambda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda#Lower-case_letter_%CE%BB) to be the symbol of the New York chapter of the [Gay Activists Alliance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Activists_Alliance). The alliance’s literature states that Doerr chose the symbol specifically for its denotative meaning in the context of chemistry and [physics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_transition): “a complete exchange of energy–that moment or span of time witness to absolute activity”_ _The lambda became associated with [Gay Liberation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Liberation), and in December 1974, it was officially declared the international symbol for gay and lesbian rights by the [International Gay Rights Congress](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Gay_Rights_Congress&action=edit&redlink=1) in Edinburgh, Scotland. The gay rights organization [Lambda Legal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_Legal) and the American [Lambda Literary Foundation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_Literary_Foundation) derive their names from this symbol._ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/42 "2020-08-25T03:03:14Z")
> [@Apollon](#): > > I remember it was fairly common in the 80s, though. When I lived in Washington DC in the late 80s the [Lambda Rising Bookstore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_Rising) was in Dupont Circle. They closed in 2010 because LGBT books were now carried in regular bookstores. ---
**Author:** ![Apollon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@Apollon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/43 "2020-08-26T05:29:10Z")
Muons (elemental particles) are named after the letter μ. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/44 "2020-08-26T05:55:59Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > But remember, pie are not square, pie are round. I am confused. Surely pie are squared only if the pie is round? ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/45 "2020-08-27T16:25:47Z")
> [@Apollon](#): > > Muons (elemental particles) are named after the letter μ. A funny story about the letter μ. It is also used in the abbreviation for microgram (μg). One time we had to explain to a young lady from the marketing department upstairs that it was the greek letter mu and not the latin letter u. From then on, she referred to micrograms as muligrams. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/46 "2020-08-27T16:30:16Z")
I can’t recall seeing the Greek letter “Eta” being used. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/47 "2020-08-27T16:31:24Z")
I’ve seen it used on the board at the airport that lists incoming and departing flights. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/48 "2020-08-27T16:39:22Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Six Sigma certainly entered our language as more than just notation. It is a reference to six standard deviations. Was coming in to say that – it may have derived from a statistical notation but it reached common usage at least in the business community as the name of a process-improvement toolset. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/49 "2020-08-27T16:40:46Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > I still see iota in crossword puzzles, usually related to the phrase “every iota and jot”. I am familiar with the phrase “every _tittle_ and jot,” referring to the crossbars on _t_s and the dots on _i_s, but I’ve never heard “every iota and jot.” ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/50 "2020-08-27T16:57:40Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Six Sigma Statistical process control is a valid and useful technique and everyone in manufacturing should at least know about it, It works very well. But I cannot look at the words “Six Sigma” without being outraged by the ridiculous marketing bu\*\*\*\*\*t it has been turned into. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/51 "2020-08-27T17:34:39Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I can’t recall seeing the Greek letter “Eta” being used. It comes up a lot in joke names of fraternities and sororities.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/52 "2020-08-27T18:53:04Z")
I’ve not seen xi or Xi used much, especially the latter. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776/53 "2020-08-27T23:24:12Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I’ve not seen xi or Xi used much, especially the latter Xi Jinping does count? 😁 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-letters-do-we-use/918776.md?page=2)