[FAR-West] It's mike, darn it

[Chuck McCabe]

Hilarious... angels still dance on pinheads, no?
On May 12, 2008, at 7:48 PM, Wil Schwall wrote:

> on 5/12/08 2:35 PM, David Gans at david at trufun.com wrote:
>
>> All the audio professionals and publications I know of use "mic"
>> (pronounced "mike") for microphone.
>
>
> Okay, i had no idea i was actually provoking a "serious" discussion  
> here.
> Given that EVERYONE IS FREE TO SPELL IT AS S/HE PLEASES. I will  
> offer my
> retort.
>
> "Mic" looks like it rhymes with "flick," or "bic," unless you're  
> Francophone
> and rhyme it with "chic." Spelling should make reading easier, not  
> harder.
> We spell "bike" and "prez" and lots of other derivatives differently  
> from
> their roots for this reason. "Cuke," for cucumber, "Coke," for Coca- 
> Cola,
> "nuke" for nuclear.
> Yeah, I read all those magazines too, with mild annoyance. The 'mic'
> spelling is old enough to vote, having been used first in 1961, but  
> the
> 'mike' spelling has been in use since 1927 and thus has a claim to the
> common usage case. I don't know why it was changed. I think magazine  
> editors
> and publishers like to screw around with spelling so they can think  
> they are
> trend setters and we all put up with it like taking off our belts  
> and shoes
> in airports.
> Also it's messy: do we also "mic the amps?" Icky. How would you say  
> you did
> it yesterday -- "I miced the amp"?
> I'll continue with the traditional spelling and you are free to  
> spell it
> like illiterate journalists if it pleases you.
>
> Enough of this.
>
> peace,
> chico
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