'mike' or 'mic'?

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 02:30 PM

It'd never occur to me to say or write anything but "mike". I suspect this is an American generational thing - ie there was a point at which Americans started using "mic" instead, but the rest of us still use the older pronouncable version.

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: HuwG
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 02:02 PM

Me personally: "mic" when posting in haste to Mudcat or scribbling notes for roadies, DJ's or festival organisers, but "Microphone" when writing letters in longhand to my mother or anyone else who may not know this abbreviation by heart.

Similarly with other items of musical equipment: "amp" / "amplifier", "DI" / "Direct Input lead"

Some terms still cause confusion, even in semi-longhand; tell some festival organisers I know that you need to check the "foldbacks" and they will look for a deckchair, call them "monitors" and they will think you are referring to CCTV, or some weird flatscreen display. Tell them, "the speakers which face the performers", and they will scratch their heads and look at you with an expression which suggests that they are wondering whether you or they have gone mad.

Any field of human activity will develop its own jargon, designed to speed up work within the field by avoiding verbosity, while at the same time excluding dilletante outsiders. I can't see "mic" absolutely baffling any poster to Mudcat, so it can hardly be objectionable within this community.

Yes, I have far too much time on my hands.

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:21 PM

The Senheisser 421s that I've used for many years, coughed up a rather bizarre secret a few months ago. I saw an old photo of Herr Goebbels doing one of his Nazi propoganda speeches from the mid 1930s and suddenly realized...."Hey he's using a '421'"!

Surely this mic., great though it is, can't have been around in the same form for THAT long! Anybody know?

I was first turned on to it by a techie telling me that the 421 was a GREAT drummer's mic. but that Elton John loved to sing through them.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: C-flat
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:09 PM

I usually use mic. as it is just an abbreviation of microphone but I always use bike rather than bic. for bicycle, so I'm just as confused as you.
I've also got far too much time on my hands when I find myself answering these questions! :~)
C-flat.

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: GUEST,Mad4Mud at work
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:08 PM

...or maybe name him Mikechael instead of Michael?

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: bradfordian
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:06 PM

perhaps we should just call it a mikerofone or should that be mickrofone?

Subject: RE: BS: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:55 PM

Heh...

6 of one, half dozen of the other in my book...

But mostly I guess I use mic...

,-)

Subject: 'mike' or 'mic'?
From: Leeder
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:54 PM

I see both spellings for the abbreviation for "microphone". To me, "mic" would be pronounced "mick" -- the proper spelling would be "mike", by the normal rules of the English language.

I know -- I have *way* too much time on my hands. But I was an editor for 23 years, and I can't help it -- spelling is my life...