Talk:mike

RFV discussion

This entry has survived Wiktionary's verification process.

Please do not re-nominate for verification without comprehensive reasons for doing so.

---

Can you mike someone? I was pretty sure this is only mic/miked/miking (decidedly irregular, but not workable as a regular construction.) Also, the noun seems implausible...it is spelled mic to avoid confusion with the male given name Mike. --Connel MacKenzie 16:44, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

I've seen it used that way. I'll look for citations, but I think the fact that someone can be miked suggests that you can mike someone more than that you can mic someone. Cheers! bd2412 T 17:00, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

Um, right, that is the back-formation (from the abbreviation of microphone) that I'm questioning. --Connel MacKenzie 16:36, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

By my understanding, the original noun spelling was mike (as in e.g. "open mike night"); but switchboards used the abbreviation "MIC", which eventually spread into the populace at large (resulting in e.g. "open mic night"). I've certainly seen both, and use mike myself. —Ruakh_TALK 17:52, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

That's weird - "mike" is not the abbreviation for "microphone." --Connel MacKenzie 16:33, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

You seem to have accidentally omitted the word "only" from your comment; "mike" is not the only abbreviation for "microphone." ;-) —Ruakh_TALK 06:39, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Now cited. —Ruakh_TALK 18:36, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

Um, thanks. --Connel MacKenzie 16:36, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

In telly we normally use the form mike up. Widsith 16:53, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

RFV passed. —Ruakh_TALK 16:46, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

Mic is non-grammatically standard with its long "i" lacking the normal "ike" construction (it reads "mick" to the uninitiated). Also precedent suggests "mike" as by far the more common type of construction in this case (both for the male name "Michael" as well as similar abbreviations (Nuke, coke, cuke, bike.) with no corresponding example for a "mic" like construction. And "mic" does not conjugate well (mic'ing, miccing). Also "mike" goes back to 1927 whereas "mic" is first seen in 1961 and until recently (10-20 years) was the rarer form. (Mike is still preferred in most style books.) So, yes, "mike" is a very acceptible abbreviation and you can most definitely "mike" someone.