# How do you spell it?



## chausman (Aug 22, 2011)

If you are going to mic someone/thing how do you spell it? Micing or Miking? And, the device it self? Mic or Mike? Why would it be Mike?


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## cpf (Aug 22, 2011)

I prefer Mic- for everything since it's "MICrophone" and is unambiguous. Either way, I've never seen this cause confusion.


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## themuzicman (Aug 22, 2011)

I will mic the artist.
I am micing up the artist.
The artist was miced.

Getting all the tenses in there.


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## sdauditorium (Aug 23, 2011)

I always spell it mic. Usually though, it's just as a note to myself or another tech in which case we both know what's being referred to. Thinking about it, I've never said "We're going to be micing" him/her/them. It's always in the form of, "We'll probably have to mic them."

It's irrelevant IMHO, because once again, the only time I find myself using those words is with another tech or person-in-the-know who understands what is being said, regardless of exact or proper spelling.


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## MarshallPope (Aug 23, 2011)

Did something change about the poll? Because when I voted twice, I thought the second one was a different conjugation of mic/miced/micing, not with an apostrophe. Oh well. I always use the mic* variations. Mike* just annoys me, and extra apostrophes are a pet peeve of mine. It wouldn't be a contraction, because would you say "We're going to microphone him" or "We will be microphoning the cast today"?


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## chausman (Aug 23, 2011)

MarshallPope said:


> Did something change about the poll? Because when I voted twice, I thought the second one was a different conjugation of mic/miced/micing, not with an apostrophe. Oh well. I always use the mic* variations. Mike* just annoys me, and extra apostrophes are a pet peeve of mine. It wouldn't be a contraction, because would you say "We're going to microphone him" or "We will be microphoning the cast today"?


 
Yes it did. What I was asking, and not for any other reason then discussion, I was asking about miking (like the thread "miking a flute") vs micing. Ie. The spelling you use. 


---
- Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## sdauditorium (Aug 23, 2011)

Wouldn't micing be pronounced "mic-sing"?


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## chausman (Aug 23, 2011)

sdauditorium said:


> Wouldn't micing be pronounced "mic-sing"?


 
But if you were "miking a flute", you aren't talking about a person named Mike. Unless the musician was named Mike, but we don't need to get into that. 


---
- Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## derekleffew (Aug 23, 2011)

MarshallPope said:


> Did something change about the poll? ...


Sorry about that. I added some options not included in the original, but can't change it to non-multiple choice.


MarshallPope said:


> It wouldn't be a contraction, because would you say "We're going to microphone him" or "We will be microphoning the cast today"?


As a matter of fact, that's exactly what you are saying. You are using the shortened form of a noun as a verb.

Not quite the same thing, since _specify_ is an actual verb form of _specification_, but which of the below is more better?
I _spec'd_ the sound system.
I _speced_ the sound system.
I _specced_ the sound system.
I _specked_ the sound system. 
I _speked_ the sound system.


chausman said:


> ...I was asking about miking (like the thread "miking a flute") vs micing. Ie. The spelling you use.


I wondered if that thread was the impetus behind your poll. Funny, in that the OP had written "miccing a flute," which I changed to "miking," but then wondered if "mic'ing" or "mic-ing" wouldn't be more properer. To me, "miced" and "micing" appear to have something to do with more than one mouses.


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## sdauditorium (Aug 23, 2011)

chausman said:


> But if you were "miking a flute", you aren't talking about a person named Mike. Unless the musician was named Mike, but we don't need to get into that.
> 
> 
> ---
> - Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


 
Just call him Michael to avoid any confusion.


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## MarshallPope (Aug 23, 2011)

I'm guessing that I would argue that somehow, in general speech, "mic" has developed additional meanings not supported by its root. I realize that in a strictly literal sense you are saying that you are "microphoning" someone, but for some reason that conjugation doesn't exist with the non-abbreviated word.

That probably makes no sense to anyone other than myself, but it has been a long day and I just got home from working a show.


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## museav (Aug 23, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Not quite the same thing, since _specify_ is an actual verb form of _specification_, but which of the below is more better?
> I _spec'd_ the sound system.
> I _speced_ the sound system.
> I _specced_ the sound system.
> ...


None of those are "more better" or even acceptable, in writing it is "I specified the sound system."

The same applies to microphone and variations thereof. This very topic came up in a pro sound forum and the general view seemed to be that while "mic" has come to be a somewhat widely accepted contraction of microphone, other related terms like "micing" or "miking" are colloquialisms and industry jargon. Basically, they are made up words with no defined or formally accepted application or spelling, so you can't be right or wrong with how you apply or spell them. And when addressing people outside the industry, you placed a microphone on someone or you are putting a microphone on someone or you are addressing microphone technique and application.


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## derekleffew (Aug 23, 2011)

So mic is okay as a noun, but can never be used as a verb? 

I'm sure before fire was discovered, _light_ was only a noun (and maybe an adjective). Then someone started using it synonymously with ignite, and now we light candles, we light shows, 
and soundlight lightly lights light shows that show lights. 
Language evolves, and if _mic_ is not accepted as a verb by now, it's high time. I guess we'll have to work out the spelling of the tenses later.


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## Grog12 (Aug 23, 2011)

themuzicman said:


> I will mic the artist.
> I am micing up the artist.
> The artist was miced.
> 
> Getting all the tenses in there.


 
You missed one.

The artisit is Mike. I can only Mike someone if I'm naming them. I can mic Mike or name a mic Mike. Now I have a headache.


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## shiben (Aug 23, 2011)

Grog12 said:


> You missed one.
> 
> The artisit is Mike. I can only Mike someone if I'm naming them. I can mic Mike or name a mic Mike. Now I have a headache.


 
Would Mikeing someone not be tossing a dude named mike at them?


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## shiben (Aug 23, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Sorry about that. I added some options not included in the original, but can't change it to non-multiple choice.
> 
> As a matter of fact, that's exactly what you are saying. You are using the shortened form of a noun as a verb.
> 
> ...


 

museav said:


> None of those are "more better" or even acceptable, in writing it is "I specified the sound system."
> 
> The same applies to microphone and variations thereof. This very topic came up in a pro sound forum and the general view seemed to be that while "mic" has come to be a somewhat widely accepted contraction of microphone, other related terms like "micing" or "miking" are colloquialisms and industry jargon. Basically, they are made up words with no defined or formally accepted application or spelling, so you can't be right or wrong with how you apply or spell them. And when addressing people outside the industry, you placed a microphone on someone or you are putting a microphone on someone or you are addressing microphone technique and application.


 
However, spec'd is probably the "most English" variant of it.


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## Grog12 (Aug 23, 2011)

shiben said:


> Would Mikeing someone not be tossing a dude named mike at them?


 
Physically impossible...that's *Chuck*ing.


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## Lambda (Aug 23, 2011)

I don't use "mike" to abbreviate microphone, after all, it's not spelled "mikerophone". (We did used to have a sound guy named Mike...)
I've never really thought about how to spell it as a verb, because it's not often that I have to. But I suppose I'd do it like this:

"I need to change the batteries in this mic"
"I've mic'd all the actors"
"I'm going to be micing the orchestra this production"

But I guess it's different from venue to venue.


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## derekleffew (Aug 23, 2011)

Grog12 said:


> Physically impossible...that's *Chuck*ing.


Chucking is putting a bit into a drill or router. Raising the bit would be upchucking.


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## erosing (Aug 23, 2011)

I just came here to say you are all a bunch of nuts.


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## chausman (Aug 23, 2011)

Arez said:


> I just came here to say you are all a bunch of nuts.


 
Salted or Honey roasted?


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## 3dB (Aug 23, 2011)

According to most dictionaries: "mic" or "mike" are interchangeable as abbreviated noun forms. The "mike" verb form seems to be the dictionary preference - but as alluded to in earlier posts: "micing" (the pelting of someone or something with rodents) is really no better than "miking" (the pelting of someone or something with guys named Mike). It's really every man for himself. Enjoy exercising your individuality in the way you see fit. 

Regards,
Mark


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## museav (Aug 23, 2011)

chausman said:


> Salted or Honey roasted?


Probably more like mixed nuts.


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## Grog12 (Aug 23, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Chucking is putting a bit into a drill or router.


 
Tell that to Chuck.


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## headcrab (Aug 23, 2011)

museav said:


> Probably more like mixed nuts.



And some of the nuts have a crack down the middle.


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## derekleffew (Aug 23, 2011)

Who here is old enough to have used a mic mouse ?


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## erosing (Aug 23, 2011)

chausman said:


> Salted or Honey roasted?


 
I like the look of stainless best.


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## tjrobb (Aug 23, 2011)

Arez said:


> I like the look of stainless best.


 
And left hand thread...


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## erosing (Aug 23, 2011)

tjrobb said:


> And left hand thread...



Oh, that's a story for a different day.


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## Chris15 (Aug 23, 2011)

I'd argue that mik could be an acceptable abbreviation of mikrofon, the German translation


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## museav (Aug 24, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> So mic is okay as a noun, but can never be used as a verb?
> 
> I'm sure before fire was discovered, _light_ was only a noun (and maybe an adjective). Then someone started using it synonymously with ignite, and now we light candles, we light shows,
> and soundlight lights light shows that show lights.
> Language evolves, and if _mic_ is not accepted as a verb by now, it's high time. I guess we'll have to work out the spelling of the tenses later.


Just because some nouns have been turned into verbs does not mean that it is always an accepted practice. You can have a saxophone or ukulele and can pick up your sax or uke but you don't then saxophone, sax, ukulele or uke, you play them or perform on them. I have an automobile and everyone knows what an auto is but I don't automobile or auto to get somewhere, I drive. It's not as though there is no existing and accepted language to describe the act of using or placing a microphone that thus requires a new verb.

However, what I find really interesting in this entire debate that both "mic" and "mike" are colloquial abbreviations for "microphone" and I have never seen or heard "microphone" used as a verb in any tense. It isn't just a matter of turning a noun into a verb, if we were addressing microphone, microphoned and microphoning then there would probably be little debate about the spelling or whether those are commonly accepted. Isn't it a bit ironic that we're arguing over whether it is miced, miked or mic'd when we would probably laugh at and correct someone who said they "microphoned" someone?


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## derekleffew (Aug 24, 2011)

museav said:


> ...I have an automobile and everyone knows what an auto is but I don't automobile or auto to get somewhere, I drive. ...


True, but in my day, kids were bused from one school district to another. Since my car's in the shop, I'm busing it today.


museav said:


> ...Isn't it a bit ironic that we're arguing over whether it is miced, miked or mic'd when we would probably laugh at and correct someone who said they "microphoned" someone?


I'll telephone you later to discuss it, after I've telephoned Dave. Right now, I'm telephoning footer.


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## 3dB (Aug 24, 2011)

Brad is absolutely right. One would never "automobile" from town to town - that would be silly. "Motoring" makes oh so much more sense...


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## MarshallPope (Aug 24, 2011)

3dB said:


> Brad is absolutely right. One would never "automobile" from town to town - that would be silly. "Motoring" makes oh so much more sense...


 
As does taxiing, depending on your circumstance.


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## museav (Aug 24, 2011)

3dB said:


> Brad is absolutely right. One would never "automobile" from town to town - that would be silly. "Motoring" makes oh so much more sense...


Although being chauffeured is sometimes also rather nice.


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## Nelson (Aug 24, 2011)

I use mic or mike interchangeably. If I am miking someone, I might say they are miked. Otherwise, they could be on the mic. I used to work for someone named Mike, so I started using mic to avoid confusion. On the other hand, confusion can be fun. Mic checks were easy, I just asked Mike how he was feeling! 

I also have someone who likes to spell it miche. I've never spelled it that way.


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## josh88 (Aug 24, 2011)

as a point of comparison, the J. Michael Gillette Theatrical Design and Production book (here) refers to it as miking.


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## Tex (Aug 24, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Who here is old enough to have used a mic mouse ?


I've seen a Mickey Mouse...


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## museav (Aug 25, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Who here is old enough to have used a mic mouse ?


Is it good or bad that I knew exactly what you were referencing?


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## derekleffew (Aug 25, 2011)

museav said:


> Is it good or bad that I knew exactly what you were referencing?


 Depends on whether you're Team mouse or Team trap.


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## chausman (Aug 25, 2011)

Well, at some point I'll answer, I have always used mic, miced, or micing (which, Lion _refuses_ to stop correcting). I used mic mostly because I couldn't spell very well several years ago when I was first interested in tech, and M-I-C-R-O-P-H-O-N-E was a long, complicated word. Not so much any more, but it stuck.

I don't know about Derek, but I have the Magic Mouse.


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## derekleffew (Aug 25, 2011)

chausman said:


> ...I don't know about Derek, but I have the Magic Mouse.


Derek avoids using a mouse whenever possible.


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## chausman (Aug 25, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Derek avoids using a mouse whenever possible.


 
Derek does have a Marble Mouse, which is supposedly _almost_ as nice. Although, they seem to get better when you take it out of the packaging.

How did we get to talking about mice(?) anyway? I thought mods were suppose to stop that?


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## 3dB (Aug 25, 2011)

???


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## chausman (Aug 25, 2011)

3dB said:


> ???


 
Or maybe...


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## Chris15 (Aug 30, 2011)

MarshallPope said:


> As does taxiing, depending on your circumstance.


 
Taxiing is my second most hated part of air travel, right after sitting on the tarmac waiting...
Depending on which runway you're on in Sydney you can have a 15 minute taxi to / from your gate


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## rwhealey (Aug 30, 2011)

Here's a good run down on the situation:

How Should

The AP style guide tried to standardize the spelling as "Mike," but the broadcast division made them change it back to "Mic"...


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