Talk:Klick (unit of length)

POV
The term is currently also used by civilians, particularly in Canada where road signs and car speedometers use kilometers. suggests that only canada uses the metric system on the road. I'm I just imagining this or i this a bit pov? Bawolff 03:24, 19 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Yes, the sentence is a little pov in suggesting that only Canada uses the metric system. However, it should be noted in the article that civilians use this slang as well so some of that statement should go in (at least it is used in Canada, where I've both used it and heard it).  The OED also claims it is used as slang in Australia, as well as cites the origin to US Military slang for what it's worth.  Mtruch 19:32, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

The term must have been coined because the US Army needed to use metric measurements but no self-respecting American could get himself to actually utter the word "metre" out loud. J I P | Talk 15:03, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

According to your user info, you're a Finn. So tell me, how would you know what a "self-respecting American" would want to do? Also, the word is meter, not "metre". -Fartnog Buttstinkle —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.184.200.31 (talk) 19:16, 16 June 2009 (UTC)
 * You missed the part where he mentions on his User Page that he visited America:
 * Once, with my family, when I was a child. This is the only time I've been outside Europe.
 * Oh, and metre is correct too, it’s the spelling in British, French, etc. Synetech (talk) 03:40, 3 September 2010 (UTC)

A soldier will do or say whatever he is ordered to do or say. Self respect and nationality have nothing to do with it. "Klick" is easier to say than "kilometer." That is virtually always the case with slang words. The ideal slang word is a single sylable that leaves your mouth hanging open after you've uttered it. 71.199.121.113 (talk) 20:29, 14 October 2010 (UTC)

Klick (Click)
The term itself may have come from how one checks and adjusts the sights on a rifle. In process, the marksman makes a few trial shots, then decides how much to adjust the sights. Adjustable sights and optical sights have adjustments for up or down, and left or right. These adjustments have a sound or a feel. When making the adjustment one hears a click, or feels a click. I speculate this is also the case for artillery and mortars. --Ron Randall 00:10, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

Non-Military American Usage
I have seen the term used in movies and television shows by civilian American characters in normal day-to-day situations (often when giving directions). In fact, I believe that was where I first heard the term. What unit is that then? I had always assumed it was slang for a mile. When I later heard it in Canada, I figured that it was just a generic slang unit of measure that depends on context. It would seem to me that it has been assimilated (and incorrectly at that) into everyday usage in the United States. Synetech (talk) 03:40, 3 September 2010 (UTC)

What?
This classic wiki article starts: "Klick is military argot for kilometer" Argot? Don't use a 5 cent word when you can put in an obscure, incorrect $100 one in its place. Klick for kilometer is hardly a "secret language" - indeed it is only one word, not a whole vocabulary, so the word is being used here incorrectly (perhaps doubly so, as it certainly isn't secret or even terribly obscure - there's even a wiki article about it). You might better begin - Klick is an abbrevation for kilometer, originating with the military, but now commonly known. Of course, you need to find some documentation that the military originated this term. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.129.224.141 (talk) 21:32, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Dead link
The second link "Mavens' Word of the Day" is dead. I guess it should be removed or corrected. AlanSiegrist (talk) 05:29, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

If this article is to be deleted ...
... (which I agree with), it could be turned into a soft redirect to Wiktionary. Otherwise it'll leave redlinks that could encourage an editor to create a new article. DexDor (talk) 20:28, 15 February 2013 (UTC)
 * I was planning to remove most of the links if it's deleted but I wouldn't object to a soft redirect. Siuenti (talk) 20:38, 15 February 2013 (UTC)