What's a klick?

[scentman]

In the Crystal Singer Series, Anne uses a measure of distance called a 'klick'.

Does this have a conversion to Metric or English distance measurments?

[Kath]

It's a kilometer.

[granath]

Yup. Probably military in origin...

[scentman]

Thanks Kath and Granath, I wasn't aware of that slang.

I had figured it was probably a measure of distance on the order of miles or kilometers because of how Anne uses it - Singer's claims are a 5 klick radius circle from the claim mark - but I thought it was her invention, not real world slang!!

[Lily]

Is it a recognised modern word, or did Anne make it up? I'm sure it's used in other series too?

[Kath]

It's definitely used in Dragonsdawn. Um... I'm thinking either the between trials, or Sallah/Tarvi surveying a valley.

As for RL usage - look here... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klick)

[Ryuu]

Is it a recognised modern word, or did Anne make it up? I'm sure it's used in other series too?I don't know if it's in the Oxford or Webster's dictionaries, but it is a recognised modern slang used mostly in the military.

[Shazza's Back]

It's a common term in Australian slang too. Not sure of its origins though. Time to consult wikipedia perhaps.

Editted to add:

Klick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Klick (sometimes spelled click, but that may also mean one second of arc) is a common military term meaning kilometer (or sometimes kilometers per hour). Its use became popular among soldiers in Vietnam during the 1960s, although veterans of the war recall its usage as early as the 1950s. Its origin is sometimes linked with the Australian Army in Korea.

The term is of unknown origin. It is most likely an example of condensed pronunciation or contraction of the term kilometer or possibly onomatopoetic of the sound of a military compass' bezel ring, although other theories exist.

The term is currently also used by civilians, particularly in Canada where road signs and car speedometers use kilometers.

[Dawn]

Is it a recognised modern word, or did Anne make it up? I'm sure it's used in other series too?

It's also used in the Freedom series. :)

[woollymouse]

It probably grew out of the fact that Military Compasses Bevels click on advancing through a point of Arc.

[JayEgo]

Learn something new every day! :cool:

Not all of it of any worth though :erm:

:evil:

Jayson xx

[Weyrwoman Kalina]

Ya know, I'd always heard that word used in movies and seen it in books and the like, and never knew what measurement it was! I COULD have looked it up, but.... :disguise:


Thanks for clearing that up! :ok:

[Greenrider Tresa]

Hm, am I the only one who ever suspected it might be kilometer from the first time I heard it? :)

[Wolfegar]

Hm, am I the only one who ever suspected it might be kilometer from the first time I heard it? :)
No you are not. The first time I heard the term "klick" used, it was in a war movie of some sort, I was in my, :erm:, late middle to late teens I think, and since I'd already heard of kilometers, I just figured that's what they meant. I also presumed that klick was a quick verbal shorthand for kilometer. One syllable as opposed to four.

[Weyrwoman Kalina]

Hm, am I the only one who ever suspected it might be kilometer from the first time I heard it? :)

Most likely not....


No you are not. The first time I heard the term "klick" used, it was in a war movie of some sort, I was in my, :erm:, late middle to late teens I think, and since I'd already heard of kilometers, I just figured that's what they meant. I also presumed that klick was a quick verbal shorthand for kilometer. One syllable as opposed to four.


See? ;) :laugh:

[greendragon]

I grew up reading Heinlein, who used klicks for kilometers in most of his works. Of course, he has a military background :)

[Madrigal]

Another one here who guessed from the beginning.

[timon]

I also first encountered the term when reading Heinlein (The Number of the Beast), and immediately assumed from the context that it meant kilometre.

[Lessaruatha]

snap

[Bane]

Hmm,,,it's used as kph in Naval stuff. Ships go kil/hr instead of miles, so therefore they go in klicks.

Does that sound funny to anyone else? I can just see a ship cruising along in the ocean going "click...click...click" and making clicky noises. :D

[Vyon]

I've heard the term used in everyday speech here in New Zealand,

Oh, but the person using it was both military and a McCaffrey fan, so that doesn't prove anything!