In a blast from pop music past, a debate is raging on Twitter about how to pronounce Blink 182.
The California rock band formed in 1992 with hits including I Miss You and All The Small Things, but according to American comedian Ian Karmel, who started the discussion, the correct way to say their name is still an issue.
The British call Blink-182 “Blink One Eight Two” and I’m not saying that’s WHY they lost the Revolutionary War, but…
— Karmitzvah (@IanKarmel) November 19, 2018
According to Karmel, British people tend to pronounce the band’s name Blink One-eight-two.
This would appear to be confirmed by British Twitter user Ed Perchard, who responded: “What?! What do you lot call them?”
What?! What do you lot call them?
— Ed Perchard (@ed_perch) November 19, 2018
The answer? Blink One-eighty-two.
The discussion sparked quite the debate, with Karmel describing it as “the raging river our friendship cannot bridge”.
Perchard argued the American pronunciation is incorrect as “one-eighty-two just doesn’t exist as an entity in the English language.”
If it’s a number it’s one hundred and eighty two, if it’s figures it’s one eight two.
One eighty two just doesn’t exist as an entity in the English language, fam.
— Ed Perchard (@ed_perch) November 19, 2018
But then US-based Brit James Corden tried to settle the argument.
The comedian has hosted The Late Late Show with James Corden in Los Angeles since 2015 and offered a balanced take.
Don’t start this. I admit we are wrong on this. America calls them Blink One eighty two. Which is also wrong. They technically should be called Blink one hundred and eighty two. Don’t take some moral high ground here. https://t.co/zm2Gpb6xtT
— James Corden (@JKCorden) November 19, 2018
“Don’t start this. I admit we are wrong on this America calls them Blink One eighty two. Which is also wrong,” Corden tweeted. “They technically should be called Blink one hundred and eighty two.”
So, how should it be pronounced? Well, according to the band it’s only Corden’s take which is wrong.
The band told BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge in 2016 they call themselves “Blink One-eighty-two”, but that it’s okay to say “One-eight-two” as well – but never to use “Blink One-hundred-and-eighty-two” as it “just sounds wrong”.
Of course, that won’t stop people pronouncing the name however they would like.
I’ve always known them as Blink square root of 33,124
— RIch W (@sufferfest) November 19, 2018
The maths checks out.