Why Do "Clips" Persist In Common Parlance?

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I was reading a novel and rolled my eyes when the author described ammo crates of "clips" for Uzis. While I can understand some terminology sticking around because it only ceased making logical sense a few years ago, how the heck is "clip" still commonly and mistakenly used to refer to a magazine? I thought clips went the way of the dodo in the 60's and it seems as if people should have stopped using the term by now for the same reason no one uses "carburetor" as an example of a car part. Because anything using them is an antique, and anyone who used them in combat is in a retirement home.

[–] • 4 pts

In addition to the other correct comments here, you'll also be mocked if you're that guy that tries to correct everyone on the correct usage. When you call someone out for saying "clip", they get butthurt at you for calling out their idiocy, so they resort to making fun of you for it. Afterwards, they have to keep saying clip to avoid admitting that you were right.

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[–] • 2 pts

I believe that behavior is called, the arrogance of ignorance...

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[–] [deleted] • 3 pts

(edited )

Drives me nuts. It doesn't just apply to guns, either. I tried to read Hunger Games when it was popular and the author kept calling quivers "arrow sheathes". Deal breaker.

If you're going have your main character be an archer, maybe you should at least do some cursory research.

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[–] • 0 pt

I tried to read Hunger Games when it was popular and the author kept calling quivers "arrow sheathes".

Obviously the character was using one inch long individual sheathes just long enough to fit the arrowheads. Unfortunately in the movies they had to change to a quiver when the arrows kept falling out or getting broken.

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[–] • 3 pts

We call them clipazines now.

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[–] • 1 pt

What if it is stripper clips and the author just didn't feel like using such sexist language?

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[–] • 0 pt

Uzis dont use stripper clips. The purpose of stripper clips is to expedite loading fixed magazines. E.g. an M-1 Garand uses stripper clips. If the mag is detachable, it's a safe assumption that no clips are involved.

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[–] • 0 pt

You can speed load detachable magazines using stripper clips. If you have to turn gear around quickly or were at a range you could lessen the time it takes to restock.

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[–] • 1 pt

For most people they are identical. It's a distinction without a difference. In the common vernacular clip means the same as magazine and is shorter. Guess which wins.

People have been trying to educate the public for many decades and we still wind up with this garbage:

https://youtu.be/iJmFEv6BHM0

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[–] • 1 pt

"Clip" is a short word. "Magazine" is a long world. Given a choice, people will always favor the use of a short word over a long word. To most people "clip" simply means something that holds the bullets.

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[–] • 1 pt

Clip is shorter than magazine, yet mag, while syllabically on par with clip, is shorter than clip by letter count. Some semantic anachronisms are a hard habit to break. When's the last time you purchased Tin Foil? When's the last time you said it? Gen pop ignorance and linguistic laziness brought us here.