How do you pronounce "Blink-182"?

24 June 2021, 13:20 | Updated: 12 July 2022, 13:46

Blink 182's According To Google

There are several theories as to how you pronounce the name of the famous pop punk band and what it means, but there's only one correct answer.

The world of rock came out in force this week to support Blink-182 founding member Mark Hoppus when he announced that he was undergoing treatment for cancer.

The pop punk trio formed in the summer of 1992 and since then they've gone on to sell over 13 million albums in the US alone, featuring hits like What's My Age Again and All The Small Things.

But, it seems there's still a few people out there who aren't sure about certain things to do with Blink-182... like where they got their name from, and how you even say the damn thing.

There have been three main schools of thought among fans and celebrities alike.

Blink-182 is either thought to be pronounced Blink One Eight Two, Blink One Hundred and Eighty Two or Blink One Eighty Two... though you could technically throw Blink Eighteen Two into the mix if you wanted...

Even as recently as 2018, people were banging on about it, and there certainly seems to be a clear divide between the UK and US.

A writer for The Late Late Show with James Corden wrote: "The British call Blink-182 “Blink One Eight Two” and I’m not saying that’s WHY they lost the Revolutionary War, but..."

James Corden then chimed in, writing: "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."

However, just to muddy the waters and to get stuck in on the epic banter, former Blink rocker Tom DeLonge got involved, writing: "It’s actually— Blink eighteen-two. People have all gotten this wrong for years. Sometimes this can happen with very complex, thoughtful and elevated art."

Mark Hoppus however topped them all, writing: "Thank you James. Some say one eighty two. Some say one eight two. But in all of this, I feel like we’ve lost sight of the fact that the B in blink-182 should be lower-case."

So there you have it... it's supposed to be pronounced Blink One Eighty Two... with a lowercase b!

Now, on to the next question...

How did Blink-182 get their name?

There are many theories as to why Blink-182 got their name, but unfortunately they're almost all untrue.

The band were simply went as Blink until their label told them they shared their name with another band.

Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and drummer Scott Raynor were badgered over the next few weeks to change their name until they hastily added a 182 to it.

Watch this video clip, where he explains all to US comedian Amy Schumer:

Hoppus on Music - How Blink-182 Got Their Name

The Dammit singer revealed: "... We just made up the name 182 and ever since then we've just made up different stories about what 182 means.

"It was my ideal weight, it was the ship number that my grandfather worked on during WWII, it was the number of times Al Pacino said 'fuck' in scarface..."

READ MORE: Mark Hoppus reveals we've been singing a classic Blink 182 song wrong this WHOLE time

READ MORE: Why did Tom DeLonge REALLY leave Blink 182