Like Mike P, I assume its popularity is due to its technical qualities, including it's polymer (plastic) construction which appears to make it more reliable and durable that other guns. The plastic also protects it from extreme temperature changes and caustic liquids (according to the Wikipedia entry which Mike P supplies).
But _perhaps_ the name pops up more in writing because of its sound qualities. I know absolutely nothing about guns but I have heard about Glocks through spy/detective/mystery novels. That fact made me notice a poster about Glocks on the wall of the local police station (cub scout field trip). Would a mystery writer mention the name of a gun if it had more vowels? Even then, not sure, a case can be made that realistic details are what make a novel work ... I believe Glock was Austrian, and if I am not mistaken many guns are from eastern europe. Speaking of sound qualities, I always thought Wolf Blitzer had an unfair advantage doing war coverage .... I mean, can you devise a better name for war coverage?? Dickens (i.e. Ebeneezer Scrooge) couldn't have done better ... ========================== John W. Kulig, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Coordinator, University Honors Plymouth State University Plymouth NH 03264 ========================== ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Britt" <[email protected]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 3:05:19 PM Subject: Re: [tips] The popularity of the Glock I won't argue that the Glock is popular because of its capabilities as a handgun, but humor me here MIke. Might it's success, or perhaps the fact that non-gun owners like myself have even heard of it, have something to do with the name? I contacted the author of Word Hero and asked him his thoughts about the word "Glock". His response: Sound symbolism is a concept from the field of linguistics. "Glock" is practically an onomatopoeia: the name evokes locking and loading, or the sound a bullet makes as it enters the chamber. From a branding standpoint, it says "German," which continues to connote high quality. As Spock might say, "Interesting". Michael A. Britt, Ph.D. [email protected] http://www.ThePsychFiles.com Twitter: mbritt On Jan 12, 2012, at 12:55 PM, Michael Palij wrote: > On Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:09:20 -0800, Michael Britt wrote: >> I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking >> about how a pistol called the "Clock" [sic] has become extremely >> popular in the US. I don't know a thing about guns, but I have >> heard of the Glock. As it happens, I've been reading a very >> interesting book called Word Hero and I just finished your >> section on the idea of Sound Symbolism and I was wondering >> as I listened to the interview if one of the reasons why the Glock >> was popular was because of this word's ability to, as the author >> says, "evoke a mood or attitude" because of the sound of the >> word and how saying the word forces your mouth into certain >> shapes. Glock has a hard G and a K and the middle part forces >> you to really open your mouth (which, the author claims, makes >> things sound large). > > Ah, no. When you finish with "Word Hero", take a look at > Paul Barrett's book "Glock", an excerpt of which is available > on the Daily Beast website; see: > http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/07/glock-by-paul-barrett-interview-and-except.html > > > Long story short on why the Glock became the most popular > handgun in the U.S., with about 70% of police departments > using them: > > During the crack epidemic of the the 1980s, police found themselves > out-gunned by drug dealers who were using semi-automatic guns > while many cops were using six-shooters. The main selling point > for the Glock is that it has a high capacity bullet holder, as shown > in the Arizona gun attack against Gabby Giffords -- the Glock had > a 30 bullet magazine and one bullet in the chamber (see: > http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/01/robert-farago/giffords-shooter-jared-loughner-used-a-glock-with-extended-clip/ > > ) > Regular Glock 19s have 15 rounds. For more detail on the history > and the different lines of Glock guns, see the Wikipedia entry > (yadda-yadda): > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glock > > One interesting aspect of Glock history is that the NYPD > was against using them at first while other police departments > adopted them. When it was learned that the NYPD police > commissioner carried a Glock while the rest of the did not, > the media had a field day. > > So, no, nothing to do with sounds and, as usual with guns, > firepower is very important. > > -Mike Palij > New York University > [email protected] > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958f69&n=T&l=tips&o=15271 > > or send a blank email to > leave-15271-13405.0125141592fa9ededc665c55d9958...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13338.f659d005276678c0696b7f6beda66454&n=T&l=tips&o=15275 or send a blank email to leave-15275-13338.f659d005276678c0696b7f6beda66...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. 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