It's pretty fucked up that people get on Neil Armstrong for saying, "That's one small step for man" instead of saying "a man". He was walking on the **MOON**! We should be more surprised he wasn't completely speechless, amirite?

+243 It's pretty fucked up that people get on Neil Armstrong for saying, "That's one small step for man" instead of saying "a man". He was walking on the **MOON**! We should be more surprised he wasn't completely speechless, amirite?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I didn't know people actually got upset over that. Flows better without "a"

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I think so too. But yea back when it first happened people were making a huge fuss about it and some people still do to this day.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

@eastcoast: I agree.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

"Man" in that context isn't even supposed to mean someone who is physically male, it mean "human race."

by Anonymous 12 years ago

But it's "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Wouldn't mankind refer to the human race and man refer to himself?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It depends on the context. Usually man means male but if you look at the actual definition it says man can be used to say human or human kind. I don't know if he meant "a man" as in himself, a male, or not.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

He meant as himself.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

THEN WHY ARE PEOPLE GETTING ON HIM JUST FOR LEAVING OUT "A"???? People these days will argue just for the sake of arguing.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

it happened back in '69 too! Apparently someone landing on the FUCKING MOON wasn't exciting enough so they needed some controversy behind it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

They're just jealous

by Anonymous 12 years ago

People actually do that?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

He has always insisted that he did a 'a man'

by Anonymous 12 years ago

by Anonymous 12 years ago

He actually messed it up. He meant to say, 'one small step for mankind, one giant leap for man.' But he was walking on the moon so all the excuses.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

One small step for man sounds better anyway.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I heard he did say a man but the "a" got lost in the radio transition or something.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I heard that too. Considering the words were coming from the moon through technology from 1969 it doesn't seem that inconceivable.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Sounds grammatically correct to this grammar Nazi.

by Anonymous 12 years ago