Re: [LincolnTalk] Please help me settle a Friday night family dinner debate

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:01:40 -0700

Hello all,

After polling a group of twelve folks in their late twenties it was determined unanimously that it is “red” receipt. 

The justification given was that a “read receipt” is a notification within a messenger app that indicates the other party has seen your message. 

That is:
A receipt for a message which has been read. 
A message read receipt
A read receipt

In some apps this will be a a series of check marks, in others it will say “read” (red) followed by the time of reading. 

Only one person in the group had even heard of the “reed” pronunciation. 

Hope this helps. 

Best wishes,
Charlie

On Aug 17, 2025, at 11:24 AM, June L Matthews <[email protected]> wrote:


I can think of a phrase where it would be "red."  As in "the most recently read receipt."

Note that read ("reed") could also be a noun as in "[That book] was a good read."

June 

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From: Lincoln <[email protected]> on behalf of Sara Mattes <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2025 10:07:46 AM
To: Carl Blesius <[email protected]>
Cc: Lincoln Talk <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Please help me settle a Friday night family dinner debate
 
Brilliant!

Let’s keep this going.
Does anyone else have more to add?



On Aug 16, 2025, at 11:41 PM, Carl Blesius <[email protected]> wrote:

Going into the reeds on this one...

In compounds, English uses the base form of verbs (running shoes, swimming pool). With read, that base is pronounced reed, so we get REED RECEIPT.

Rule of thumb:
    • reed = technical/functional, ongoing state
    • red = human/literary, past experience

More sysadmin examples (all pronounced reed, since they describe functions, properties, or ongoing states):
    • read-only memory (non-writable storage)
    • read latency (delay in retrieving data)
    • read permission (file system rights)
    • read access (ability to open/view data)
    • read lock (database concurrency control)

Carl "Likes-To-Hang-Out-With-Sys-Admins" Blesius
22 TPR

P.S. Let me know if you want more examples over a glass of red!
On Aug 15, 2025, at 9:21 PM, Rob Stringer via Lincoln <[email protected]> wrote:

Is “read receipt” pronounced “red” receipt or “reed” receipt?

The internet is no help, so I am asking the pros from LT.

Rob Stringer
15 TPR


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