Ongoing History Daily: Blink-182 names

When Blink-182 first came together in the 90s, they were called just plain “Blink.” But then an Irish band who had dibs on that name threatened to sue, so they had to come up with something else.

One suggestion was “Figure 8.” Another was “Duck Tape.” But then they settled on “Blink-182,” the origins of which remain rather murky. It has been said that the “182” part comes from the number of F-bombs dropped in the movie Scarface. It’s also been said it has to do with the title of a 1985 movie called Turk 182, which is about a guy who goes to war with the mayor of New York City.

And then there’s the Tom DeLonge story that has something to do with a high school rivalry between Tom’s school and a crosstown school.

Bottom line is that no is really sure what to make of it—and why we’re supposed to spell it with a lower-case “b.”