Holosuite vs holodeck – out of universe

Question

I've seen this question which is looking for an in-universe answer, but I'm wondering about the usage of the word IRL.
I've been rewatching DS9, and just saw an episode where O’Brien is talking with Worf about their time on the Enterprise.

O’Brien: Come on, Worf. I came to talk.
Worf: About what?
O’Brien: Anything you want. Old friends, the Enterprise... remember... what’s-his-name? Lieutenant Barclay?
Worf: Who can forget him?
O’Brien: And those holosuite programs of his?
Worf: The Three Musketeers
O’Brien: Geordi waving that sword around.

It struck me as odd that O’Brien would refer to a "holosuite" onboard Enterprise. Was there any kind of real-world reason (like how we all pretend Tom Paris is not Nick Locarno) that the word "holodeck" was only ever spoken once on DS9, during the pilot or was this just a slip-up?

Keith Morrison · Accepted Answer

Real world reason, at that point the writers and audience had several years of the term "holosuite" being used and it would be habitual, unlike an early episode where everyone would be more used to the term "holodeck". In-universe answer, at that point O'Brien had been on DS9 several years where the word "holosuite" was used and using it to refer to, basically, the exact same thing would be habitual.
You can see this sort of thing in the real world all the time. I live in a mostly Inuit community and eventually was using "koana/quana" instead of "thanks" so often that when I'm traveling down south (back when I could, pre-COVID) that I'd frequently catch myself saying it.

Holosuite vs holodeck – out of universe

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