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Home » Messageboard » What do acronyms really stand for? » Message 5004318

[challenge entry] Pedant Alert!


...it's an abbreviation.


From the What do acronyms really stand for? challenge. See all 338 entries (closed)

(nahguam, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:43, archived)
# Yes.
It's an abbreviation for CIALIS VIAGRA VALIUM CHEAP.
(I helped save b3ta! gronkpan https://twitter.com/VomitingLarry, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:44, archived)
# is it the dots that make the difference?
(checkers, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:44, archived)
# kind of
An acronym is an abbreviation that is pronounced as a word.

eg
S.C.U.B.A. is an abbreviation, but because you say it as scuba it's an acronym.
(nahguam, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:47, archived)
# but CIA isn't pronounced "scya"
it's See Aye Ay
(0800221155 Coldseal windows, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:48, archived)
# ^this
(checkers, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:50, archived)
# Hang on, thats not even slightly right.
(checkers, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:52, archived)
# Actually it's entirely right.


(I helped save b3ta! fool_on_the_hill, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:56, archived)
#
It seems it is. I never knew that.

Does that means that almost all the entries in this competition should really be here, because thing like wwf and BBC aren't acronyms?
(checkers, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:59, archived)
# Where's Doc G when you need him?
(I helped save b3ta! gronkpan https://twitter.com/VomitingLarry, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:00, archived)
# No
Because the specification of the challenge made it clear that they intended initialisms to be included (by the examples of BBC and CIA), even though they misused the word 'acronym'.
(I helped save b3ta! fool_on_the_hill, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:01, archived)
# ^^^This.
(Vega31, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:25, archived)
# actually, only about half
as it's not an abreviation for a word like st. for street or mr. for mister, it's the intials for a group of words.
(I helped save b3ta! hanke murphy, I'm a mess, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:16, archived)
# define: abbreviation
A shortening of a word or term (eg, in. for inch, BC for British Columbia, Mr. for Mister, CLC for Canadian Labour Congress). (See Acronym)
(0800221155 Coldseal windows, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:47, archived)
# hmmmm,
So all acronyms are abbreviations but not all abbreviations are acronyms.

Or something
(checkers, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:49, archived)
# ...
abbreviation
acronym
(nahguam, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:49, archived)
# That means CIA *is* an acronym then
as "Centeral Intelligence Agency" is three words, CIA are the first letters of each one.
(0800221155 Coldseal windows, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:53, archived)
# No
An acronym is supposed to be pronounceable as if it were a word (like NATO is pronounce nay-tow). CIA is not (we pronounce it see-eye-eh?) so it's not an acronym.
(I helped save b3ta! fool_on_the_hill, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:57, archived)
# yes but
you missed the last bit of the definition.... "pronounced as a word".
(nahguam, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:58, archived)
# Uber-pedant alert
An "acronym" is an abbreviation that makes a new word. [Like NATO]

An "initialism" is an abbreviation that does not. [Like CIA]

There are also abbreviations that are neither. [Like Abbr or const]

An "acrostic" is a phrase or poem whose initial letters, or syllables, of words, or paragraphs, make an existing word. [Such as The War Against Terror]

And, for completeness, a contraction is when two words merge into one [usually seperated by a comma such as "don't" instead of "do not"]

//Edit: B3ta does not like Umlauts!
(I helped save b3ta! coder.keitaro I like pies!, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:55, archived)
# ahem
it's an apostrophe, not a comma.

edit: you just can't do the umlauts in the subject line. Something to do with gremlins, if I recall.
(I helped save b3ta! gronkpan https://twitter.com/VomitingLarry, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:56, archived)
# Damn!
I always get them confused.

"An aposthrophe is a comma that can jump."
should remember primary school lessons.

[Although that was a long time ago now...]
(I helped save b3ta! coder.keitaro I like pies!, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:01, archived)
# No it's not,
it's an initialism.

/überpedant
([sic] You're ad here?, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 16:56, archived)
# There are plenty of other.........
entries that are not acronyms too!

Edit: eg. BA, MFI, PC WORLD... Shall I go on ?
(I helped save b3ta! paranoiaman, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:03, archived)
# it was
supposed to be ironic... because my definition of CIA is not an acronym either!
(nahguam, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:10, archived)
# And it's recursive!
That's good for an extra point in my book.
([sic] You're ad here?, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 17:14, archived)