Let's all learn what an acronym is

Lysander said:
Things like PLC, HTML, MP are not acronyms, they are just abbreviations. You could not speak them aloud as full words: you have to spell out their individual letters.
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Have you never watched Phonejacker?

I was tempted to post a "thanks for the info", but really you cannot rant at people for "misnaming" a group of letters when in fact the classification of a word as an Acronym rather than an Initialisation is down to popular usage rather than a strict set of rules based in the English language or any other language, EVERY initialisation can be spoken as a "word"... But it is popular use which defines it as an acronym or not.

Language changes over time, popular usage of Acronym is to descibe an initialisation, eventually it will be accepted norm in dictionaries, thesaurus' etc... It is already in general use.

Even the dictionary descibes HTML as an acronym.
 
The dictionary is wrong then, clearly.

Just because most people get something wrong doesn't make it right.

People say "send me an invite!" - and that's wrong too.

Interesting orphan apostrophe on [thesaurus'] too, I wonder what it's doing there...

;)
 
Mr^B said:
Just because most people get something wrong doesn't make it right.
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A) Please brush up on language evolution.
B) The term Acronym is based on popular usage itself.

You can not have your cake and eat it, either popular usage changes language or it doesn't. Is the dictionary also incorrect for stating "fag" is used to describe a cigarette?

If everyone started using "**" instead of "your" it would become part of the English language, deny it and you sir, are wrong.
 
Skyfall said:
A) Please brush up on language evolution.
B) The term Acronym is based on popular usage itself.

You can not have your cake and eat it, either popular usage changes language or it doesn't. Is the dictionary also incorrect for stating "fag" is used to describe a cigarette?

If everyone started using "**" instead of "your" it would become part of the English language, deny it and you sir, are wrong.
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When OED reclassifies "acronym", I'll change my position, not before. I didn't say it won't change, just that it hasn't yet.

Please don't get all defensive, I'm just pointing out that incorrect usage, although popular, is still incorrect.

:)
 
Vixen said:
Surely a forum is the wrong place for this? It's a rant aimed towards the community, about how people speak out loud :confused:.
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Aaaaaaarrgggggghhh my head just exploded :confused: + :p


O yer & I use Fubar but I don't apologise for it (Insert sticky out tongue smiley here)
 
^^ You owe me first dibbs on your Missus for that one mate, Bit like that snap game but on the Interwebz. Email in trust you know the rest :D
 
GIMP - GNU Image Manipulation Package
WINE - Wine Is Not An Emulator (love that one)

FUBAR - Fowled Up Beyond All Recognition
SNAFU - Situation Normal All Fowled Up
 
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