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Sep 19 2001, 7:06 am
In response to Lummox JR

Nope, there are lots of acronyms that are usually pronounced by letter. FBI, CIA, GAO, DMV, and of course NPC. The definition of an acronym only requires that it be spelled with the initial letters of the words involved, not that it be pronounced one way or another.

Wrong on two counts: it requires that it be a word spelled with initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as RADAR (RAdio Detecting And Ranging) and Calvin's GROSS club (Get Rid Of Slimy girlS).

If it were called the Central Intelligence Agency Office, its initials would be CIAO, which is a word, and thus, an acronym. CIA, however, is not a word. How would it be pronounced? C-ya? Likewise, FBI is not a word... although fibby is, but I understand the agency doesn't like being referred to in those terms. NASA is pronounceable, and thus a word, and thus, an acronym.

The easy way to settle this dispute, though, is with common sense. My initials are AEL. Is that an acronym?
Sep 19 2001, 7:17 am
In response to LexyBitch
LexyBitch wrote:
Nope, there are lots of acronyms that are usually pronounced by letter. FBI, CIA, GAO, DMV, and of course NPC. The definition of an acronym only requires that it be spelled with the initial letters of the words involved, not that it be pronounced one way or another.

Wrong on two counts: it requires that it be a word spelled with initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as RADAR (RAdio Detecting And Ranging) and Calvin's GROSS club (Get Rid Of Slimy girlS).

Actually, this is only one definition of acronym. The other (taken here from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing) is: <jargon> An identifier formed from some of the letters (often the initials) of a phrase and used as an abbreviation.

Recognizing that the source is not the be-all and end-all of the English language, it is still noteworthy the word is here defined as an "identifier" and not as a "word," as in the primary definition. As an example, they cite the self-referential TLA which stands for "Three-Letter Acronym." Hard to pronounce that one.

Without this secondary definition, it would of course not be self-referential. This is neither here nor there, but borders on amusing.

I gotta be careful when sending subversive stuff like this, though. I think the fibby is monitoring my posts.

[EDIT] - Yes, AEL is an acronym. In fact, it stands for nine different things: http://www.acronymfinder.com/ af-query.asp?String=exact&Acronym=ael
Sep 19 2001, 7:51 am (Edited on Sep 19 2001, 7:59 am)
In response to Skysaw
I should have been more specific... is AEL an acronym for my name, or is it just initials? If it's just initials, then why is FBI an acronym?

The root of acronym is "nym," or "name." The FBI was not named FBI. It was named the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was then abbreviated to FBI. Before our sound bite culture developed, people would look at the letters FBI, and they wouldn't read it as "Eff Bee Aye," but as "Federal Bureau of Investigation," which is no doubt how the FBI still refers to itself in self-important internal memoranda.

Also, I'd like to point out one word in your defintion: "(jargon)." Slang used by adults.
Sep 19 2001, 8:18 am
In response to LexyBitch
LexyBitch wrote:
I should have been more specific... is AEL an acronym for my name, or is it just initials? If it's just initials, then why is FBI an acronym?

Nah, you didn't need to be more specific. I would have found one way or another to include that link, just for the sake of being cute. I didn't really care to prove that they were an acronym, just trying to be silly. Besides, I'm jealous because my initials don't appear to stand for anything (aside from my name, that is).

To be honest, I have no idea when initials become an acronym. I guess it's when people begin to use them more than the actual phrase.

Also, I'd like to point out one word in your defintion: "(jargon)." Slang used by adults.

Noted. Pretty common jargon, I'd venture to say, but point taken.
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