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Home » Messageboard » What do acronyms really stand for? » Message 5000721

[challenge entry] A pedant writes...[ducks]
RE: the compo - BBC isn't an acronym, it is an initialism. Oh and neither is CIA.


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

(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:32, archived)
# (ssshhh - so are most of the entries!)

phew!
oh yes.  This be a hat
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:33, archived)
# Acronyms have to be real words
like GAS - Great angry sausage

gas is a word as is great, angry and sausage
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:33, archived)
# yes, true
but i don't think that's what the compo is getting at
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:34, archived)
# I don't thin that's what your mum's getting at
*dribbles*
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:34, archived)
# my mum's getting at
your ringpiece, as far as i can see
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:35, archived)
# haha
BURNED!



/sorry
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:43, archived)
# or LASER
Light Amplification by Stimulation of er...Emission of Radiation.

or some nonsense.

edit : /tech/nically. what this competition is, is making BACKROnyms
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:36, archived)
# or TARDIS
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:40, archived)
# TARDIS
Time And Relative Dimension In Space

AICMFP - and get my coat at the same time
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:58, archived)
# Not quite
They can be 2 real words together forming a new word - such as Usenet.
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:36, archived)
# this is true
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:34, archived)
# Initialism?
Do you mean abbreviation?
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:35, archived)
# abbreviation?
Isn't that like "abbr"? or is that a contraction?
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:36, archived)
# Abbr is an abbreviation, not a contraction
a contraction is when two words are merged such as 'its' or 'they're'.
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:38, archived)
#
("it's")
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:41, archived)
#
or 'their'
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:45, archived)
# Quite.
(Also, "merged" words are portmanteaus, not contractions. And pedancy isn't what it used to be.)
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:51, archived)
# but then
BBC is not an abbreviation as it is not abbreviating "British Broadcasting Company".

That would be something like "BritBroCo", um, or some such.
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:44, archived)
# no.
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:37, archived)
# Well you're wrong then.
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:38, archived)
# no.
(, Fri 12 Aug 2005, 15:42, archived)
# No......
....not an abbreviation. its a word made up from the initial letters of each word.
(, Sat 13 Aug 2005, 12:51, archived)