Acronyms that you never heard of five years ago, and what they stand for.

[norml]

PNAC; Project for the New American Century http://www.newamericancentury.org/

[tuvor]

1. Don't acronyms have to be pronounceable?

Maybe PNAC is a quasi-acronym? "P-nass"? :shrug:

[norml]

3. No, an acronym is a label formed from the beginnings of words .

An acronym is a label formed from the beginnings of words (Greek: acro and nym ) -- or very rarely, from letters in the middle of words. There is no requirement that an acronym be pronounceable as a normal word (this is a curious myth perpetuated by American dictionaries): IBM is just as much an acronym as LASER.

http://www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/acronym

[tuvor]

7. Myth or not, according to dictionary.com...

An acronym is "a word (my bold) formed from the initial letters of a name, such as WAC for Women's Army Corps, or by combining initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as radar for radio detecting and ranging."

And I'm not going to look up "word" to see if it has to be pronounceable. :)

Just wondering why "abbreviation" apparently isn't the word you're looking for.

Maybe I should change my name to Mr. Pedantic.

[norml]

8. Type WMD into Dictionary.Com, and it will look it up as a word.

It's a noun. No, abbreviation isn't the word I'm looking for. Try looking in some online dictionaries that have longer definitions, and more examples of what an acronym is.

[tuvor]

9. You'll have to tell me, then.

Just what is the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation?

[barackmyworld]

12. abbreviation doesn't use the first letter

Dept. is an abbreviation. You couldn't have an acronym out of department, it would just be "D"

Abbrevations merely make the word or phrase shorter, but acronyms have to take the first letter of the words (sometimes leaving out articles, etc)

[norml]

15. An acronym is an abbreviation for more than one word.

Meriman-Webster says that acronyms are also abbreviations.

[tuvor]

17. I think I'm getting it now.

Just have to deprogram the examples I remember for acronyms: "scuba", "laser", "snafu"...

Thanks, folks.

[jeff30997]

2. BUTT :

Bush is an Under-qualified Tyrannic Twit.

[ikojo]

4. WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction

These are weapons that have possibly been provided to a country previously on friendly terms with the US. Once said country no longer serves any function for the US and its corporate clients, any weapons it has are considered WMDs.

[Guy Fawkes]

5. I've got a few:

PEBKAC: Problem exists between keyboard and chair
STFU: Shut the f*ck up
GG: Good going
OMW: On my way
MMORPH: Massively multiplayer online RPG
AOL: American Online Losers ("online" is ONE WORD people! What is the extra 'l' for?)

[trof]

6. Like ATM machine. Redundant.

[Lex]

11. PIN number, same deal.

[ProfessorGAC]

25. Yeah, Shouldn't That Be PI Number

In which case it would be 3.1415926535897932384626433832795 . . . Then everybody's PI Number would be the same. I guess that wouldn't work, huh?

Sorry, couldn't resist.
The Professor

[democracyindanger]

10. IOKIYAR

It's OK If You're A Republican

[barackmyworld]

13. OH! thought of one: ABB

anybody but bush

[NYC Liberal]

16. Me too.

Even though I was. ;)

[NightTrain]

14. I often make up my own acronyms.

Here are some of them:

Dabli (Pronounced, "DAB-lee"): Dumb Ass Bush Loving Imbecile.

Falwell: Fucking Asshole Loser With Excrement Laced Lips.

Fubb: Fucked Up Beyond Belief.

Hutas (Prounounced, "HOO-tahss"): Head Up The Ass Syndrome.

Jarwy (Proounced, "JAR-wee"): Just Another Right Wing Yahoo.

Joomp: Jerk Off Of Mammoth Proportions.

Kadds: Kool Aid Drinking Dip Shit.

[mcscajun]

18. MSM -- MainStream Media (forget it, please...use CORPORATE MEDIA)

please, please, please!!!

[benny05]

19. 9/11

Followed by J20..it took me a couple of minutes to figure that one out when I first saw it.

[benny05]

21. J20=January 20, 2005

Coronation day. :puke: :grr: :thumbsdown: :cry:

[Beware the Beast Man]

20. LOL- Laughing Out Loud.

[barackmyworld]

22. wow, you must be new to the internet (n/t)

[Beware the Beast Man]

24. Not especially, I just never knew what it meant.

And once I did, it seemed a lot lamer than I imagined! :D

[Aiptasia]

23. ATHF

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

[NoPasaran]

26. LIHOP & MIHOP

Let It Happen On Purpose

Make It Happen On Purpose

[NoPasaran]

27. SCLM

Pronounced "Sclum"

So-Called Liberal Media