reverse acronyming

[Miller, Jerry]

Pat: I'm not sure FBI can't be called an acronym under your definition.
Around these parts (Indiana), it is often pronounced "Fee-Bee" (at least by
newspaper people in the newsroom where I used to work -- as in, "The FeeBees
won't tell us anything")!

Jerry Miller
Franklin College (Ind.)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: P2052 at AOL.COM [SMTP:P2052 at AOL.COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 10:20 AM
> To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      Re: reverse acronyming
>
> I think it's called an acronym when it spells a word (e.g., NATO) and
> initialism when it doesn't (FBI).
>                          pat