[Ads-l] An etymythology semi-endorsed by The New Yorker

[Jonathan Lighter]

I heard the same fifty years ago, and experience with texts since then
supports it.

The earliest true acronym (pronounced as a word, not initials) is/was
thought to be "DORA" ('Defence of the Realm Act') , from 1917.
Like so many acronyms since, it came from politics and government.

JL

On Fri, Jan 26, 2024 at 1:24 AM Martin Purdy <
00000bd8cf391c5b-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> I've seen it claimed that any assertions that a term originated from an
> acronym prior to 1900 are almost certainly spurious. I'd love to know if
> there are any documented examples from the 19th century or earlier.
>
> Yahoo Mail: Search, organise, conquer
>
>   On Fri, 26 Jan 2024 at 14:01, Laurence Horn<laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> wrote:   [Faux acronym division]
>
> From an article on “Gratuity culture” and “the Tipping Point” (cute, that):
>
> By the seventeenth century, visitors to aristocratic estates were expected
> to pay “vails” to the staff. This might have lowered payroll for the estate
> itself. At least one aristocrat helped himself to some of this new income
> stream; he threw frequent parties to increase revenues. The system spread.
> English coffeehouses were said to set out urns inscribed with “To Insure
> Promptitude.” Customers tossed in coins. Eventually, the inscription was
> shortened to “tip.”
>
>
> https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/01/has-gratuity-culture-reached-a-tipping-point
>
> Well, maybe, except that as far as I know there’s no evidence that any
> such urns were so inscribed. The plausible conclusion is that this is just
> one of many faux acronym tall tales, spread disingenously or not.  Will
> subsequent New Yorker pieces on golf and sex promote derivations from
> “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden” and “Fornication Under Consent of the
> King” respectively?  Of course the piece does distance itself a little way
> from the claim:  “...were said to…”. But Mr. Helfand’s piece still urns…er,
> earns our skepticism.
>
> LH
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