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

Fri Jan 26 17:34:25 UTC 2024

So all folk acronyms are backronyms?

Clai Rice

-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Jesse Sheidlower
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2024 8:12 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: An etymythology semi-endorsed by The New Yorker

I go one further when I'm talking about this: If anyone tells you that _any_ term originated from an acronym, period, they are always wrong.

Yes, there are acronyms out there. But no one will ever _tell you_ about them. "Hey, did you know that _radar_ comes from 'radio detection and ranging'?" Not gonna happen. If someone brings up a purported acronym in general conversation, it's something like _posh, fuck, golf, tip, news, cop_, or something like that, and it's not an acronym.

Jesse Sheidlower

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