WORDS ARE ALL I HAVE
There are words, and there are acronyms. But, don't mix them up. But that's exactly what we do when we say taser or snafu or scuba. And while acronyms are commonplace today, especially in the federal government, they have only infiltrated the English language in the last 100 years or so. In fact, the word "acronym" itself only dates back to the 1940s. An acronym is different from a word formed with initials, such as FBI. With acronyms we say it phonetically, such as taser. The Huffington Post has assembled a list of 10 acronyms that most of us think are words, but they aren't:
1. TASER: Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle
Jack Cover is the inventor of the taser, but he named it for Tom Swift, the fictional character in a series of books about sci-fi inventions. One of those inventions was an electric rifle, the fictional precursor to the taser.
Jack Cover is the inventor of the taser, but he named it for Tom Swift, the fictional character in a series of books about sci-fi inventions. One of those inventions was an electric rifle, the fictional precursor to the taser.
2. SNAFU: Situation Normal, All F***ed Up
Created by the military, it refers to the general chaos and horror of the battlefield.
Created by the military, it refers to the general chaos and horror of the battlefield.
3. LASER: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Laser is so commonplace now that it has eclipsed its identity as an acronym and is now treated as a word.
Laser is so commonplace now that it has eclipsed its identity as an acronym and is now treated as a word.
4. RADAR: Radio Detection And Ranging
Like laser, we no longer think of radar as an acronym. It's a word!
Like laser, we no longer think of radar as an acronym. It's a word!
5. SCUBA: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
while snorkel is a word derived from German, SCUBA actually stands for something.
while snorkel is a word derived from German, SCUBA actually stands for something.
6. ZIP code: Zone Improvement Plan
ZIP codes were developed by the U.S. Postal Service as a scheme to improve mail delivery codes.
ZIP codes were developed by the U.S. Postal Service as a scheme to improve mail delivery codes.
7. Smart car: Swatch Mercedes Art
Wait... what? Smart cars were developed by Swatch and brought to market by Daimler Benz, so the acronym brand name of "Smart" was a compromise between the two companies.
Wait... what? Smart cars were developed by Swatch and brought to market by Daimler Benz, so the acronym brand name of "Smart" was a compromise between the two companies.
8. CARE package: Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe
while we think of care packages as something moms send to kids at camp, they were originally packages sent to Americans' loved ones in Europe during the horrors of World War I via the organization Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe.
while we think of care packages as something moms send to kids at camp, they were originally packages sent to Americans' loved ones in Europe during the horrors of World War I via the organization Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe.
9. NIMBY: Not In My Back Yard
It's fine to build a nuclear power plant or garbage dump anywhere--as long as it's not in my back yard.
It's fine to build a nuclear power plant or garbage dump anywhere--as long as it's not in my back yard.
10. AWOL: Absent Without Official Leave
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