Re: [OT] Re: [libreoffice-users] HSLQLDB syntax

As long as we are going to entertain off topic, how about this.

I common figure of speech in English is the use of "Try and" where the 
meaning is "Try to".  I.E. I'm going to try and drive my car backwards 
for three miles.  When I see it, or hear it, I wonder, "Are they going 
to try the car, or are they going to drive the car?"  Make up my mind!

On 07/16/2013 07:25 PM, Keith Bates wrote:
> The base of the misunderstanding is the shift in meaning of the word
> acronym over the last few decades. It used to mean an abbreviation which
> formed a word- such as radar. Now it seems to be used more for an
> abbreviation which is more familiar than the original terms. e.g. most
> people know the BBC or the Beeb but fewer know it stands for British
> Broadcasting Corporation. In my experience bureaucracies spawn all kinds
> of meaningless terms which then get abbreviated-- these abbreviations
> become known as acronyms because everyone knows what the FHSAP does but
> nobody knows what the abbreviation stands for. (I just made that
> abbreviation up- there probably is one somewhere in your local, state or
> regional bureaucracy).
>
> It's similar with the word electrocution which everyone over 50 knows is
> a fatal electric shock. Everyone under 50 seems to use it as an
> alternative to electric shock which leads to interesting phrases such as
> "electrocuted to death" and "I've been electrocuted three times."
>
> Life would be much simpler if they let the pedants run everything.
>
> Keith
>
> On 17/07/13 06:15, Felmon Davis wrote:
> > On Tue, 16 Jul 2013, Brian Barker wrote:
> >
> > > At 02:02 16/07/2013 -0400, Felmon Davis wrote:
> > > > On Sun, 14 Jul 2013, Doug wrote:
> > > > > This is not an acronym. It can't be pronounced as a word. (See
> > > > > dictionary definition in URL below.)
> > > >
> > > > the definition says:
> > > > -----
> > > >  : a word (as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter
> > > > or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a
> > > > compound term; [...]
> > > > -----
> > > >
> > > > I'm missing the part about being pronounced as a word.
> > >
> > > May I help?  I think I can.  It's right there in the second word of
> > > the definition: it says it's a *word*, so it'll be pronounced as, er,
> > > a word!
> >
> > ah, now I see where that comes from!
> >
> > deviates from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym> which counts the
> > following formations as acronyms:
> >
> >     BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation
> >     OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer
> >     USA: The United States of America
> >     FGM: Female Genital Mutilation
> >
> > or maybe it doesn't deviate after all since they can also be
> > pronounced as words (any string of initials can).
> >
> > I'm going to let Anne-ology make the call.
> >
> > F.


--
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   ^ ^  Mark LaPierre
Registered Linux user No #267004
https://linuxcounter.net/
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