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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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Acronyms in all uppercase?
I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?
Top answer
Glenn filted: [nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. r
- Glenn filted: [nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase.
- r
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8 Answers
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Glenn filted:
[nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?[/nq]
Passage of time, I think..."laser" and "scuba" also began life as acronyms, but many people have simply forgotten that...likewise, you seldom see people writing that they f
[nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?[/nq]
Passage of time, I think..."laser" and "scuba" also began life as acronyms, but many people have simply forgotten that...likewise, you seldom see people writing that they f
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[nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?[/nq]
You are assuming that an acronym can never be absorbed into the language as a common word with its origin either forgotten or irrelevant.
Bob Lieblich
Former sonar instructor
You are assuming that an acronym can never be absorbed into the language as a common word with its origin either forgotten or irrelevant.
Bob Lieblich
Former sonar instructor
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[nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?[/nq]
Also Asdic from WW2.
We counting 'bit'?
The short answer is that acronyms may consist of all or some lower case letters.
John Dean
Oxford
Also Asdic from WW2.
We counting 'bit'?
The short answer is that acronyms may consist of all or some lower case letters.
John Dean
Oxford
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[nq:2]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using ... spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?[/nq]
[nq:1]Also Asdic from WW2. We counting 'bit'? The short answer is that acronyms may consist of all or some lower case letters.[/nq]
A little longer answer is that after an acronym has established itself as a word in the language to the point where most people forg
[nq:1]Also Asdic from WW2. We counting 'bit'? The short answer is that acronyms may consist of all or some lower case letters.[/nq]
A little longer answer is that after an acronym has established itself as a word in the language to the point where most people forg
00
...
} But I also see
}
} TELCOMCOM Telecommunications Command
}
} which by my rule would be "TelComCom".
You sure you don't see "TELECOMMCOM"? Back in the day we always used two M's in abbreviating "communications" and one for "command".
Kids nowadays!
R. J. Valentine
} But I also see
}
} TELCOMCOM Telecommunications Command
}
} which by my rule would be "TelComCom".
You sure you don't see "TELECOMMCOM"? Back in the day we always used two M's in abbreviating "communications" and one for "command".
Kids nowadays!
R. J. Valentine
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[nq:1]I have always thought that acronyms MUST be spelled using all uppercase, but then I found out that "radar" is an acronym, and that is never spelled in all uppercase. Where am I going wrong here?[/nq]
So is laser.
The rule varies according to the house style of the publisher. If you are not writing for publication, then follow whatever rule you like.
Many publishers capitalis
So is laser.
The rule varies according to the house style of the publisher. If you are not writing for publication, then follow whatever rule you like.
Many publishers capitalis
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[nq:1]When some of the components of an acronym are the first two or so letters of a word rather than ... "RaDAR". Looks good to me. "RaDAR" will probably never happen, but in an acronym list at http://tinyurl.com/yr5om , I see[/nq]
So Soweto would be SoWeTo?
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
So Soweto would be SoWeTo?
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
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[nq:2]Also Asdic from WW2. We counting 'bit'? The short answer is that acronyms may consist of all or some lower case letters.[/nq]
[nq:1]A little longer answer is that after an acronym has established itself as a word in the language to the point where most people forget it's an acronym, it's natural to make it all lowercase. That's what's happened with "radar" and "sonar".[/nq]
The earli
[nq:1]A little longer answer is that after an acronym has established itself as a word in the language to the point where most people forget it's an acronym, it's natural to make it all lowercase. That's what's happened with "radar" and "sonar".[/nq]
The earli
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