Meaningful acronyms

[Sean Lamb]

> <a href=> news</a>

A Harried Reader Errs Filing New Entry Which Spells Apronym

[TMcCO'G]

>>> On 09 May 2004 01:27:46 UTC, Hugh wrote:
> The proposed term "apronym," if it made any linguistic and
> etymological sense, would be redundant at best. As it is, the
> proposed term is illogical and ungrammatical. Why, you ask?
> I'll tell you.

No Hugh, I didn't ask, so please don't tell me.
I am my own pedant!
If you don't like it here go and establish your own site. We have our little bit of harmless fun here, and we enjoy it. If you find it objectionable, why visit us?



> What does APROPOS mean, you ask? It comes to us from
> French and it means "with regard to." For example:

> Apropos the discussion in this forum, methinks the
> participants are largely confused sixth graders who
> haven't yet  figured out the English language.

> Hope that clears things up for you.

You are trying to 'clear up' something which doesn't need clarification. The English language is a living thing, it grows and modifies by ingesting owrds from other languages which English speakers find useful. In the process of ingestion the words often undergo radical change from their original meaning, but they usually just acquire subtle nuances.

Are you so averse to change? Why?

Have you ever used the word "smashing" to equate with 'good' or 'great' - "We had a smashing day out at the zoo." or "The dinner was smashing."?
Did you ever wonder how a word connected with destruction could be used in such a context?

[Sean Lamb]

> Have you ever used the word "smashing" to
> equate with 'good' or 'great' - "We had a
> smashing day out at the zoo." or "The dinner
> was smashing."?
> Did you ever wonder how a word connected with
> destruction could be used in such a context?

Or our favorite from Aardman Animation...  "Cracking toast, Gromit!"

[TMcCO'G]

On 24 August 2004 13:27:33 UTC, Sean Lamb wrote:

> Or our favorite from Aardman Animation...  "Cracking toast, Gromit!"

No Sean, the point I was trying to make to Hugh was that the word 'smashing' is an import. It is the Anglicisation of an Irish phrase 'is maith sin' which translates as 'that's good'. His beloved English language marches on and survives by taking what it feels it needs from other languages, and also by modifying the meanings of existing words - 'cool' for example refers, for a new generation, to what I would have referred to as 'hot'!

[Thera]

Were the last two posts supposed to make no sense whatsoever?


>>> On 10 July 2003 00:29:40 UTC, Angela wrote:

I'm not volunteering to expand it!

[Tony]

Thera wrote:

> Were the last two posts supposed to make no sense whatsoever?

What didn't you understand, Thera?

I was pointing out that English is a living, growing language.
I indicated that the word 'smashing' when used to mean something good, comes from the Irish language.

[Angela]

Going by the message Thera quoted, I would guess that Thera was referring to nhksjafj,as's post and my response to it.

In that case, yes, as far as I know nhksjafj,as's post wasn't supposed to make any sense. My response to it was a jest attempting to make some sense out of it, since I suppose it could have stood for something which made sense.

For example, perhaps nhksjafj,as was actually an acronym for:

Nobody Here Knows Stupid Jokes Aren't Fun Jokes, Apronymising's Stupid.

[jim]

>>> On 10 July 2003 00:05:34 UTC, nhksjafj,as wrote:

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