Apronyms

[Angela]

Could this be the word we're replacing?

backronym

n. [portmanteau of back + acronym] A word
interpreted as an acronym that was not originally so intended. This
is a special case of what linguists call `back formation'. Examples
are given under BASIC, recursive acronym (Cygnus), Acme, and
mung. Discovering backronyms is a common form of wordplay among
hackers. Compare retcon.

[Tony]

>>> On 06 July 2003 22:41:57 UTC, Angela wrote:

Could this be the word we're replacing?

backronym

n. [portmanteau of back + acronym] A word
interpreted as an acronym that was not originally so intended. This
is a special case of what linguists call `back formation'. Examples
are given under BASIC, recursive acronym (Cygnus), Acme, and
mung. Discovering backronyms is a common form of wordplay among
hackers. Compare retcon.

Where did you find this and what does it say about the other words? I know 'mung' is a bean, but don't see how that could be connected to an expansion meaning 'a mung bean', and that is how I see apronyms, descriptive of the original meaning of the word, not just using a pronounceable word to suit one's purpose, as in MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving are not 'mad' in the accepted sense of the word, and that is why it is not an Apronym.

However I would be interested to see more of the article (or book entry?) you are quoting from.

[Angela]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=backronym

(I had typed more of a reply but the post was rejected as I hadn't typed a name in. Since I'm using Internet Explorer on Windows - not by choice - when I pressed back it had lost everything I'd typed. I think the forums should be changed to show the message form whenever there is an error, so that it can be altered and re-posted without having to go back first.)

[Tony]

Angela wrote:


> I think the forums should be changed to show the message form whenever there is an error,
> so that it can be altered and re-posted without having to go back first.)

If you wish. I have never had that experience using Netscape or Mail on my iBook, in fact if i press back after getting an eror message I get taken back to the message, and another press even brings me back to the message I have just replied to.
Maybe it's a Windows-only thing.

[Angela]

I'm pretty sure it is a Windows only thing, or an IE only thing. I've never had that problem on my Mac. But it could just be to do with setup... if a browser is set to always load a page from the server and never use its cache, then it would most likely forget what was in the text field.

[Angela]

I think backronym has more of a connotation of creating an expansion for something which was mistakenly thought to already be an acronym, while apronyms are just for fun. In any case, apronym and apronyms have more google results than backronym and backronyms respectively.

[Jeff]

I see the distinction as that a backronym (the entry you found on those was from what appeared to be Eric Raymond's jargon file) must be a reexpansion, while an apronym can just as easily be the original expansion.  Backronyms are really a subtype of apronyms.

[Angela]

Backronyms are not necessarily reexpansions... in the case of BASIC and OK they were original expansions but they were created because people already thought (mistakenly) that the words were already acronyms.

I've seen some of the common car-make apronyms referred to as backronyms too.

I just added mention of apronyms to the backronyms pages on a few wikis.

[Angela]

>>> On 06 July 2003 22:04:39 UTC, Tony wrote:

Angela wrote:

> I see you're spinning another of those warped yarns where you entwine our chat with some other line of thought according to your whim.
> It might prove you can string two words together but some might say it's lame and even crapy.

Ouch, I felt that, but my basic reply is "Stuff and nonsense!"

I think you've worsted me now. I don't know if such groan-worthy material should be allowed on the net, it's bad for the oral fibre.

[Tony]

Angela wrote:

> I think you've worsted me now.

I see trouble looming, I've got a warped mind. It always gets worse after I've sat in this chair for too long.



> I don't know if such groan-worthy material should be allowed on the net, it's bad for the oral fibre.

Would that be akin to dental floss?

[Jeff]

<angela>
Backronyms are not necessarily reexpansions... in the case of BASIC and OK they were original expansions but they were created because people already thought (mistakenly) that the words were already acronyms.
</angela>

That's what I meant.  Reexpansions or what are believed to be an expansion.  BASIC = Beginners' Allpurpose Symbolic Instruction Code at least makes some sense, i.e. it is a logical apronym, but (there being no original expansion) it is a backronym as it was applied ex post facto and believed to be original.  OK = Old Kinderhook in the sense of not literally referring to Martin van Buren (whose friends might have indeed called him OK) really makes no sense.  "Oll Korrect" isn't exactly very fitting either, as "OK" is more often used as an affirmitive than a confirmation of accuracy.


<angela>
I just added mention of apronyms to the backronyms pages on a few wikis.
</angela>

Wikis are good.  I did "liberty cabbage" on Wikipedia.

[Angela]

Another distinction between apronyms and backronyms is that although, for this site, we usually go from the apronym to the expansion (which is where the back in backronym comes from) an apronym can be formed in the other direction, or more likely, both directions at once. The apronyms QUEST and SMART originally mentioned when Paul asked for a word probably began with the initials for something and then were altered to spell the closest word. I doubt they would be called backronyms.

By the way, this page is interesting: http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?EtymologyOfOkay

(that page also links to one on backronyms, to which I have added a very short description of apronyms which probably looks more like a plug for this site than anything... feel free to alter it.)

[Tony]

Angela wrote:

> By the way, this page is interesting: http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?EtymologyOfOkay

> (that page also links to one on backronyms, to which I have added a very short description of apronyms which probably looks more like a plug for this site than anything... feel free to alter it.)

I've been to wiki and left a mark or two.

[Angela]

More on the Google experiment...

I've been monitoring the response to 'apronym' and 'apronyms' every couple of days. Not too long ago there were around 1100 results each for apronym and apronyms. A few days later, about 5000. Today, about 7500 hits for apronyms and 3340 for apronym.

Almost all results are on acronyms.co.nz or apronyms.com (many are probably repeats as they're on both domains), but it looks impressive! :^) Google has found more pages than I even knew existed on the site, and within a few weeks. Go Google! (Go-ogle?)

Even Altscape has mentioned Apronyms - I didn't realise there was any semblance of life still at Altscape. Now I know something has been stirring there recently, since they called it by its new name. See, vanity searching can be useful.

Argh! On the subject of vanity searching, in the last few days Tony has somehow overtaken me. His name has about 200 more Google search results than mine, the opposite of how things used to be.

[Tony]

Angela wrote:

> Argh! On the subject of vanity searching, in the last few days Tony has somehow overtaken me.

It's the longer legs that allow the overtaking.

LONGER LEGS

Lads Ogle Nicely Grown Extensions, Really Extended = Greater Sexuality (?)