What unrelated (or not) abbreviations/acronyms are like ICBM, for whatever reason?
Asked by
flo (
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August 1st, 2017
Edited to add:
What is interesting about ICBM and what other abbreviations/acronyms (unrelated but not necessarily) are like it?
By “unrelated or not”, I mean the topic of missles.
Added: If you see my tags my question is not about missles, wars, but how to make abbreviations. There are 3 words in the term Intercontinental Ballistic Missles, not 4. Intercontinental is one word.
https://tinyurl.com/y8bo6ccm (Intercontinental/ definition/ Google)
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26 Answers
IBM.
CoopCo.
SAM
CEO
Tons out there.
There is nothing “interesting” about it. It’s just easier and faster than saying, “Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.” Takes up less characters, too.
Like ICBM in what way? I don’t understand the question.
@flo do you mean abbreviations that share the same letters as ICBM, but mean something different? On a quick search I found the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota, if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for..?
Or do you mean abbreviations of other things that are in some way topically related to ICBMs, like the list that @Tropical_Willie found?
Do mean like it says a sentence? RUPN? IMPN2. (Well, not right now.)
AFKAP, back when Prince had no name.
BFD = Big Friggin’ Deal
POS = Piece of S**t
AMMMMETC = Anti Missle Missle Missle Missle Etc.
@all ,
I added to the question It was in edtiting ( _ it needs more detail_ ) since @Soubresaut ‘s post.
I think it is that the ICBM is an acronym for intercontinental ballistic missile. The IC stands for intercontinental which is one word not two. I think @flo is looking for other acronyms that use more letters than there are words. Is this correct @flo?
If that is what she is looking for then DMZ would be another example. Does the military make a habit of doing this?
Darn! I liked my answer better! About 30 years ago my kids had a toy called “Speak and Spell.” You’d type the letter and it would say the letter. They quickly learned: R U P N. I M P N 2.
It was hilarious to hear the mechanical voice say that string of letters. They were so little but knew they were doing something “naughty”.
“F U” said the Speak and Spell!
ICBM is not an acronym, it is an abbreviation.
An acronym is initials that are collectively pronounced as a word. NASA is pronounced as rhyming with Nassau; ICBM is “pronounced” Eye Cee Be Em.
In World War II a common acronym was CinCPac – pronounced sinkpack. It stood for Commander in Chief – Pacific.
SNAFU and FUBAR are acronyms, because people pronounce them as words, not a collection of initials.
Before I posted the OP I saw Google lists acronym and abbreviation as synonyms, but I just checked other sources and they don’t list them as synonyms. Now I know the difference.
In any case @zenvelo, it doesn’t change the fact that Intercontinental is one word, so, it’s IBM not ICBM, and Demiliterized is one word, so it’s DZ.
The 2nd word in Radio Detection And Ranging is D, and the word and doesn’t count, so, it’s RDR, not RADAR.
and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is AIS not AIDS.etc.
They might just do this to avoid conflicting with existing acronyms/abbreviations. IBM is already a well-known computing company so it would just be confusing to make a second IBM.
The context takes care of the possible confusion factor. A lot of words have multiple meanings. Same with abbreviations some acronyms.
The I in AIDS is not “immunodeficiency”. It is “Immune”. The third word is Deficiency.
(It was first called “GRID – Gay-Related Immune Deficiency”.
@flo Why don’t YOU google the acronym. An excerpt:
AIDS, and HIV, are acronyms. AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
-H I Vee ( letters spelled out) makes it an abbreviation.
https://tinyurl.com/y9y3j3xs (AIDS or not) both are in use.
-From your own link, 4the paragraph:
“HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, causes AIDS. HIV can be transmitted…”
@flo Yes, If you are infected with human immunodeficiency virus,and don’t get it treated, you may get Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
@zenvelo immnunodeficiency not immune deficiency (according to your own link) So,it should be HIDV?
IBM is already taken. It means International Business Machines.
Intercontinental could also be two words with a hyphen. So could Demilitarized.
@flo, it’s AIDS and not AIS because AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and it’s HIV and not HIDV because HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. In both of these cases each letter stands for one word, unlike ICBM.
As they say asked and answered.
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