WTHDTM?

Good Morning Virtual Readers! Time for another fun-filled weblog about . . . well, nothing. Okay not exactly nothing, I’m sure there is something, but what I couldn’t say. Are you with me so far? There was an incident a while back that I’m sure I’m not allowed to discuss, so I won’t. At least not directly, but the incident revolved around an acronym of dubious distinction to say the least, and a loss of livelihood. I’d love to repeat it here for you but that would probably get me publicly flogged, and as much as that sounds like fun, I think I’ll pass. It did, however, get me thinking about acronyms and what their purpose is in the English language. How did they come about and do we need them? So if you will indulge me I will try to get to the bottom of this acronym thingy. Or AT if you prefer. I will start by saying that I think in some circles they are overused, at the place that I go to every night and they pay me money, they are so overused that people no longer remember what they stand for. That’s handy. The acronym’s origin dates back to ye ole Roman days and was used mostly to save space on coins and other such small items. Or to save the scholars fingers, as they had to write all the, thee’s and tho’s crap, by hand. It wasn’t until the 19th and 20th century when things went off of the rails, again it mostly started out shortening business names to fit on barrels or rail cars or anywhere the long-ass-name couldn’t fit. American Telephone & Telegraph Company = AT&T for example. But that example and the title of this weblog aren’t acronyms, they are actually initialisms. I’ll admit at this point that this whole acronym thing has a lot more history behind it then I care to go into so I’ll touch on the finer bits. Initialisms are words made up of, duh, initials and you have to say the initials, like, USA or BBC. Acronyms are usually words made up of the initials or parts of a phrase but are spoken as new words. Scuba = self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. So it’s understandable how some of the words that we use daily are acronyms that have survived a long and fruitful life. These words now appear on my radar. (Radio detection and ranging.) Of course, as technology has moved ahead in giant leaps and bounds, and thanks to Al Gore we now have the Internet, acronyms/initialisms have taken on a life of their own. Oh didn’t you know? Yeah, Al Gore claims he invented the Internet. WTF? The terminology is now a language unto its own right, LOL, OMW, ROFLMAO. It’s like trying to listen to Sylvester Stallone speak in any of the 1800 Rocky movies. Adrian!!! Or Arnold as the Governor of California, I hope you know who I mean because I don’t know how to spell his last name, and I don’t have time to take the class.

But I’d like to suggest that some of the acronyms we use today were created so we could use a term, which is scandalous and or expletive in nature. Hollywood has built heroes and villains around such acronyms. Kurt Russell and Sly Stallone in Tango and Cash simply overused FUBAR, but it has become a term that is well used today. Another military term that has been around a while and has also been used in countless movies is SNAFU. There is another acronym that may or may not be of military origin, it has something to do with mothers and some such. Granted not a pretty acronym, but the argument can be made that in an over-the-top sort of way, it is a compliment.

If indeed we use any of these latter acronyms in mixed company, should they be a source of offensiveness? Well, I guess that depends on the mixed company and the way in which they are delivered. Another prudent ability is to know your audience, know where and when to use any sort of risqué language because someone somewhere is just waiting to be offended. If you choose to use any of these in a social setting you are bound to hear this. What The Hell Does That Mean? Oh and just for fun there are also bacronyms, these are phrases created out of previously existing words. So take the word Mom and make a phrase, Mentor Of Me. Okay, that sucked but you get the idea. Why did I use the word mom I wonder? Anyway, have fun and stay safe and remember, in mixed company, someone is just waiting to be offended.

BENT = Behind Empty Negative Truths.

Assante Wholestetter ass.wholestetter@gmail.com