# acronym? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2011, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021 "2011-06-19T11:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/21 "2011-06-20T02:57:35Z")
As an aside, I have found it interesting that common Hebrew uses a ton of initialisms, and practically all of them are sounded out as acronyms. Well known ones in the West are Mossad, Knesset, e.g. Just today a friend, who works for ESRI, told me that had to attend meetings to announce that “ezri” was verboten, ostensibly because spelling out the initials sounded more science-y. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/22 "2011-06-20T03:01:19Z")
I always thought that a group of words whose first letters formed another word was the form of an acrostic. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/23 "2011-06-20T03:03:16Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > BTW, STOP = Shouldn’t Tease Our Policemen. I think I learned that in third grade. This is actually a [backronym](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backronym) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/24 "2011-06-20T03:12:46Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > This is actually a [backronym](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backronym) Great to know. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/25 "2011-06-20T03:15:19Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I always thought that a group of words whose first letters formed another word was the form of an acrostic. Here’s an ideal (and memorable) way to imagine an acrostic: > **[Hidden Message on Montreal Headstone](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/letter-rip/)** > > Epitaph on headstone in Montreal cemetery forms an unflattering acrostic. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/26 "2011-06-20T03:46:23Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I always thought that a group of words whose first letters formed another word was the form of an acrostic. Acrostics are hidden; you won’t notice them until you look. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/27 "2011-06-20T14:07:35Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > … > Just today a friend, who works for ESRI, told me that had to attend meetings to announce that “ezri” was verboten, ostensibly because spelling out the initials sounded more science-y. I work with their products & their support folks a bit. My understanding was that the ess-ree or ezz-ree pronunciation was historically verboten on pain of banishment. Only eee-ess-are-eye was permitted. Up until around late 2009 when the PTB there admitted defeat and now accept ezz-ree as tolerable, but to be discouraged in official marketing materials, presentations, etc. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021/28 "2011-06-20T15:08:02Z")
The Devil’s DP dictionary points out that every IT project should include a good acronymicist; becuase without a good acronym, a project is doomed. A field of specialty is TLA’s, or Three-Letter Acronyms. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym/586021.md?page=1)