# Is Seals, as in Navy Seals, an acronym? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856 "2011-05-14T00:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/21 "2011-05-16T13:12:48Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > So? Read the thread. This means that the acronym was not invented after the name was established. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/22 "2011-05-16T13:37:18Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Unlike other Naval personnel, who have no competence whatsoever to operate in those environments. Historically very different, Navy blows stuff up from a distance and repairs damage of a floating platform. They act as a small part of a much bigger unit, so to speak. As part of this larger unit, the Seal team section is a section to handle the stuff that doesn’t fit into the core activity. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/23 "2011-05-16T13:39:44Z")
IIRC, they were originally called Frogmen, then UDT, then SEALS. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/24 "2011-05-16T14:08:12Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Read the thread. This means that the acronym was not invented after the name was established. That’s not what a backronym is. You’re thinking of folk etymology, where an origin is made up after the word exists. A backronym is just a phrase constructed for the specific purpose of coming up with a cool acronym. It’s when you decide what you want your name to be and then you make up a phrase to justify it. Like, the gym has a program called CHISEL which they claim is “Creating Huge Increases in Strength and Endurance Levels”. Yeah, right, like they came up with the phrase and it just so happened to spell out a perfect word for a healthy, fit body. Or the Defense Advanced GPS Receiver just so happens to be pronounced “Dagger”. Those are backronyms. There’s about a million of them in the military because, hey, cool names sell products. “SEALs” is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/25 "2011-05-16T14:25:41Z")
[QUOTE=Chessic Sense] Those are backronyms. There’s about a million of them in the military because, hey, cool names sell products. “SEALs” is one of them. [/QUOTE] One slightly used SEAL Team for sale, please inquire within. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/26 "2011-05-16T14:28:43Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > One slightly used SEAL Team for sale, please inquire within. I’m sure they prefer the term, “Pre-Owned”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/27 "2011-05-16T14:58:31Z")
And the first course they take is another acronym: BUD/s, which stands for “Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL”. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/28 "2011-05-16T15:24:22Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Read the thread. This means that the acronym was not invented after the name was established. Pretty much what **Chessic Sense** said, although I wouldn’t go as far as declaring SEAL is a backronym, just that _“it could be argued”_. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/29 "2011-05-16T15:51:20Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > So outer space is off limits? Last week a screen capture was making the rounds. A news program intended to show the emblem of US Navy SEAL team 6. Instead, they showed the emblem of the fictional Maquis SEALS team 6. Note the final S; I’m guessing it stands for “space” as this was from one of the Star Trek neverending spin-off serieses. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/30 "2011-05-16T16:01:06Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > IIRC, they were originally called Frogmen, then UDT, then SEALS. UDT was the precursor to the SEALs (although there was a time when both programs existed). The difference, IIRC, was that the UDTs job stopped at the shoreline (as in: they blew up stuff that was in the water, but didn’t go on land and shoot people). ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856/31 "2011-05-16T17:06:23Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > Last week a screen capture was making the rounds. A news program intended to show the emblem of US Navy SEAL team 6. Have to be careful with that – Disney is trying to trademark “SEAL Team 6” so they can sell products related to it: > **[Disney seeks SEAL Team 6 trademark - UPI.com](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2011/05/14/Disney-seeks-SEAL-Team-6-trademark/UPI-91721305384760/)** > > Disney has filed an application to trademark the name of the U.S. commando unit credited with dispatching Osama bin Laden. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-seals-as-in-navy-seals-an-acronym/581856.md?page=1)