# Is there a term for a back-engineered acronym?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-a-back-engineered-acronym/51584>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 24, 2001, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-a-back-engineered-acronym/51584 "2001-01-24T18:18:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Bboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Bboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bboy)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-a-back-engineered-acronym/51584/21 "2001-02-11T18:01:34Z")

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Hey Snooooopy,

I can’t tell from your post if you’re actually on the right track yet or not.

Solvent: able to meet one’s financial responsibilities.

Useless Rear is just sort of a polite way to say Worthless Ass, but W.A. doesn’t work into the intended acronym unless you speak Brooklynese…but then the rest of it would be all wrong.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-a-back-engineered-acronym/51584/22 "2001-02-11T19:57:16Z")

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Quoth **Jeff** :

> [@](#):
>
> Thanks again for letting me rant.

[Moderator watch ON]  
Who said anything about letting you rant? We do have a place for rants on the Straight Dope, namely our BBQ Pit forum. if you’d like to post your little story there, feel free. You most emphatically do **not** have permission to rant here, however.

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**Author:** ![Bboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Bboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bboy)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-a-back-engineered-acronym/51584/23 "2001-02-11T21:03:37Z")

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My humble apologies to everyone here.

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-a-back-engineered-acronym/51584/24 "2001-02-11T21:15:50Z")

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My favorite backronyms/uselss acronyms:  
**GNU** : **G** NU’s **N** ot **U** nix.

**GOD** : **G** OD **O** ver **D** jinns. (Read _Godel Escher Bach: The Eternal Golden Braid_ if you don’t get it.)

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