# It's just an acronym, people!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 8, 2002, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874 "2002-05-08T10:39:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/1 "2002-05-08T10:39:57Z")
The World Wrestling Federation has finally had to cave under pressure from the World Wildlife Foundation and change their name to [World Wrestling Entertainment](http://www.wwe.com/).
For crying out loud, it’s just an acronym! I **know** the **W** ildlife organization has been around much longer than the **W** restling organization. But can you own an acronym? Ostensibly, the **W** ildlife people were fed up with web searches leading to the **W** restling page instead of their own. But the **F** oundation is non-profit. They don’t have to have a . **com** address; they should have been . **org** to begin with.
WW **E** just doesn’t sound right. The hissing **F** sounded ominous; a squealing **E** is weak. As is this.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/2 "2002-05-08T10:44:44Z")
You honestly ask why an organisation that’s spent time and money building a progile around an acronym would rather other organisations didn’t use that acronym?
So you honestly think BP, EDS, SAIC and other companies wouldn’t do the same?
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/3 "2002-05-08T10:46:08Z")
The “ **W** ” part is crap, as it’s predominantly US-based.
By being honest about its scope, they could keep that menacing hiss:
**USWF**. You could try saying it aloud, too: “Us Woof”.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/4 "2002-05-08T10:53:10Z")
You should drop the second W as well, as it’s not so much wrestling as bad acting.
So now we’re onto the USBAE. Honesty in advertising and all that.
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### Author:  [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/5 "2002-05-08T11:03:47Z")
WWF is an alphabetism not an acronym.
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### Author:  [@S.Mussberger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S.Mussberger)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/6 "2002-05-08T11:07:32Z")
It’s not really entertainment either is it? More a retarded broadcast for people with no clue
USBARBFPWNC. Hey it sound menacing enough.
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### Author:  [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/7 "2002-05-08T11:18:10Z")
**Gary** : There are only 26 letters. By your logic, The Who should have changed their name to avoid confusion with the World Health Organization.
**jjimm** : I assume you’re being sarcastic, but USWF does sound good.
All others: 😛
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### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/8 "2002-05-08T11:18:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Caught@Work \*
> \*\*WWF is an alphabetism not an acronym. \*\*
Pardon me? It’s NOT an acronym?😕
What is an alphabetism?
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### Author:  [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/9 "2002-05-08T11:23:10Z")
I can’t believe they didn’t think of this when they were naming the World Wrestling Federation in the first place. The original WWF isn’t exactly low profile, surely someone at the meeting that gave the OTHER WWF it’s name said “Hang on a moment… what if people think we’re the ones who are nice to animals?”
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### Author:  [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/10 "2002-05-08T11:30:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> More a retarded broadcast for people with no clue
Excuse me? Would you like to inform me how I dont have a clue?
Wrestling is nothing more than a crowd interaction theatre with strong men and acrobats. People cheer for the good guys, boo for the bad guys, and enjoy themselves.
Its called Escapism. You might as well throw in all works of fiction in all media as being retarded.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/11 "2002-05-08T11:31:34Z")
**Astroboy,** I believe \*\*Caught@Work[/b[ is referring to an **initialism.**
Initialisms: FBI, CIA, AFL-CIO, WWF (pronounced as initials)
Acronyms: NATO, UNICEF, radar, Nabisco (pronounced as words)
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/12 "2002-05-08T11:33:12Z")
Aw crap. I plead 6:30 a.m.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/13 "2002-05-08T11:44:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \*
> \*\ ***Astroboy,** I believe \*\*Caught@Work[/b[ is referring to an **initialism.**
>
> Initialisms: FBI, CIA, AFL-CIO, WWF (pronounced as initials)
> Acronyms: NATO, UNICEF, radar, Nabisco (pronounced as words) \*\*
You sure about those last two? - they aren’t composed entirely of initials, so aren’t they just abbreviations?
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### Author:  [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/14 "2002-05-08T12:12:23Z")
They should have changed the name to REF Retarded Entertainment Format.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/15 "2002-05-08T12:14:10Z")
_Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged:_
“acronym . . . a word formed from the initial letter **or letters** of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term (as _anzac, radar, snafu_)”
The definitions of _acronym, initialism,_ and _abbreviation_ do tend to vary among sources. In common usage, _acronym_ covers all of them, but we copyeditor types tend to break them down further. I was just supplying the more common term (I’ve never met _alphabetism,_ and it’s not defined as used here in any of my dictionaries).
Carry on with the original rant!
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### Author:  [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/16 "2002-05-08T12:15:41Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Pergau \*
> \*\*They should have changed the name to REF Retarded Entertainment Format. \*\*
Then what about Star Trek?
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/17 "2002-05-08T12:16:39Z")
Suspensions, _proprement dit._
Also, please note that UNICEF no longer stands for the organization’s actual full name - maybe UNESCO would be a better example.
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/18 "2002-05-08T12:19:52Z")
_Klingon B!tch-Slap @ TwistofFate_
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/19 "2002-05-08T12:21:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mangetout \*
> \*\*You sure about those last two? - they aren’t composed entirely of initials, so aren’t they just abbreviations? \*\*
Radar= **Ra** dio **D** etecting **a** nd **R** anging
Nabisco= **Na** tional **Bis** cuit **Co** mpany
I guess they would be abbreviations.
And regarding the original post: It’s the World Wildlife **Fund** , not Foundation. Yeah, nitpicking, I know.
I must say I like the WWE’s punny slogan regarding their name change: “Get the F out.”
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### Author:  [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-an-acronym-people/107874/20 "2002-05-08T12:23:03Z")
c’mon Matt, did you not see Voyager? even the WWE has more better storylines and acting 😉
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