# laser, maser, scuba...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 4, 2000, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929 "2000-12-04T10:17:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/1 "2000-12-04T10:17:40Z")
Laser, maser, scuba… all of these are acronyms that are so common that most people (not us dopers, of course…:)).
What other acronyms have entered the language and become so ubiquitous that people have forgotten that they are acronyms? My students want to know…
Anyone?
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/2 "2000-12-04T10:40:35Z")
How about radar and sonar?
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### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/3 "2000-12-04T11:18:02Z")
Good one **Snoopy**!!
But, what are the acronmys? Radar: RAdio Detection And Ranging? Sonar: SOund detectioN And Ranging?
Are those correct?
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/4 "2000-12-04T13:06:10Z")
You got it right for radar. Sonar is **so** und **n** avigation **a** nd **r** anging.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/5 "2000-12-04T13:15:39Z")
Maser is Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Once you have that, LASER (Light Amplification …) is obvious, so it’s not surprising that at least two groups independently came up with it.
What’s interesting is that LASER has , by “backformation” contributed the verb “to lase” to the language.
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### Author:  [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/6 "2000-12-04T13:19:37Z")
Nasa. National Aeronautics and Space Administration,son of Naca. Nat. Advisory Council on Aeronautics. MTS
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/7 "2000-12-04T13:58:34Z")
I’ve commonly heard “Snafu” used as an ordinary word.
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### Author:  [@Estragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estragon)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/8 "2000-12-04T15:07:07Z")
check out [http://www.acronymfinder.com](http://www.acronymfinder.com). there is a “most common” section that may be particularly useful.
love,
S.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/9 "2000-12-04T16:30:25Z")
While we’re at it, Taser stands for Tom A. Swift’s Electric Rifle.
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### Author:  [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/10 "2000-12-04T19:33:11Z")
How about these:
CPU - Central Processing Unit
RAM - Random Access Memory
DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory
SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
RDRAM - Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
DRDRAM - Direct Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory (how many more layers can they go???)
ROM - Read Only Memory
CD - Compact Disc
CDR - Compact Disc Recorder
VCR - Video Cassette Recorder
VHS - Vertical Helix Scan
CRT - Cathode Ray Tube
TV - TeleVision
PDA - Personal Digital Assistant
PIM - Personal Information Manager
OS - Operating System
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get (pronounced wizzy wig)
GREP - Global Regular Expression Print
FAQ - Frequently Asked (Answered) Questions
SCSI - Small Computer System Interface (pronounced scuzzy)
Just off the top of my geeky little head…
Actually, I can think of a lot more… I spend all day talking alphabet soup…
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/11 "2000-12-04T19:44:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JoeyBlades \*
> \*\*How about these:
>
> CPU - Central Processing Unit
> CD - Compact Disc
> CDR - Compact Disc Recorder
> VCR - Video Cassette Recorder
> VHS - Vertical Helix Scan
> CRT - Cathode Ray Tube
> TV - TeleVision
> PDA - Personal Digital Assistant
> OS - Operating System
> DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory
> SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
> RDRAM - Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
> DRDRAM - Direct Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
> \*\*
The first group aren’t acronyms, which have to be pronounced as a word. We don’t say “Cuppu” or “Cert”, we say “C-P-U” or “C-R-T”.
The second group are only semi-acronyms, since the first parts are pronounced as separate letters.
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### Author:  [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2000, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/12 "2000-12-04T20:13:01Z")
Laser is the worst - americans even spell it lazer.
LOL - i love that acronym site. my favourit is TWAT - Tank Waste Audit Team
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### Author:  [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/13 "2000-12-05T00:10:35Z")
jayjay:
> [@](#):
>
> The first group aren’t acronyms, which have to be pronounced as a word.
What makes you think an acronym needs to be pronouncable as a word, per se? I’m pretty sure that all of the ones I gave you would show up in most (if not all) “official” acronym references. An acronym is merely a word-like string of characters, usually comprised of the first letters of the words from a common phrase.
> [@](#):
>
> The second group are only semi-acronyms, since the first parts are pronounced as separate letters.
Not to give your overall claim that these were not acronyms any credence, however, for the record I do say “DRAM” as opposed to “DEE-RAM”.
Nukeman:
> [@](#):
>
> Laser is the worst - americans even spell it lazer.
Huh? I’ve never seen it spelled like that except in the case of the trademarked name LazerTag ™. Perhaps you’re thinking of Frazier which is an Americanized version of Fraser???
BTW, my favorite geek acronym (that **IS** frequently pronounced) is the perl motto TMTOWTDI (There’s More Than One Way To Do It). The pronounciation is essentially “Tim Tow Dee”. I didn’t include it before because it’s a bit obscure to the average dude or dudette on the street.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/14 "2000-12-05T01:34:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> What makes you think an acronym needs to be pronouncable as a word, per se?
From [http://www.acronymfinder.com](http://www.acronymfinder.com) :
> [@](#):
>
> An acronym is a _ **pronounceable** _ word formed from each of the first letters of a descriptive phrase.
I knew I’d read it in a print publication or two, also. Now, I’ll admit that it’s not the only definition out there, but if you _want_ to be linguistically permissive, be my guest.
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### Author:  [@RavingMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavingMad)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/15 "2000-12-05T02:29:07Z")
I’ll side with jayjay here: in order to be a proper acronym, the string of letters must be both pronounceable and actually pronounced as a word. NASA and RAM, therefore, are acronyms.
VHS and LED are not.
One distinction is to call words like CIA and CPU initialisms. My Torment Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary defines an initialism as: “ **An abbreviation of a phrase consisting of the initial letter of each word in the phrase; distinguishable from an acronym in that it is not pronounced as a single word.** ” It’s a handy way to differentiate them.
To the list I’ll add:
–Lasik (not quite certain what it stands for, though. Also, it hasn’t quite attained true ‘word’ status like laser as it still retains its initial capital letter.)
–CAT scan (though it keeps its capitals, not too many know it stands for Computerized Axial Tomography.)
NASDAQ (keeps its capitals, but no one off Wall Street seems to know what it means. Uh, what does it mean?)
As a related aside, does anybody know a word to describe terms like laser that once were acronyms but have now morphed into true words (to the point where, as CalMeacham points out, “lase” is now a verb)?
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### Author:  [@KeithT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithT)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/16 "2000-12-05T02:46:51Z")
From [acronymfinder.com](http://acronymfinder.com):
**NASDAQ** : National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation
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### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/17 "2000-12-05T03:20:05Z")
Thanks all! And a special thanks to **estrogen** for the link!
But what I’m really looking for are acronyms (keep in mind I haven’t checked the link out yet) that have become so common that most people have forgotten that they _are_ acronyms… so CPU, etc. don’t fit the bill.
My students want to be able to stump native speakers of English with acronyms…
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/18 "2000-12-05T03:53:01Z")
NASCAR, perhaps. And ‘Nabisco’ comes from National Biscuit Company.
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/19 "2000-12-05T05:01:51Z")
Although this only applies to Québec, Cegep is an acronym-turned-word. It stands for **C** ollège d’ **é** ducation **g** énérale et **p** rofessionel
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### Author:  [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-maser-scuba/43929/20 "2000-12-05T05:07:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by STARK \*
> \*\*I’ll side with jayjay here: in order to be a proper acronym, the string of letters must be both pronounceable and actually pronounced as a word. NASA and RAM, therefore, are acronyms. VHS and LED are not. \*\*
I’ll have to disagree with you partially on LED, which stands for ‘light emitting diode’. Although my experience is that years ago it was universally pronounced as L-E-D, it is now commonly (though not always) pronounced as a single sylable word, sounding exactly the same as ‘lead’, the very heavy metal.
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