(no subject)

[deckardcanine]

I for one am a proponent of new initialisms, at least for online use. When they're done well, you don't even need to look them up. Not much context is needed to clarify "IYKWIM" if English is your first language.

Every so often, I realize that a phrase is said often enough that it merits an initialism. Most of the time, it already has the recognition of acronym sites when I check. But now I've discovered one that Google indicates to have been used only twice and on the same message board each time:

WOSML = Wrong On So Many Levels

Believe me, the phrase is said often enough.

Comments

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

You know, I had to look up "IYKWIM"... and me a linguist! For some reason it's not one I had ever encountered before. WOSML I like, so I sent it to the Urban Dictionary for review. It deserves to be adopted!

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Thank you. As for having to look up "IYKWIM," well, I didn't really give you a context.

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

You mean acronyms?

-=TK

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Strictly speaking, an initialism is not an acronym unless it can be pronounced like a word instead of a string of letters. I wasn't thinking to pronounce "WOSML" as "woss-mull," but some might.

[tiger-t.livejournal.com]

Try http://www.acronymfinder.com/
They don't seem to have WOSML right now, but you can find a familiar NSFH if you look in the 'Acronym Attic'. ;)

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

I know, I know, my terminology is old-fashioned. I even use that site at work.

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

Looking at some of the acronyms the US government has come up with, like Ass-vab, I'd say that isn't such a bad pronunciation.

-=TK

[makovette.livejournal.com]

We pronounced it as Az-Vab to avoid the anatomical connection :-P

CYa!
Mako