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JohnRich

Should "skydive" be one word or two?

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Okay, everyone is voting "one word".

So that brings up a contradiction. When we abbreviate a drop zone name with an acronym, it always begins with "SD". For example, "Skydive Houston" is abbreviated as "SDH". The rules for creation of acronyms require that the first letter of each word be used. Therefore, by using "SD" to represent "skydive", it implies that it is two words, not one: "Sky Dive Houston". If the one-word version is to be adopted, then it should be abbreviated "SH". So, we write it out as one word, but abbreviate it as if it's two words. What's with that?

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Good point!

While odd to make acronyms out of parts of words, and not full words, we can find some other precedents.

We do the same with dropzone, DZ, vs. drop zone. We use the two words as one single concept, and some or many of us turn it into one word.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid becomes DNA not DA, but chemical names aren't mainstream words.

Airport Rescue and Firefighting in NTSB reports becomes ARFF not ARF.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. But it shows there isn't just one simple rule used all the time for making acronyms.

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And Then There is Dropzone and Drop Zone. Go figure :D What about those who say "sk'dive" or "skyyyyydiive"? Or DZ.Com or Dizzy. com? :P

I could probably go on and find other illustrations.

I voted one word BTW. :)
People can't spell nowadays, anyway, so who can tell besides us oldfolks (or is that old folks or old-folks)? :P

lisa
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Okay, everyone is voting "one word".

So that brings up a contradiction. When we abbreviate a drop zone name with an acronym, it always begins with "SD". For example, "Skydive Houston" is abbreviated as "SDH". The rules for creation of acronyms require that the first letter of each word be used. Therefore, by using "SD" to represent "skydive", it implies that it is two words, not one: "Sky Dive Houston". If the one-word version is to be adopted, then it should be abbreviated "SH". So, we write it out as one word, but abbreviate it as if it's two words. What's with that?



The medication only works if you take it every day (everyday?). :)

Sparky
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Dood... Don't forget LSD



Yeah, that would be A for ACID, which is an anagram it's self (atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability).

Don't Pull Low... Unless You ARE!!!
The pessimist says, "It can't get any worse than this." The optimist says, "Sure, it can."
Be fun, have safe.

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Okay, everyone is voting "one word".

So that brings up a contradiction. When we abbreviate a drop zone name with an acronym, it always begins with "SD". For example, "Skydive Houston" is abbreviated as "SDH". The rules for creation of acronyms require that the first letter of each word be used. Therefore, by using "SD" to represent "skydive", it implies that it is two words, not one: "Sky Dive Houston". If the one-word version is to be adopted, then it should be abbreviated "SH". So, we write it out as one word, but abbreviate it as if it's two words. What's with that?


There's no rule that says an acronym has to only use the first letter of each word. It's common for acronyms to use multiple letters from words or skip words.

California Department of Transportation - "Caltrans"

Medical Information Super Computer - "MedICS"

Marsh Management Activities for Learning the Lifestyles of Wildlife - "MarshMALLOW"

Biodiversity and Ecosystems Informatics Work Group - "BioEco"

California Highway Patrol - "CHiPs"

Technically, acronyms are a specific form of initializations. Initializations and acronyms are abbreviations that shorten a title or phrase using the first letters of each word. The difference is that acronyms create a speakable word.

Initializations - FBI, CIA, USCG, USAF, NBA, USPA

Acronyms - NASCAR, QANTAS, NIMBY, SWAT

So, SDH isn't an acronym because it's not a pronouncable word, it's an initialized abbreviation using the first letter of each word including compound words.
It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

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CHipS . Ha Ha Ha! I grew up in Southern California. No one ever called them that UNTIL the stupid TV show. They were called C.H.P.s

No one called it "Calli". At the most, we said Cal. It was NO CAL, or SO CAL. If you were really cool , you were "so, So. Cal".

Oh, and I think they were called "medics" long before computers :P

lisa
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CHipS . Ha Ha Ha! I grew up in Southern California. No one ever called them that UNTIL the stupid TV show. They were called C.H.P.s

No one called it "Calli". At the most, we said Cal. It was NO CAL, or SO CAL. If you were really cool , you were "so, So. Cal".

Oh, and I think they were called "medics" long before computers :P


Well, that was random! :S
It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

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How was that random, you brought it up :P


Where did "Calli" come from? I didn't bring that up.

Yes, most people refer to it as the CHP, but definitely people did use the words "CHiPs" and "CHIPPIES" before the show came out. Even so, the name of the show itself was an acronym of CHP, which was my point. CHP is an initialization, "CHiPs" is an acronym.

"Medics" is short for "Paramedics", which wasn't what I was talking about. My example referred to a medical computer system called "Medical Information Super Computer" which is abbreviated with an acronym -"MEDICS."
It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

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The medication only works if you take it every day (everyday?). :)

Sparky



Here's one of my pet peeves (for those who don't know, each is correct but each in its own part of speech). I can forgive the average typo, but when it's used incorrectly in publishing or advertising it drives me nuts!

And continuing with the theme of the thread however -- no one or noone? :P
See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

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I wasn't going to say anything, but I was just wondering how this got into a post:

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Yeah, that would be A for ACID, which is an anagram it's self (atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability).


I've never seen the word itself embellished upon in such a way.
It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

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CHipS . Ha Ha Ha! I grew up in Southern California. No one ever called them that UNTIL the stupid TV show. They were called C.H.P.s

No one called it "Calli". At the most, we said Cal. It was NO CAL, or SO CAL. If you were really cool , you were "so, So. Cal".

Oh, and I think they were called "medics" long before computers :P


Well, that was random! :S


I loved that show!

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I think from a simplistic gramatical point of view it should be two words, as we dive out of the sky and the term describes what we do.

I write it as one word however and feel that on balance, that's how it should be written.

Skydiving is now a sport in and of its self. It is more than merely diving out of the sky. It is "skydiving". Take ownership of the term and use it as a verb/noun in its own right, as more than simply the sum of its constituant parts (literally and figuratively). You don't just dive out of the sky - you skydive.

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While we're splitting hairs, there's a difference between an acronym, and an initilism. Acronyms are pronounced as a word as "SCUBA", or "LASER". "ACDZ", "SDKS" are initilisms since we don't attempt to pronounce them as words, but as a list of letters.

"Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT? 'Cause if it leaks to the VC he could end up MIA, and then we'd all be put on KP."
Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

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