What is the word or phrase called when each letter is the first word of something else? (as in: "I CHOOSE" = Integrity, Character, Hard work, Ownership, Opportunity, Service, Education)
(btw - these values comprise the philosophy of Booker T. Washington.)
(I know I should know this... I'm having a senior moment.
acrostic
I knew this, but just for fun, I tried
www.onelook.com's reverse dictionary. I entered - starting letter spells - and it came up with acrostic as its first guess. I'm amazed because it usually doesn't work that well
Hey, Ron, welcome aBoard! Are you looking for "acronym"?
EDIT: Myr, you jumped in ahead of me! [mock glare e] Ah well, you're probably right.
i've heard of both words but i don't know what is the difference between acrostic and acronym.
jackie: looking forward to Louisville's big day?
I always thought an acrostic was the game form of acronym?
There is a type of puzzle called an acrostic which is a completely different beast. You answer clues. Each answer letter has a number (not in order). You put the letters in the order of the numbers and it spells out a quote or a joke.
The OP's thing is also called an acrostic. For example:
An Acrostic by Edgar Allan Poe
Elizabeth it is in vain you say
"Love not" — thou sayest it in so sweet a way:
In vain those words from thee or L.E.L.
Zantippe's talents had enforced so well:
Ah! if that language from thy heart arise,
Breath it less gently forth — and veil thine eyes.
Endymion, recollect, when Luna tried
To cure his love — was cured of all beside —
His follie — pride — and passion — for he died.
An acronym is a word made from the first initials of the phrase it stands for - sort of the opposite process. It is not a word in itself beforehand, e.g. Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus = scuba.
Myridon's puzzle acrostic is called, at least in the New York Times, a double acrostic
Acronym. That's it! My brain was stuck on "anagram" but I knew that to be incorrect. So I Googled "anagram" and found this site and your help. I hope I never get over the wonderfulness and sense of community the 'Net enables. Thank you all muchly.
Hmmm, mnemonic, but only partially.
"I CHOOSE" is formed as an acronym (each letter meaning a word). A mnemonic is formed of words and only the 1st letter of which means another word. (so I=integrity, and C=character).
Have we stumbled onto something new? This acronym happens to ALSO be a phrase that ALSO is related to the philosophy that the individual letter-words reference. to. My brain hurts... I think I'll just stick with acronym.
Big day? More than that! Here's a quote from our newspaper yesterday:
We race joggers, runners, rodents, beds, horses (duh), hot-air balloons and wine glasses.
About the only thing we don't race is cars. Traffic is appalling. Ask the folks whose autos crept home down River Road last night. At least they took the scenic route.
River Road was gridlocked because we raced steamboats on the Ohio yesterday. That's what we do here on Wednesdays of Kentucky Derby Week.
We regret to report that, for the first time in three years, the big, bad Delta Queen bullied the plucky little Belle of Louisville yesterday by about three boat lengths.
But the Belle still leads the series 20-19 -- an amazingly even score in light of the Delta Queen's superior steam engine.
Because it is locally intolerable to acknowledge that a boat from New Orleans owns greater horsepower than a boat from Louisville -- at Derby time, no less -- many believe the Belle's record is a result of the race being fixed.
Insert Belle captain's annual denial here:
"It's a straight race," Capt. Kevin Mullen said.
Insert annual tale of the Belle's rule-bending tactics here:
The gambit this year was to cut around the back of Six Mile Island to stay out of the current and make a quicker turn.
"It is not cheating," Mullen said. "It's a good strategy."
EDIT: can't resist--here's a link to all the major goings-on: celebrities who are coming, the big charity fund-raising parties, all the hats to be seen, Pegasus Parade and other activity pics, etc.
Derby Fun