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#2855 05/22/00 10:29 PM
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Here's one for the clever clogs amongst you....

Can anyone think of acronyms whose components describe the acronym?
An example would be - TOAST - Turn Off Any Smoking Toast.

Look forward to seeing some good ones!


#2856 05/23/00 01:47 PM
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'brick,

I have a whole collection of these, which I'll keep to myself for a bit (rules of engagement you know). But I can hear you asking yourself, "Why?"; well, the short story is that I was looking for a [single] word to describe self-referential, multi-layered and/or recursive acronyms,
8-) and I needed some examples to show what I was talking about.

Here are two, just to show what we're talking about: <g>

Douglas R. Hofstadter, in his excellent book _Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid_ posits GOD (God Over Djinn) in his discussion of meta-language.

The Free Software Foundation's project GNU (GNU's Not UNIX)

"What's another word for Thesaurus?" -Steven Wright

#2857 05/23/00 02:10 PM
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Nice one, Michael. I've heard of the GNU one recently but never the God reference. One that I've just thought of is WORD - written or read daily. Refer to my old report cards - could do better!




#2858 06/27/00 12:59 PM
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Hi!

I think your "Written or Read Daily" is really good. I am sure else where people have compiled some fantastic ones. I randomly chose some words and worked on them. It was mental Sumo wrestling. I could find my mind doing all sorts of contortions. I thought as the words got bigger it would be easier. But it wasn't so - with me. The most tough one was the last one. I found when it comes - it comes fast - and sometimes come double solutions. These are my contributions …

A - Alone (sorry, unpardonable)
BY - Beside You
SUN - Shining Until Now …
WARM - Wrapped and Ready, Mom!
TIGHT - Tanked In Guinness Have They?
FRIEND - Feeling Relaxed In Easy Natural Discussion, For Refuge In Easeless Needy Days

Maybe I could have done better but it was fun. Almost as much fun as the game Lewis Carol invented - called doublets (going from one word to the other, POOR to RICH by making new words changing just one letter at a time). Although Edward De Bono claimed to have invented it, Carrol did much before him. De Bono says the game teaches lateral thinking. I think making up these acronyms is also lateral thinking - because my mind was contorting in the similar fashion while playing Doublets.



#2859 06/27/00 03:03 PM
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>but it was fun

oh, I don't know... most people who do this are members of THIS (Tenebrific Heuristic Initial Society), which speaks volumes.


#2860 06/27/00 04:29 PM
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Avy--good going! I especially love the friend ones!


#2861 06/27/00 04:34 PM
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>>most people who do this are members of THIS (Tenebrific Heuristic Initial Society), which speaks volumes.<<
Ohmigawd. You're probably the president of "this" (!)
Very Over-Long Unique Misguided Educational Society.







#2862 06/28/00 01:24 AM
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>oh, I don't know... most people who do this are members of THIS (Tenebrific Heuristic Initial Society),
> which speaks volumes.

You know that explains it! After I played the game, I just went out and murdered somebody. And I couldn't figure out why I did it! Now I know.

But seriously - and how does the game help the THIS society to produce darkness? Do you know ...


#2863 06/28/00 07:04 PM
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Hello there -

How 'bout these?

YOUNG: Youth Obtain Underground Neap Growth
METAL: Mighty Expanding Tongue Abrasive, Like

Hope these help!

Seddonist


#2864 06/28/00 07:34 PM
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>Do you know...

KNOW - Knowledge Negates Ordinary Wisdom


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