Sometimes an abbreviation will become so ubiquitous that it replaces the full word or phrase. Some of the words you use every day started out as acronyms before they became common vocabulary. Sometimes they evolve through common usage and other times they're copyrighted. Make sure to R.S.V.P. for this language lesson.
First, an important distinction: An "acronym" is created from parts of a phrase or longer words, and is pronounced as a new word (NASA, PIN). An "initialism" is a similar abbreviation, but the individual letters are pronounced: FBI, DNA, for example.
SCUBA
You can’t get your SCUBA certification without learning what this acronym stands for. It means "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus," which is a pretty straightforward description of the equipment and the activity.
TASER
This one originated in a pulp fiction series. It stands for Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle, named after the title character’s weapon in the 1911 book of the same name (by Victor Appleton, apparently a pseudonym). The weapons’ functionalities differ, but it’s interesting how fiction finds its way into real life.
RADAR
Lots of technological terms are acronyms. A long string of words isn't always easy to remember, so industry jargon evolves into regular vocabulary. "RADAR" stands for "Radio Detection and Ranging" — at least this one makes a little more logical sense than TASER, right?
SONAR
Similar to "RADAR," "SONAR" refers to a different type of ranging. Instead of radio detection, this one’s all about using sound to navigate — it stands for "Sound Navigation Ranging."
LASER
There’s a reason "LASER" goes by the acronym and not its full name — "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." It might make sense when it’s written out, but that's a lot to remember.
CARE Package
You might send these types of parcels because you care, but that’s not what they’re named for. "CARE" stands for "Cooperative for American Remittances," an organization that helped send packages from Americans to their friends and family in Europe after World War II. The original CARE packages contained macaroni, cornmeal, Carnation chocolate drink mix, and dried milk.
SMART Car
No, Smart cars weren’t named for their genius capabilities. "SMART" is an acronym that stands for "Swatch Mercedes Art." It's a pretty big name for such a tiny car, but that’s the name Swatch and Daimler Benz agreed on for their collaboration.
CAPTCHA
You’re not imagining it. It sounds exactly like what it was created to do — capture. The "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart" was always intended to be an acronym, and it’s a lot less work than saying the whole thing.
SPAM
Maybe you’ve eaten SPAM before, but do you know what the acronym means? It stands for "Shoulder of Pork and Ham" — though whether it tastes like its namesake is up for debate.
YAHOO!
Yes, even search engines and company names are acronyms. This one is "Yet Another Hierarchically Officious Oracle." This tech conglomerate is still hanging on, but its overly long name doesn't mean much anymore.
Canola Oil
There's not a canola plant, but you can still find this all-purpose cooking oil in many a pantry. It comes from the rapeseed plant, but that's a loaded name to try to sell. Canadian scientists made the rapeseed oil better suited for cooking, and now you can purchase "Canada Oil, Low Acid."
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