One of my colleagues at work end her official three-sentence bio saying she "hates people who confuse their, there and they're."
I hate acronyms.
Make your own case for why the helmet everyone wears should be referred to as an ACH, but it's a freakin' helmet. But every formation at which we were required to wear our combat gear we were told to fall out in ACH and IOTV. Why not fall out in your helmet and body armor? Is there any chance someone would be confused and show up for formation in some other helmet and body armor?
Last drill weekend someone mentioned the commanding general of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Major General Jessica Wright, our commander, is officially The Adjutant General of PA. Hence she is referred to by the acronym TAG.
Actually, and here is the grammatical problem, she is referred to as The TAG. So if one were to spell out what is being abbreviated, Maj. Gen. Wright would be called The The Adjutant General.
Which makes acronyms exasperating if you care at all about language and proper usage. Even if you say you don't care about grammar and proper usage, you do. Grammar is the traffic lights and lines in the road of our spoken and written communication.
Most of us have enough faith in our fellow citizens to drive through green lights. It takes no faith to stop at red lights of course, the faith comes when passing through the green lights, even more with yellows.
Using "The TAG" is definitely driving with one your right wheels off the pavement kicking up dust. Acronyms allow an informed group to communicate quickly and serve to exclude everyone else from that group. If you knew nothing about the Army, I would convey more information by saying that I was wearing my camouflage uniform with helmet, armored vest and my weapon instead of:
"I fell out in ACUs, with my ACH, IOTV and my SAW."
ACU=Army combat Uniform
SAW=M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
ACH and IOTV, see above.
Last drill when we had our gear inspected it was an OCIE (Organizational Clothing & Individual Equipment) inspection.
I am going to stop now. Time to eat some MREs and chill out.
WTF, OMG, when I was over "they're" I was "their" to do my duty, "there" you are.
ReplyDeleteWe had an ANCO, he/she was in charge of the letters we used to name shit that people couldn't spell. (that's the real reason the military uses acro-nims.
Yeah, The TAG thing drives me crazy to.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a brace of TLAs. (Three Letter Acronyms).
ReplyDeleteLOL, PBWY
ReplyDeleteI am a nurse. A world of acronyms. My favorite was reported by a nurse that a doctor wrote "patient is CTD". What does that mean she asked the Dr. The guy is "circling the drain", he's on his way out of here. When I talk to my Air Force son and get all tangled in the letters and say I hate all of these acronyms he says WTMW (welcome to my world). Can't say how glad I am that you continue to post.
ReplyDeleteI'm in computers. There is nothing that isn't an acronym. Roller Dude may be onto something with the spelling. I couldn't spell Wednesday without a spell checker to save my life.
ReplyDeleteL8TR.
"PIN number" bugs me. But then it would be PI number, there is only one Pi...at least until some state legislator of another state wanted to make it the integer number 3.
ReplyDeleteRich
PIN Number--EXACTLY!!! It's redundant, again! Nicholas, isn't it L8R?
ReplyDeleteMeredith--Peace B With You also! Books and Culture wants to review Col. Hoge's book!! I'll send you an email!
CI-Roller Dude--you are right--see next post.
Neil