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| ==Explanation== | | ==Explanation== |
− | In this comic, [[Randall]] compared the acronym "laser" with various other five-letter acronyms. | + | {{incomplete|Created by a RIGHT OMPLIFICATION BY THE BTIMULATED OMISSION OF TADIATION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
− | | + | In this comic, [[Randall]] compared the Acronym "Laser" with various other five-letter acronyms. He first explained the "Laser" and "Maser" correctly, but the following three are simply the full name of "Laser" with the first word and initials changed. |
− | He first explained "laser" correctly. Then "maser", which is a type of laser and changes only one word in the acronym, he also explains correctly. Although in both cases he includes the definite article into the expanded phrase ("by the", instead of just the more usual "by"), to the same ultimate meaning and with short words that are traditionally not so often used in the initialisms (like "of" is not, here, also) and thus allows them to be more pronounceable acronyms that have become words in their own right rather than more awkward initialisms. | |
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− | He then makes the following three entries, and the further actual word from the title text, follow precisely the same pattern by simply taking the full phrase for "laser"/"maser" and changing the first word, as appropriate, and the initial letter of any other words that need to change to fit. The replacement first word is correct for these acronyms, but the other words formed from changing the first letter are nonsense.
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| {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto" | | {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto" |
| !Acronym !! Comic !! Actual | | !Acronym !! Comic !! Actual |
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− | | {{w|Laser}} || ✅ Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation || '''L'''ight '''A'''mplification by '''S'''timulated '''E'''mission of '''R'''adiation | + | | LASER || Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation || Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation |
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− | | {{w|Maser}} || ✅ Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation || '''M'''icrowave '''A'''mplification by '''S'''timulated '''E'''mission of '''R'''adiation | + | | MASER || Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation || Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation |
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− | | {{w|Sonar}} || ❌ Sound Omplification by the Nimulated Amission of Radiation || '''SO'''und '''N'''avigation '''A'''nd '''R'''anging | + | | SONAR || Sound Omplification by the Nimulated Emission of Radiation || SOund NAvigation and Ranging |
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− | | {{w|Radar}} || ❌ Radio Amplification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation || '''RA'''dio '''D'''etection '''A'''nd '''R'''anging | + | | RADAR || Radio Amplification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation || RAdio Detection And Ranging |
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− | | {{w|Lidar}} || ❌ Light Implification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation || '''LI'''ght '''D'''etection '''A'''nd '''R'''anging | + | | LIDAR || Light Implification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation || LIght raDAR |
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− | | {{w|Lever}} (title text) || ❌ Load Emplification by the Vimulated Emission of Radiation || (not an acronym in common usage)
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| |} | | |} |
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− | Laser and maser are true-to-life acronyms. The remaining three acronyms' true expansions are as given in the table. The false definitions suppose that all of the acronyms simply follow the same model as the first two correct ones, and swap out the necessary letters to fit in a square-peg-round-hole manner. Note that the latter three in the table each include the second letter from their first word, for their partly-{{w|Abbreviation#Syllabic abbreviation|syllabic abbreviation}} as derived from their true phrase of origin.
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− | The title text extends this to the five-letter word "lever". This is an ordinary word, not a commonly used acronym. Levers have been used since time immemorial (even [https://quatr.us/physics/levers-simple-machines-physics.htm animals have been known to use them)], and predates high-tech uses of radiation by millennia (it's one of the {{w|simple machines}} that {{w|Archimedes}} studied in Ancient Greece). [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2722:_Etymonline Etymonline] traces the origin of the word to the year 1300, from the French "levier", which shares the same definition.
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| ==Transcript== | | ==Transcript== |
| + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
| + | Easily-confused acronyms cheat sheet |
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− | :Easily-Confused Acronyms
| + | Laser |
− | :Cheat Sheet
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− | :Laser
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− | :Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation
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− | :Maser
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− | :Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation
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− | :Sonar
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− | :Sound Omplification by the Nimulated Emission of Radiation
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− | :Radar
| + | Maser |
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− | :Radio Amplification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation
| + | Sonar |
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− | :Lidar
| + | Radar |
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− | :Light Implification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation
| + | Lidar |
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− | ==Trivia==
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− | LEVER is an uncommonly used acronym for Light Electric Vehicle Education and Research.
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| {{comic discussion}} | | {{comic discussion}} |
− | [[Category: Science]]
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− | [[Category: Language]]
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