https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Schoeberliexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-19T10:46:50ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2759:_Easily_Confused_Acronyms&diff=3099062759: Easily Confused Acronyms2023-04-07T09:01:39Z<p>Schoeberli: </p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2759<br />
| date = April 5, 2023<br />
| title = Easily Confused Acronyms<br />
| image = easily_confused_acronyms_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 557x444px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = 'Lever' was originally an acronym for Load Emplification by the Vimulated Emission of Radiation.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a RIGHT OMPLIFICATION BY THE BIMULATED OMISSION OF TADIATION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
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. The replacement first word is correct for these acronyms, but the other words formed from changing the first letter are nonsense.<br />
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{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"<br />
!Acronym !! Comic !! Actual<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Laser}} || ✅ Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation || '''L'''ight '''A'''mplification by '''S'''timulated '''E'''mission of '''R'''adiation<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Maser}} || ✅ Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation || '''M'''icrowave '''A'''mplification by '''S'''timulated '''E'''mission of '''R'''adiation<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Sonar}} || ❌ Sound Omplification by the Nimulated Amission of Radiation || '''SO'''und '''N'''avigation '''A'''nd '''R'''anging<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Radar}} || ❌ Radio Amplification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation || '''RA'''dio '''D'''etection '''A'''nd '''R'''anging<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Lidar}} || ❌ Light Implification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation || '''LI'''ght '''D'''etection '''A'''nd '''R'''anging<br />
|- <br />
| {{w|Lever}} (title text) || |Load Emplification by the Vimulated Emission of Radiation. || ''(not an acronym in common usage)'' <br />
|}<br />
<br />
Laser and maser are true-to-life acronyms. The remaining 3 words' true meanings are as follows: sonar is short for "sound/sonic navigation and ranging", radar for "radio detection and ranging", lidar for "light detection and ranging". (Note that these 3 each include the second letter from their first word in the acronym.)<br />
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The three false definitions simply suppose that all 5 of the acronyms follow the same model and swap out the necessary letters to fit, in a square-peg-round-hole manner.<br />
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The title text extends this to the 5-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.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:Easily-confused acronyms cheat sheet<br />
<br />
<br />
:Laser<br />
<br />
:Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation<br />
<br />
:Maser<br />
<br />
:Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation<br />
<br />
:Sonar<br />
<br />
:Sound Omplification by the Nimulated Emission of Radiation<br />
<br />
:Radar<br />
<br />
:Radio Amplification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation<br />
<br />
:Lidar<br />
<br />
:Light Implification by the Dimulated Amission of Radiation<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category: Science]]<br />
[[Category: Language]]</div>Schoeberli