2759: Easily Confused Acronyms - Revision history

Firestar233: lidar uses lasers

2025-02-20T21:02:36Z

lidar uses lasers

172.69.135.114: /* Explanation */

2025-02-20T06:39:01Z

‎Explanation

162.158.74.68: /* Explanation */

2024-07-02T08:41:40Z

‎Explanation

162.158.74.69: /* Explanation */

2024-07-02T08:40:44Z

‎Explanation

JLZ0kTC5 at 23:01, 2 May 2023

2023-05-02T23:01:55Z

Xurkitree10: /* Explanation */

2023-04-16T11:29:23Z

‎Explanation

172.70.86.148: /* Explanation */

2023-04-10T01:33:26Z

‎Explanation

172.70.90.252: /* Explanation */ Additional info, and tweaks...

2023-04-10T01:31:16Z

‎Explanation: Additional info, and tweaks...

172.70.85.225: Undo revision 310054 by Miamiclay (talk) Given the comic includes "The" in all its expansions, actually more consistent to keep this.

2023-04-10T01:05:24Z

Undo revision 310054 by Miamiclay (talk) Given the comic includes "The" in all its expansions, actually more consistent to keep this.

Miamiclay: /* Explanation */ consistency

2023-04-10T00:05:38Z

‎Explanation: consistency

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 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.
-He then makes entries for "sonar," "radar," and "lidar" (and "lever" in the title text), and claiming they are all just variations of "laser"/"maser." Randall twists the acronyms as much as possible to force them to sound like they are also based on "amplification by stimulated emission of radiation" even though none of these technologies use stimulated emission of radiation to amplify their output. The replacement first word is correct for these acronyms, but the other words formed from changing the first letter are nonsense.
+He then makes entries for "sonar," "radar," and "lidar" (and "lever" in the title text), and claiming they are all just variations of "laser"/"maser." Randall twists the acronyms as much as possible to force them to sound like they are also based on "amplification by stimulated emission of radiation" even though none of these technologies, besides lidar, use stimulated emission of radiation to amplify their output. The replacement first word is correct for these acronyms, but the other words formed from changing the first letter are nonsense.
 {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 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.
-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.
+He then makes entries for "sonar," "radar," and "lidar" (and "lever" in the title text), and claiming they are all just variations of "laser"/"maser." Randall twists the acronyms as much as possible to force them to sound like they are also based on "amplification by stimulated emission of radiation" even though none of these technologies use stimulated emission of radiation to amplify their output. The replacement first word is correct for these acronyms, but the other words formed from changing the first letter are nonsense.
 {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 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.
-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 ([https://quatr.us/physics/levers-simple-machines-physics.htm even 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.
+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 ([https://quatr.us/physics/levers-simple-machines-physics.htm even 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). [[Etymonline]] traces the origin of the word to the year 1300, from the French "levier", which shares the same definition.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 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.
-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.
+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 ([https://quatr.us/physics/levers-simple-machines-physics.htm even 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.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 In this comic, [[Randall]] compared the acronym "laser" with various other five-letter acronyms.
-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 pronouncable acronyms that have become words in their own right rather than more awkward initialisms.
+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.
 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.

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:29, 16 April 2023
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	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
−	~~{{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.}}~~
	In this comic, [[Randall]] compared the acronym "laser" with various other five-letter acronyms.		In this comic, [[Randall]] compared the acronym "laser" with various other five-letter acronyms.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
 {{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.}}
 In this comic, [[Randall]] compared the acronym "laser" with various other five-letter acronyms.
-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. But he makes the following three entries follow the same pattern, simply taking the full name of "laser" and changing the first word and first initials of any other words that need to change. The replacement first word is correct for these acronyms, but the other words formed from changing the first letter are nonsense.
 {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
@@ Line 30: / Line 33: @@
 |}
-Laser and maser are true-to-life acronyms. The remaining 3 words' true definitions are as in the table. The 3 false definitions suppose that all 5 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 these 3 each include the second letter from their first word in the acronym.
+Laser and maser are true-to-life acronyms. The remaining three acronyms' true exansions are as 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.
-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.
+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.
 ==Transcript==