/dev/null/kevin

Creating something from nothing, or maybe the other way around
All | Chuisms | Computers | Entertainment | Games | Hockey | Humor | Kids | Life | Music | SciFi | Television
20080226 Tuesday February 26, 2008
The Department of Redundancy Department Humor

Redundant phrases like "ATM Machine" any "PIN Number" have annoyed literalists like myself for decades now.  Most people are so oblivious to them that I can sarcastically use phrases like "automatic ATM machine" or "personal PIN number" and they won't even flinch.

When several new redundant phrases started cropping up here at Sun I wanted to name them.  Irony demanded that the term also be a redundant phrase using a three letter acronym (TLA).  After a minute of thinking I realized that this meme was so old that there must already be a term for it.

Wikipedia to the rescue!

There is a term: RAS Syndrome: Redundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome

Also popular is PNS Syndrome, PIN Number Syndrome Syndrome (which is actually Personal Identification Number Number Syndrome Syndrome).

The Wikipedia article lists some good examples, as do fun-with-words.com. and nanday.com.

Anyway...

Here are the PNSs floating around Sun these days:

  • ORI Index (Operational Risk Index)
  • BAR Report (Baseline Analysis Report)
  • SOA Account (Sun Online Account)

Tags:
February 26, 2008 01:15 PM PST Permalink | Comments [6] | del.icio.us technorati slashdot digg reddit facebook stumbleupon

20070124 Wednesday January 24, 2007
The Evolving English Language Humor

It's interesting to watch the news media change the pronunciation of words, or find alternative words, when a particular word is embarrassing to say.

  • Back in 1991, when Anita Hill was accusing Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, the pronunciation of harassment was changed from her-ASS-ment to HARRIS-ment because they just couldn't stand the irony.
  • In 1986 when the Voyager 2 spacecraft visited Uranus, reporters adopted URINE-is over your-ANUS because the cameramen wouldn't stop giggling and caused the camera to shake.  There was also this extra pause before they mentally prepared to say the word.  "Today Voyager passed the planet ... URINE-is ... and sent back these photos."  You could practically hear him sigh in relief after he said it.  All of this could have been prevented by using OOH-ran-us, which is closer to the origin of the name, Ouranos.
  • In 2006 Shi'ite Muslims made lots of news.  Thus, I can only image the joy and high-fives when the press corps learned that they could use the word Shia instead of Shi'ite.  I don't think I ever heard a reporter or politician use the word Shi'ite the entire year.  My spell checker doesn't even recognize the word Shia.  "Did you mean Shiva Islam?"  No, Clippy, I didn't.
  • While Shiitake Mushrooms haven't been big in the news, I did notice that the politically correct pronunciation is now SHEE-EE-tock-ay.  We've added an extra syllable!  But now the Austin Powers routine is ruined!

So, what works can we expect to see changed in the future?  Let's see...

  • Asteroid
  • Corkscrew
  • Kumquat
  • Manhole
  • Pianist
  • Sperm whales
  • Woodpecker
  • Dick Butkus

To the future!

Tags: | |


Tags:
January 24, 2007 03:00 PM PST Permalink | Comments [1] | del.icio.us technorati slashdot digg reddit facebook stumbleupon

Weblog | Archive of all entries.


Creative Commons License © Kevin Chu, Some Rights Reserved.   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.   Sun Microsystems Trademarks are in effect.
All opinons are mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!  Sun Microsystems has nothing to do with them.