COSC or C.O.S.C

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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

H0rati0 wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:43 pm IMHO... "OCD"
"Immhoe?" "Ockerd?" :D
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by JAFO »

There's loads of oddities in the world of acronyms.

I think it's a matter of taste, and generally people go for the shortest/easiest to say, hence I would say KOSK.

In football they pronounce the organisation UEFA AS ewe-ee-fa.

It's not an acronym, but it strikes me as strange in football that's it's always "two bookable offences" rather than simply "two bookings". Football takes itself too seriously a lot of the time.

In cycling, a "time trial", "TT" in English, becomes a "contre-le-montre"in french, which is a good rhyme.

THE UN has UNESCO and UNICEF, the first generally pronounced as a word, the second often shortened to "United Nations children's fund", and very few people probably actually know what the I and E actually stand for. Equally, acronyms such as LASER, SONAR and SCUBA, have over time become accepted words.

In this respect the most cumbersome/longest "abbreviation" is probably www, which is 9 syllables when spoken.
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by albionphoto »

In some parts of the US WWW would, arguably, be only 3 syllables (dubya, dubya, dubya). Thanks y'all.
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by albionphoto »

H0rati0 wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:43 pm IMHO both are totally acceptable, nothing to trigger the "OCD" :lol: Pays yer money....
I'm not OCD, I'm CDO which is exactly the same but now the letters are in the proper order ](*,) ](*,)
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

albionphoto wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:14 pm ...only 3 syllables (dubya, dubya, dubya).
Six! :D

A lot of people pronounce UEFA as Ewe-ay-fa (posh, innit?)

When the UEFA Cup first replaced the old "Fairs Cup" people where I lived called it the "Yoofer Cup"! :lol:
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by albionphoto »

Okay Steve, properly six but if you hear someone from East Texas or Louisiana say it, it's definitely 3. :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by H0rati0 »

albionphoto wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:17 pm
H0rati0 wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:43 pm IMHO both are totally acceptable, nothing to trigger the "OCD" :lol: Pays yer money....
I'm not OCD, I'm CDO which is exactly the same but now the letters are in the proper order ](*,) ](*,)
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by jkbarnes »

My favorite acronyms pronounced like words...

SNAFU
TARFU
FUBAR
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

^^^ US Army and Private Ryan connections there, I see.

When I first joined the school I have (almost) retired from, they were just introducing the National Curriculum, which was full of little acronyms, the best known being SATs, or standard attainment tests.

When these were being discussed in endless meetings I used to pass notes to a colleague saying either “It’s a CLOB” (Complete Load of B***ocks”) or “It’s a FWOT” (**** Waste of Time)
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by jkbarnes »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:00 pm ^^^ US Army and Private Ryan connections there, I see.

When I first joined the school I have (almost) retired from, they were just introducing the National Curriculum, which was full of little acronyms, the best known being SATs, or standard attainment tests.

When these were being discussed in endless meetings I used to pass notes to a colleague saying either “It’s a CLOB” (Complete Load of B***ocks”) or “It’s a FWOT” (**** Waste of Time)
As the son of a retired officer, I knew these terms well before Saving Private Ryan!

As for school acronyms, don’t get me started! For years, we were organized into PLCs - Professional Learning Communities. Our PLCs are now called CLTs - Collaborative Learning Teams! And the best part about it is that zero collaboration goes on with my particular team. In my wife’s school, they went in the exact opposite direction. They were CLTs, but now they’re PLCs.

Speaking of acronyms in war movies, I can’t help but think of this scene...

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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by brash47 »

"Most of what we say and do is not essential,” Marcus Aurelius reminds us. “If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’”Image

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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by drand »

You can of course say whichever way you please. The wonderful thing about the English language is that things like this don't matter, until the point at which they do, when it becomes a matter of righteous indignation that one is correct!

I would suggest COSC is an acronym because it is pronounceable, otherwise it would be an initialism (like IWC, for example)* but never an abbreviation.

Does my watch have an ETA movement, or an 'etta'? There are many style guides that will give you different answers. As the old joke goes, the great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.

*This distinction has become less prevalent, to the point where the OED [that's Oh Eee Dee] recognise that an acronym may or may not be pronounceable. It doesn't really matter, and I say that as a language pedant.
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

drand wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:17 pm It doesn't really matter, and I say that as a language pedant.
You mean there are two of us? :shock: .

Seriously, I knew there was something good about you apart from the MeisterSinger.
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by drand »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:42 pm
drand wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:17 pm It doesn't really matter, and I say that as a language pedant.
You mean there are two of us? :shock: .

Seriously, I knew there was something good about you apart from the MeisterSinger.
High praise indeed, ta muchly!
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Re: COSC or C.O.S.C

Post by JAFO »

drand wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:17 pm As the old joke goes, the great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
Like Groucho Marx. To paraphrase. " If you don't like my standards, I have others."
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