From today's "Word of the Day":
backronym (BAK-ro-nim) noun
A word re-interpreted as an acronym.
[Compound of back + acronym.]
In a backronym, an expansion is invented to treat an existing word as an acronym. An example is the PERL programming language whose name is now explained as an acronym of Practical Extraction and Report Language.
When naming, sometimes a suitable name is chosen and then an acronym is retrofitted on top of it: USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism). The clunkiness of the expansion is a quick giveaway.
I wonder if there's a special word for words like "backronym," which are sort of puns, and sort of just annoying.
backronym (BAK-ro-nim) noun
A word re-interpreted as an acronym.
[Compound of back + acronym.]
In a backronym, an expansion is invented to treat an existing word as an acronym. An example is the PERL programming language whose name is now explained as an acronym of Practical Extraction and Report Language.
When naming, sometimes a suitable name is chosen and then an acronym is retrofitted on top of it: USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism). The clunkiness of the expansion is a quick giveaway.
I wonder if there's a special word for words like "backronym," which are sort of puns, and sort of just annoying.