Redundant Acronym Syndrome

Sat Sep 11, 2004 1:35 am by The Evil Thing

NewScientist's Feedback pointed this out a while back, where you might encounter signs or people which/who say words and then add acronyms either through habit or simply to sound intelligent. I will give you an example:-

Please enter you Personal Identification PIN Number

Silly person; this, of course, means "Please enter you Personal Identification Personal Identification Number Number".

Perhaps a more common one here:-

The TLR

The The Lancers' Reactor

N.B. When I said more common I meant as in compared to entering PIN codes

Can anyone else think of an example? I'm collecting them (though not entirely sure why).

I'm not evil, just morally challenged

Edited by - The Evil Thing on 9/11/2004 3:04:35 AM

Sat Sep 11, 2004 1:43 am by Griffon_26

"ATM machine"

automatic teller machine machine

Sat Sep 11, 2004 1:46 am by Megistos

ISBN number

I can't remember what it stands for, but I know that the last N is Number

Sat Sep 11, 2004 1:49 am by Griffon_26

"SLBM missile"

Submarine launched ballistic missile missile, same with ICBM

Sat Sep 11, 2004 3:40 am by Balthazar Furious

This one is all over the country. Even the bank uses it in their advertising.

ASB Bank.

Auckland Savings Bank Bank.

-------------------------------
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. - James D. Nicoll

Sat Sep 11, 2004 5:52 am by ???VivaHispa?a16!!!

Not truly and acronym, but none the less redundant; The University of Maryland University College. That's the official name. Just in case you had any doubts about their status as a campus of higher education, I guess. --- VH16

I am Nobody; Nobody is Perfect; Therefore, I am Perfect

Sat Sep 11, 2004 10:51 am by freighter fighter

International Standard Book Number.

Sat Sep 11, 2004 10:55 am by Indy11

VIN number. Vehicle Identification Number number.

<Edit>
Oh.... and an IBM machine.

Edited by - Indy11 on 9/11/2004 11:55:26 AM

Sun Sep 12, 2004 12:17 am by The Evil Thing

@Indy

Ah, but perhaps if you inserted an apostrophe after the M to make:-
International Business Machines' Machine

Hmm... perhaps not.

I'm not evil, just morally challenged

Sun Sep 12, 2004 12:49 am by Tawakalna

MS-DOS operating system

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