Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 3]

[talksthetorque]

SpeckledJim said:

King David said:

Is EMEA (as in Europe, the Middle East and Africa) an initialism or an acronym?

Specifically, if I were to say it, should I say "Ee Em Ee Ae" or "Em-e-ya".

I've heard both used and never been sure which is correct.

I vote initialism.

I'd think someone saying emaya was a bit of a wally.

Our Business Unit region is EMEA
Uk employees tend to say ee-em-ee-ay
Our US and European colleagues tend to say em-ear.

[popeyewhite]

talksthetorque said:

SpeckledJim said:

King David said:

Is EMEA (as in Europe, the Middle East and Africa) an initialism or an acronym?

Specifically, if I were to say it, should I say "Ee Em Ee Ae" or "Em-e-ya".

I've heard both used and never been sure which is correct.

I vote initialism.

I'd think someone saying emaya was a bit of a wally.

Our Business Unit region is EMEA
Uk employees tend to say ee-em-ee-ay
Our US and European colleagues tend to say em-ear.

It's obviously an acronym. People will always make a word out of any initials if they can because it's easier to repeat.

[King David]

popeyewhite said:

talksthetorque said:

SpeckledJim said:

King David said:

Is EMEA (as in Europe, the Middle East and Africa) an initialism or an acronym?

Specifically, if I were to say it, should I say "Ee Em Ee Ae" or "Em-e-ya".

I've heard both used and never been sure which is correct.

I vote initialism.

I'd think someone saying emaya was a bit of a wally.

Our Business Unit region is EMEA
Uk employees tend to say ee-em-ee-ay
Our US and European colleagues tend to say em-ear.

It's obviously an acronym. People will always make a word out of any initials if they can because it's easier to repeat.

But just because some people turn it into an acronym, does that automatically make it one?

I don't think many people would argue that SAP should be spoken as 'sap' rather than 'Es ae pee'

In the case of EMEA I've heard both used in equal measure.

[Dr Jekyll]

Is there a technical term for the error of adding what the last letter of the initialism stands for after the initialism? EG ATM Machine, PIN Number, RAC Club?

[wiggy001]

King David said:

I don't think many people would argue that SAP should be spoken as 'sap' rather than 'Es ae pee'

I've heard both used in equal measures. I've also heard it called many other things...

Wiggy
Oracle consultant

[Dr Jekyll]

As with SQL. Ess Queue Ell, Sequel, even had one guy call it Squirrel.

[Bluedot]

Regarding the British Bake Off last night - it was the final and the winner was announced in front of probably 50 friends and family of the 3 finalists. This is of course pre-recorded and not live.
My question is how do they manage to keep the winners so secret of these things ? I think The Apprentice runs along similar lines and the winner is chosen weeks/months before the programme is shown. I'm assuming everyone present is told they're not allowed to ever say anything about who won but it's amazing it is kept so secret.
Surely changes happen in people lives if they've won which are noticed straight away by others even if they weren't present at the filming ?
I wondered if they filmed 3 separate 'winners' and then showed the programme at the same time the winner was told but there was no way the winner last night (her name escapes me) could have 'pretended' to have won in the way she did.

[anonymous-user]

Warned under pain of death that they are not to say anything. A former colleague got quite far on Masterchef, everyone in the office knew during the filming a few months previously, but we were under strict instruction (as in, the big boss emailed us all to reinforce it!) to not mention it to anyone.

[FlyingMeeces]

Bluedot said:

Regarding the British Bake Off last night - it was the final and the winner was announced in front of probably 50 friends and family of the 3 finalists. This is of course pre-recorded and not live.
My question is how do they manage to keep the winners so secret of these things ? I think The Apprentice runs along similar lines and the winner is chosen weeks/months before the programme is shown. I'm assuming everyone present is told they're not allowed to ever say anything about who won but it's amazing it is kept so secret.
Surely changes happen in people lives if they've won which are noticed straight away by others even if they weren't present at the filming ?
I wondered if they filmed 3 separate 'winners' and then showed the programme at the same time the winner was told but there was no way the winner last night (her name escapes me) could have 'pretended' to have won in the way she did.

I'm pretty sure they sign something before being allowed on 'set'. Probably not really big changes immediately post winning though, that must all come with the publicity that only happens once the episode airs.

And agree, I don't think there's many actors that could fake that reaction!

[SpeckledJim]

FlyingMeeces said:

Bluedot said:

Regarding the British Bake Off last night - it was the final and the winner was announced in front of probably 50 friends and family of the 3 finalists. This is of course pre-recorded and not live.
My question is how do they manage to keep the winners so secret of these things ? I think The Apprentice runs along similar lines and the winner is chosen weeks/months before the programme is shown. I'm assuming everyone present is told they're not allowed to ever say anything about who won but it's amazing it is kept so secret.
Surely changes happen in people lives if they've won which are noticed straight away by others even if they weren't present at the filming ?
I wondered if they filmed 3 separate 'winners' and then showed the programme at the same time the winner was told but there was no way the winner last night (her name escapes me) could have 'pretended' to have won in the way she did.

I'm pretty sure they sign something before being allowed on 'set'. Probably not really big changes immediately post winning though, that must all come with the publicity that only happens once the episode airs.

And agree, I don't think there's many actors that could fake that reaction!

The media could find out who won bake off in 2 minutes if they wished. I bet every Editor and TV columnist in the land knew who won months ago.

But what would they do with the information - spoil it for their readers? Nope - the backlash they would face would be enormous. Proper self-defeating, that would be.

Edited by SpeckledJim on Thursday 27th October 09:25

[popeyewhite]

King David said:

But just because some people turn it into an acronym, does that automatically make it one?

I don't think many people would argue that SAP should be spoken as 'sap' rather than 'Es ae pee'

In the case of EMEA I've heard both used in equal measure.

Then depending on how it is spoken it is both an acronym AND and initialism

[droopsnoot]

Is there someone on "Antiques Roadshow" whose job it is to lip-read the various people standing around the background when valuations are given, especially shockingly-high valuations, to see if anyone is getting a bit sweary?

[ofcorsa]

Dr Jekyll said:

Is there a technical term for the error of adding what the last letter of the initialism stands for after the initialism? EG ATM Machine, PIN Number, RAC Club?

Tautology?

[P-Jay]

Has there ever been a case of one law enforcement agency accidentally running a sting operation on another?

I'm thinking of say the FBI trying to bust a Drug Dealer, only to find out the Dealer was from the DEA trying to bust the FBI?

I don't think it could happen in the UK as our Police Service is more unified and I seem to recall we have rules to say you can't entice someone to break the law, then charge them for it - the US doesn't seem to mind that.

[droopsnoot]

Dr Jekyll said:

Is there a technical term for the error of adding what the last letter of the initialism stands for after the initialism? EG ATM Machine, PIN Number, RAC Club?

From the "annoyed" thread:

AstonZagato said:

An example of RAS syndrome (short for "redundant acronym syndrome syndrome")

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Why does everyone these days have to have a bloody T.L.A.?

[Einion Yrth]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Why does everyone these days have to have a bloody T.L.A.?

Why is it a problem T.T.W.?

[PoleDriver]

Einion Yrth said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Why does everyone these days have to have a bloody T.L.A.?

Why is it a problem T.T.W.?

Ironically, the BSI recommended that TLAs were not used in the ISO standards books written by companies!

[davepoth]

King David said:

But just because some people turn it into an acronym, does that automatically make it one?

I don't think many people would argue that SAP should be spoken as 'sap' rather than 'Es ae pee'

In the case of EMEA I've heard both used in equal measure.

I'll dive in here. It's quicker (and somewhat derogatory) to say "sap", so I do it all the time. I'm understood so it's not too bad.

EMEA and E M E A take exactly the same amount of time to say though so it's a bit dumb to turn it into a word.

We now have APMEA at my work instead which is normally done as a word, again because it's quicker.

[Dr Jekyll]

Ironically it takes longer to say 'doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou' that 'world wide web'. But at least the former is quicker to type.