Acronyms and initialisms

Word of the Day #1

ac·ro·nym / ˈakrəˌnim / noun = an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word, like NASA or NATO.

Word of the Day #2

in·i·tial·ism / iˈniSHəˌlizəm / noun = an abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately, like FBI.

Hybrids

• LOL is both an acronym and an initialism, a hybrid category.  Sometimes it's a pronounced acronym (as in "LOLcats"), and sometimes it's an initialism ("ell-oh-ell").
• FAQ is another hybrid.  It's usually pronounced as an initialism ("ef-ay-cue") , but may also be pronounced as an acronym ("fack").

Which is which, below?

• ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act
• AKA = also known as
• ASAP = as soon as possible
• ATM = automated teller machine
• BYOB = bring your own bottle
• CIA = Central Intelligence Agency
• CYA = see you ("c" ya), like waving "bye"
• DIY = do it yourself
• DOE = Department of Energy
• DOT = department of transportation
• EPA = Environmental Protection Agency
• ETA = estimated time of arrival
• FAQ = frequently asked questions
• FBI = Federal Bureau of Investigation
• FYI = for your information
• IDK = I don't know
• LASER = light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
• LOL = laugh out loud
• NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• OMG = oh my god (oh my goodness; oh my gosh)
• PPE = personal protective equipment
• TMI = too much information
• UMSL = University of Missouri-St. Louis
• VIP = very important person

Cross-posted on my Joyful Noiseletter blog.

Beginning ~ with a slowpoke little brother

First edition cover

"Little Man, would you come on?  You keep it up and you're gonna make us late."

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry ~ by Mildred D. Taylor, 1976, YA fiction

Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of how one family struggled to maintain integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice.  It's also the story of Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family.

The opening lines didn't grab me, though it's gotten more interesting as I've read almost to the end.  But I wanted to read this first book in the Logan family series before plunging into the author's new novel All the Days Past, All the Days to Come (2020).  Cassie, no longer a child, is now a college graduate embarking on her life journey and becoming a lawyer who is active in the Civil Rights Movement.

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Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts
Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Click this link for book beginnings
shared by other readers.
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Grilled summer tomato panini

Yesterday, our Circle@Crown Café downstairs posted a Summer Special on Facebook — a Grilled Summer Tomato Panini.  It's made with slices of tomato and avocado, red onion, and smoked Gouda cheese with a light basil dressing.  It was delivered to my door within minutes of ordering, something special they do for residents, since we cannot gather right now to eat in the Café together.

Clawdia wanted a taste of whatever smelled so good, so I gave her a tiny bite of the melted Gouda cheese.  Not much, just a teensy taste.

So why, you ask, am I writing about it on my blog?  I'm sharing because it is absolutely the best thing I've ever eaten from the Café.  I love their soups and salads and sandwiches and pizzas and desserts, but this is the yummiest, the most delicious yet.

Nancy just called to check on me, and I sent her this photo and the description the Café posted on Facebook.  When I mentioned it to Donna in a private message on FB, she had already eaten the one she'd ordered just before I did.  She loves it, too.  For the record, I had a hard time talking myself into waiting until next week to order it again.

Word of the Day

yum·my / yŭm′ē / adj. yum·mi·er, yum·mi·est (informal) = Very pleasing to the taste or smell; delicious; extremely enjoyable.  Example:  "The grilled summer tomato panini is the yummiest food I've eaten lately."

Thinking about words and phrases today

I ate takeout (it's one word, when used this way) with Sheila, Donna, and Alyssa on Sunday.  Panera delivered, and we ate out back, while staying socially distanced.  Unfortunately, it was hot with very, very scattered raindrops occasionally.  But no downpour.

Word of the Day

takeout / tākˌout / noun = in North America, takeout is food that is cooked and sold by a restaurant or store to be eaten elsewhere.  Example:  "We decided to order takeout."

take out (2 words) = to borrow something from a place.  Example:  "Instead of buying that new book, I can take it out from the library."  Another example:  "A teenager hopes the boy she likes will take her out this weekend."  And as the image I found on Facebook says (above), a movie gangster may mutter, "Take him out!"

take out (2 words) = In seamstress language, when you want to make a garment longer you take out the hem.  Basically you are cutting the stitches and pulling the thread out of the hem to reclaim the length that was taken up by the hem.  (Thanks to Emily for this additional way of using the word, posted in the comments below on 7/10/2020.)

And now today's weather

It was 95° at 1:30 pm in St. Louis, but felt like 106° out there.  It's been HOT here today!

Today's Tip

To make the degree symbol (°) on a computer with Microsoft Windows, press and hold the Alt key and type 0176 on your keyboard's numeric keypad.  Make sure the NumLock is on, hold Alt, and type 0176 with the leading zero.  If you don't have a numeric keypad, press and hold the Fn key while typing the four numbers to make that degree symbol.  Remember Alt-0176.

The degree symbol is commonly used when referring to temperature or an angle's measurement.  This wikiHow tells you how to type the degree symbol on a Windows or Mac computer, an iPhone, or an Android.

Need a laugh?

Advice from Bernice King

Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, shared a list of tips on Facebook that is preserved in this 2017 article.  What she said still makes a lot of sense:

Amended Post (especially related to #1 below):

Some Wise Advice Circulating:

1.  Use his name sparingly so as not to detract from the issues.  I believe that everyone, regardless of their beliefs, deserves the dignity of being called by their name.  However, this is a strategic tactic.  While we are so focused on him we are prone to neglect the questionable policies that threaten freedom, justice and fairness advanced by the administration.

2.  Remember this is a regime and he's not acting alone;

3.  Do not argue with those who support him and his policies — it doesn't work;

4.  Focus on his policies, not his appearance and mental state;

5.  Keep your message positive; those who oppose peace and justice want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow;

6.  No more helpless/hopeless talk;

7.  Support artists and the arts;

8.  Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it;

9.  Take care of yourselves; and

10.  Resist!

Keep demonstrations peaceful. In the words of John Lennon, "When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game.  The establishment will irritate you — pull your beard, flick your face — to make you fight!  Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you.  The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor."

When you post or talk about him, don't assign his actions to him, assign them to "The Republican Administration," or "The Republicans."  This will have several effects: the Republican legislators will either have to take responsibility for their association with him or stand up for what some of them don't like; he will not get the focus of attention he craves; Republican representatives will become very concerned about their re-elections.

I met Bernice King when she spoke in St. Louis in 2017 and wrote about it on this blog.  I'd forgotten how she and I just missed being students together at Emory University until I re-read my post just now.

Beginning ~ with her name

"I am Ana.  I was the wife of Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth.  I called him Beloved and he, laughing, called me Little Thunder."

The Book of Longings ~ by Sue Monk Kidd, 2020, fiction (Israel, Egypt)

Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and imagines the story of a young woman named Ana.  Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit.  She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women.  Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her.  An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything.

Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary.  Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the very turbulent resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas.  She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret.  When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings.  This inspiring account shows one woman's struggle to realize her passion and potential, while living in a time, place, and culture devised to silence her.

Three of Sue Monk Kidd's books are among my ten/ten books that I couldn't put down ~ The Secret Life of Bees and The Dance of the Dissident Daughter and The Invention of Wings.  One became a group book discussion on Book Buddies ~ Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story.

============================
Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts
Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Click this link for book beginnings
shared by other readers.
============================