Backronyms

[luckykaa]

I'm feeling in a Etymology-Nazi* mood today**

I heard today that the word "Swag" is based of an acronym for "Stolen With A Gun".  I have no idea where this sort of things comes from.  Other similar factoids*** are that Tips was from "To Insure Prompt Service", (no idea what it should be insured against), and the famous but false "Posh" being from Port Out, Starboard Home. 

Where do these come from? 

Do people really think that in ye old days people spoke entirely in text speak?

*However, this one is a contraction for Nationalsozialistische (National Socialist). 

**But clearly not one who cares about clumsy mistakes. 

***And for reference, the -oid suffix means like, or resembling so a factoid is not a small fact but just something that resembles a fact.

Comments

[tanisafan.livejournal.com]

Stolen with a gun? What is that, even?

[talismancer]

"Factoids*" needs a second * after it.

[luckykaa.livejournal.com]

ta

[nelladarren.livejournal.com]

And you should be in AN Etymology-Nazi mood.

And a Nazi was a Nationalsozialist, the "ische" is the adjective ending added when you use "Partei" after that (party).

And I wouldn't call it "contraction" either, just the first two syllables emphasized differently to end with the "i" ending, something German likes to do in forming nicknames, short forms and slurs.

;o)

[luckykaa.livejournal.com]

Heyyyy! I said etymology-Nazi. Not a grammar Nazi, translation-Nazi, accuracy-Nazi, or spelling-Nazi!

But thanks for the German Gramar pointer.

Couldn't really think of a better term than "contraction".

[nelladarren.livejournal.com]

I'm an entomology Nazi. I kill bugs.