Re: Apple II with ProTERM 3.1 OS X/Unix Serial Terminal

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

Bill Buckels wrote:
> "Greg Buchner" <null@none.invalid> wrote in message 
> null-AE1EC5.21351210122008@free.teranews.com">news:null-AE1EC5.21351210122008@free.teranews.com...
> > But it's not an acronym. Mac is short for Macintosh.
>
> Merriam Webster does agree that acronyms can be abbreviations:
>
> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym

Actually, no.  An acronym is formed from initial characters
of a multi-word term, as Merriam-Webster's example makes clear--
like "FBI".

"Abbreviation" is a more encompassing term describing any shortened
form of a term, including acronyms and nicknames (like "Chevy").

"Mac" is a nickname, and, like many nicknames, can be considered
to be slang.  But I'm sure that Apple considers it to be an
alternate form of their trademarked computer name, since they
use it all the time in advertising.

"MAC" is just as improper as "CHEVY", or as proper, depending on
the availability of lower case or your need to rationalize.  ;-)

Why not just stop defending a deprecated (and practically irrelevant)
usage?

Certainly we all make mistakes--I sure do. (Many might agree that
this post is one of them!  ;-)

"De gustibus ain't what dey used to be!"

-michael

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