X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: f996b,ef84650dd3e606e5
X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public
X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-10-15 11:23:17 PST
Path: 
 archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!newsfeeds.belnet.be!news.belnet.be!newsgate.cistron.nl!amsnews01.chello.com!Flipper.POSTED!tanya.
From: ppunk@damthatspam.chello.nl (Peter Punk)
Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art
Subject: Re: what is it?
Organization: Total Disorganisation
Message-ID: <t1amst4vevt9qvfsb3fvue42s19i345vmc@4ax.com>
References: <m9qmrt4ld3ou1e1ddpiddntpi52v4fr559@4ax.com>
 <trni3fcsk9g9cb@corp.supernews.com> <3BC7137B.20402@usa.net>
 <gilestkdsjb5jv9rbcd6pi1p9lisvmurrk@4ax.com>
 <9qclsj$moe3s$3@ID-39741.news.dfncis.de>
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.8/32.548
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 192.168.0.75
X-Original-Trace: 15 Oct 2001 20:22:45 +0200, 192.168.0.75
Lines: 33
X-Authenticated-User: donderfliegen
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 18:23:09 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.93.74.225
X-Complaints-To: abuse@chello.nl
X-Trace: Flipper 1003170189 213.93.74.225 (Mon, 15 Oct 2001 20:23:09 MET DST)
NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 20:23:09 MET DST
Xref: archiver1.google.com alt.ascii-art:8592

On Sun, 14 Oct 2001 20:35:44 +0200, Michael Schierl <schierlm-usenet@gmx.de>
provoked the following text:

>> AFAIC the decision to use "a" or "an" is based solely on the pronounciation of
>> the word (i consider acronyms and abbreviations to be words too) and not on the
>> way it is written. So to me the sentences "an RTF file" or "an SLB connector" or
>> "an MBR virus" are correct.
>
>What about "FAQ list"? Is it "a FAQ List" as you pronounce it like
>fact, but w/o the t, or is it "an 'Eff Ay Queue' List", if you spell
>the acronym (sorry for the 'queue', i did not see any other way to
>write that letter...)?

You qould have gone for "cyoo" :-))

Personally i pronounce it as "fack" and spell it (ef eh? cyoo) if people don't
understand what i mean.
It is an acronym, and if an acronym is pronouncable as a regular word, people
usually will pronounce it as a word. 
Some examples are NATO, NAFTA, UNESCO, ASCII, etcetera.
-- 
        Peter Punk
          \    /
        ---\\\\---
          /    \

Op zoek gaan naar buitenaards leven?
Kijk op http://home.hetnet.nl/~setiathomegroep/index.html 
voor tips, antwoorden, discussies. links, downloads en meer.

1800wu/2.563yrs

Any nitwit can understand computers. Many do. - Ted Nelson