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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 12, 2023 22:20:53 GMT -5
I experience similar frustrating things while watching NCIS. Am I expected to know every naval acronym? The worst one for me is GSW - which is gunshot wound. Both GSW and gunshot wound have three syllables, so it’d be just as easy for the NCIS agents to mention a “gunshot wound”. The pedant in me requires me to point out that NCIS and GSW are not acronyms; they are initialisms. An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word, such as ASCII or NASA. Some, like radar and scuba become standard words. An abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately, like NCIS or GSW. It is possible for something to be treated as either an acronym or an initialism is pronunciation is not standardised; e.g. SQL. Some people say 'sequel' (an acronym) and others 'es-cue-el' (an initialism).
But as someone whose job involves a lot of acronyms and initialisms, I can say that the usage is accurate. Initialisms such as GSW arise not because they are easier to say, but because they are quicker to write. It then becomes standard to say the initialism in conversation.
A Naval acronym would be a command name: COMNAVSURFLANT-Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic My first ship was part of DESRON 4 (Destroyer Squadron 4) and then I went to work for the command staff, for the squadron, COMDESRON 4 (Commander, Destroyer Squadron 4), We and DESRON 6 were part of CRUDESGRU 2 (Cruiser Destroyer Group 2) . Training commands can get some real doozies! |
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Post by Calidore on Jun 12, 2023 22:25:46 GMT -5
Oh, and you must be able to locate the Sea Bat,
Sea Bat found.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jun 12, 2023 22:37:17 GMT -5
The pedant in me requires me to point out that NCIS and GSW are not acronyms; they are initialisms. An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word, such as ASCII or NASA. Some, like radar and scuba become standard words. An abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately, like NCIS or GSW. It is possible for something to be treated as either an acronym or an initialism is pronunciation is not standardised; e.g. SQL. Some people say 'sequel' (an acronym) and others 'es-cue-el' (an initialism).
But as someone whose job involves a lot of acronyms and initialisms, I can say that the usage is accurate. Initialisms such as GSW arise not because they are easier to say, but because they are quicker to write. It then becomes standard to say the initialism in conversation.
A Naval acronym would be a command name: COMNAVSURFLANT-Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic My first ship was part of DESRON 4 (Destroyer Squadron 4) and then I went to work for the command staff, for the squadron, COMDESRON 4 (Commander, Destroyer Squadron 4), We and DESRON 6 were part of CRUDESGRU 2 (Cruiser Destroyer Group 2) . Training commands can get some real doozies! COM:Commander. Check. NAV: Naval. Check. SUR: Surface. Check. F: Forces. Check. LANT: Atlantic. Huh? Maybe they figured COMNAVSURFAT would have sounded less melodious? |
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Post by foxley on Jun 13, 2023 3:12:34 GMT -5
In regards to the last bit; there are time-honored "hazing" rituals on board ship, which do not involve physically abusing someone. These are all tests of gullability and are frequently tried with brand new sailors, reporting to their first ship and midshipmen. One is to try to locate the Sea Bat. The idea is to get someone to bend down and look under something, then swat them in the behind with a broom. Not to common after the mid-80s. The next is to tell someone they have the Mail Buoy Watch and to keep a sharp look out, so we don't miss our mail. There is no such thing. Mail is transferred on, in port, or from another vessel, at sea. A Relative Bearing needs no lubrication, is is a map bearing, relative to the position of the ship. If you sight a vessel, as a lookout, you give it's bearing, relative to the bow of the ship and approximate distance. If you can't figure out why obtaining a bucket of steam is pretty much impossible, well then I can't help you. Then, there is the whole Shellback Initiation, when you cross the Equator, which is a whole 'nother topic. The older version of Mail Buoy Watch is Anchor Watch (I assume). I came across this term in a golden age Joker story where the Joker, having seen an apprentice being sent to fetch a 'left-handed screwdriver', decides to commit a series of crimes based around hazing rituals. In the 'anchor watch' crime, he tied a large inflatable whale to a ship's anchor chain. While the entire crew gathered to look at the whale (i.e. 'watch the anchor'), the Joker's henchmen robbed the purser's office.
Who says comics aren't educational?  |
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Post by MDG on Jun 13, 2023 10:45:08 GMT -5
Couldn't be happier to see that Sam Glanzman is getting the Bill Finger Award this year.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 13, 2023 21:05:46 GMT -5
Couldn't be happier to see that Sam Glanzman is getting the Bill Finger Award this year.
Nice to see and also nice to see Barbara Friedlander recognized, as the romance comics get little attention, except some of the artists, who worked in other genres. Some factual errors in Sam's bio; Amazing-Man Comics was published by Centaur, not Hillman. |
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Post by jester on Jun 20, 2023 11:26:53 GMT -5
Ditko told a fan who visited his studio that Stan named Dr. Strange Stephen as an in-joke reference to Ditko himself, as well as the fact that he was appearing in Strange Tales. I thought that was cool.
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Post by Rob Allen on Jun 20, 2023 13:19:20 GMT -5
Ditko told a fan who visited his studio that Stan named Dr. Strange Stephen as an in-joke reference to Ditko himself, as well as the fact that he was appearing in Strange Tales. I thought that was cool. I heard or read somewhere that Ditko initially named the character "Mr. Strange" because he was intended for Strange Tales, and Stan promoted him to "Dr. Strange" because he thought it sounded cooler, forgetting that he'd named an early Iron Man villain "Dr. Strange". |
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Post by kirby101 on Jun 20, 2023 16:34:33 GMT -5
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Post by Batflunkie on Jun 21, 2023 19:56:07 GMT -5
Ditko told a fan who visited his studio that Stan named Dr. Strange Stephen as an in-joke reference to Ditko himself, as well as the fact that he was appearing in Strange Tales. I thought that was cool. I heard or read somewhere that Ditko initially named the character "Mr. Strange" because he was intended for Strange Tales, and Stan promoted him to "Dr. Strange" because he thought it sounded cooler, forgetting that he'd named an early Iron Man villain "Dr. Strange". "Mr. Strange" sounds much more unique and less clinical than "Dr. Strange", but that's my two-cents on the subject
Let's also not forget "Miracle Man" being an early FF villain
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,201 
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Post by Confessor on Jun 22, 2023 4:45:44 GMT -5
That was great. Thanks for sharing. |
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Post by kirby101 on Jun 22, 2023 13:46:53 GMT -5
It occurs to me as I reread the early Spider-Man issues in my XL Taschen edition that almost all the early heroes at Marvel were science nerds. (I doubt I am the first to make note of this). Part of this makes sense, as it allows a sciencey origin, that Marvel seemed to favor. Beyond science nerd Peter Parker, we had Reed Richards, Bruce Banner, Henry Pym, even Don Blake was a bit of a science nerd in the early stories, doing experiments in his office lab.
DC had an alien, reporter, a billionaire, a test pilot and a few science nerds of their own.
But there is a pattern here. I think part of it is the meek, smart alter ego appealed to a big segment of the comic reader community.
Just a randomn thought while reading Spidey's adventures.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jun 23, 2023 10:29:57 GMT -5
I was today years old when I found out that Darwyn Cooke did two issues of Spider-Man: Tangled Web. I now must have them.
That's it. That's the post.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2023 11:33:01 GMT -5
I was today years old when I found out that Darwyn Cooke did two issues of Spider-Man: Tangled Web. I now must have them. That's it. That's the post. I've known for a while he did them, I just haven't managed to find them in the wild yet. I may have to break down and order them online at some point. -M |
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Post by mikelmidnight on Jun 23, 2023 11:40:16 GMT -5
I heard or read somewhere that Ditko initially named the character "Mr. Strange" because he was intended for Strange Tales, and Stan promoted him to "Dr. Strange" because he thought it sounded cooler, forgetting that he'd named an early Iron Man villain "Dr. Strange". The original has YET to show up and try to get his name back! Science vs magic! |
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