“Subject Matter Expert”

In the term “Subject Matter Expert” (SME), what does the qualifier “Subject Matter” mean? Are there experts without subject matter (other than perhaps Irwin Corey, the “World’s Foremost Authority”) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subject-matter_expert Answer But I totally see his point All experts are only expert in their subject matter. it is kind of understood, and implied. So it … Read more

Acronyms and Initialisms- Uppercase, Lowercase, or either

Is there a rule on acronyms and initialisms being spelled out with the first letter of each word being uppercase or lowercase? Example: interim final rule (IFR) Interim Final Rule (IFR) Answer The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) briefly addresses the question of whether the spelled-out form of an initialism or acronym should … Read more

Acronyms: Plural, and then Singular

The acronym “SP” is first written in the document as: “contained in widely used or long-standing special permits (SP).” Next it appears in the singular: “eliminate the need for numerous SP renewal requests.” Later it appears again in the plural form as: “submitted by the regulated community related to certain SPs and…” Is this the … Read more

Is there a list of words that don’t need their own letters in an acronym?

When building an acronym, there are occasionally small words that can “slip through the cracks”. For example, U.S.A actually stands for United States of America. NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The word ‘the’ is another one that is left out here and there. Is there a definitive list of words that are … Read more

What type of word is SeQueL called, when you pronounce the abbreviation SQL as “SeQueL”

In database technology there is a standard called “Structured Query Language”, which is abbreviated as SQL. However, some people pronounce SQL as “SeQueL”. If SQL is an “abbreviation” or “acronym” – what could “SeQueL” be called. Ie. what is a word called that is an invented way to pronounce an abbreviation? Answer It’s called a … Read more

The curious case of “UChi” and its pronunciation

The Free Dictionary tells me that UCHI is the acronym for The University of Chicago. But if that were the case, shouldn’t it be TUOC? I visited the official university website and it says said Our official full name: The University of Chicago Wherever possible we prefer to use the full name of the University: … Read more

Capital letters in own defined acronyms

I am writing my PhD thesis, and I want to use the acronym “DOM” referring to “Domain Optimization Method”, as I use a lot that expression throughout the document. At the moment of defining it (i.e. the first time I use it), I write something like: “…solved by using a Domian Optimization Method (DOM)…” My … Read more