> I can't believe I'm doing this:

[It worked :-)]

> Russell, Mr. Pedantic,

[I have him now]

> an acronym is actually a subset of an
> abbreviation that is supposed to be a pronounceable word, 
> like RADAR or
> LASER. Now, I don't know if RoHS is supposed to be an 
> acronym, but if
> not, it's just an abbreviation.

I know. You'll note the :-) fore and aft, and the so obvious 
that it's clearly tongue in cheek, flame bait also fore and 
aft.
I actually think that what I said makes pretty good sense, 
but I just KNOW that it won't sit comfortably with many.

I agree that acronyms are made to be abused and that some 
are pretty easy to get as intended (eg LASER). But an 
acronym that is not self pronouncing (as it were) aint much 
of one. And any SERIOUS descriptor SHOULDN'T [tm] be an 
acronym unless it  just happens that way. eg LASER is fine 
because they invented a neat toy and wanted a snappy name, 
but ROHS has no right have its functionality defined by how 
they want people to pronounce its acronym - especially so if 
people subsequently CAN'T pronounce it consistently ;-).

By your argument and mine combined [tug gently on line to 
embed hook in jaw] ROHS is not an acronym, but an 
abbreviation, so should be pronounced by naming its letters. 
viz AR OH aitch/HAITCH ESS. No?

A relatively recent lesson in life for me (some will have 
learned it decades younger) is that either there is NO 
correct pronunciation of a word in international use OR you 
have it wrong (and I do too :-) ).  eg how does/should one 
pronounce "Euro" - the currency unit. I'd (and did) say 
"YOU-ROE", but found that in parts of YOO-RIP they leaned 
towards EYE-ROE. Mayhaps I was really in EYE-RIP at the time 
(looked more like JER-MAN-EEE / OSS-TREE-UH and thereabouts. 
My daughter (hails from Planet YWAM so is at home in any 
country) says that my subsequent tendency to say EYE-ROE is 
just as wrong as YOU-ROW and teh pro-nun-shee-ay-shun across 
the whole of [you|eye]-RIP varies widely and I have simply 
latched onto one of many pronunciations.




        R


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