h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are quite a few military acronyms which, as much as anything, go to prove that much of the military does not spell too well.

For example:

A "Jimpy" is a general-purpose machine-gun, or GPMG. A "Jeep" is (or was originally) a general-purpose vehicle, or GPV.

I've always heard that the military originated "snafu" - "Situation Normal, all (fouled) up".

My personal favourite military acronym is the two syllable, five letter "SUSAT" - "Sight Unit, Small Arms, Trilux". Or simply "sight", as you could perfectly well call it in almost every single situation, and save a syllable.

Is there a word for an abbreviation which is, pointlessly, LONGER than the common word for the thing it's supposed to be abbreviating?

H.

Another example of an amusing, but common, military acronym is the one pronounced "Humvee", HMMWV. That must gone through a bit of wrangling to make it pronounceable.

I thought Humvee was arrived at from HMV - High Mobility Vehicle.


But I could be wrong!

That would be too simple.

I'm pretty sure that the "High Mobility Vehicle" is in there, though. Could be "High Mobility Wheeled Vehicle". I'm not 100% sure about the second M, but I think it's right. Just don't ask me what it stands for. "Manned"?

Abbreviation is for "High Mobility *Multipurpose* Wheeled Vehicle", on the grounds that the humvee replaced several different vehicle types which were being used prior to its introduction for things like battlefield troop transport, weapons platform, ambulance, etc. etc. etc. The idea was to come up with a single vehicle to perform all these tasks, and on which all the basic parts were interchangeable. Other specifications include the ability to drive, without preparation through water thirty inches deep, and with the addition of a fording kit, SIXTY inches (that's FIVE FEET!). Cool car. Shame it's nigh on impossible to own one and illegal to drive one on the road. Enthusiasts have to make do with the civilian version, the Hummer, or search the scrapyards and risk the law...

H.

I see. Thanks for that clarification. =)

A "Jimpy" is a general-purpose machine-gun, or GPMG. A "Jeep" is (or was originally) a general-purpose vehicle, or GPV.


Niether Jimpy nor Jeep are achronyms, they are abbreviations of the initials from which they are derived.

You will never see the word Jimpy in any official document, but you will see GPMG. Jimpy is simply soldiers slang. Jimpy is easier and quicker to say than Gee-Pee-Em-Gee the same a Jeep is easier and quicker than Gee-Pee-Vee.

Regards

Staurt