Re: Acronyms -Reply

[Steve Crutchfield SCRUTCH@xxxxxxxx]

I presume it comes to us as an offshoot of
the energy crises of the 70's. Carmakers
began publicizing their EPA gas mileage
estimates. The problem was that these
estimates tended to be quite optimistic. For
example, my Jeep Grand Cherokee is
labelled as getting 21 EPA highway mileage,
when in fact I rarely get above 17-18 mpg
furing long road trips.

In response to allegations that use of EPA
numbers in car ads was misleading, the
phrase "your mileage may vary" was added
to some ads. There was still criticism that
this wasn't enough, so another line was
added to the fine print saying "Actual
highway mileage may be lower".

Sort of like assertions that "SmartWords will
be available shortly"

Just my 2w

(That's "two cent's worth")

Steve

>>> Paul Williams
 04/14 5:28 am
>>>
Indeed. And, for a non American, WHAT on
earth does it mean??????

Paul Williams

At 05:01 AM 14-04-99 -0400, you wrote:
>YMMV:
>
>My wife and I grew up in America; we both
left the country for prolonged
>periods (1968-85 in my case) but returned
to live there 1985-95. We are
>both highly (if not over-) educated; we both
read daily newspapers, _The
>New Yorker_ et al. My wife is superlatively
retentive of what she reads.
>But a few months ago, when I mentioned to
her the phrase "Your mileage may
>vary" -- saying that I thought its addition to
the repertoire of
>catchphrases or verbal shorthand filled a
useful gap entertainingly -- she
>was baffled by it.
>
>I now think that YMMV -- unlike IMHO,
FWIW, or even AFAK, which compress
>phrases that should be familiar to every
competent English-speaker
>including non-natives -- is bound to a
specific culture and should be
>avoided unless you know whom you're
sending it to.
>
>Just my 2 cents' worth (another phrase I'd
be sorry to see compressed into
>an acronym).
>
>Cheers
>Eric Van Tassel
>