"An S.A.E." or "a S.A.E."?

M. Jakeman

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Jun 16, 2003, 4:09:01 AM6/16/03

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No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)

MJ

david56

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Jun 16, 2003, 4:23:02 AM6/16/03

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har...@excite.com spake thus:

>
> No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)

That one's easier than "historical" since there is one, true answer.

An SAE.

(that's my opinion, at least)

--
David
I say what it occurs to me to say.
=====
The address is valid today, but I change it periodically.

Martin Ambuhl

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Jun 16, 2003, 4:43:16 AM6/16/03

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har...@excite.com (M. Jakeman) wrote (16 Jun 2003) in
news:3eed7ae8...@news.cis.dfn.de / alt.english.usage:

>
> No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)

"an", since S.A.E. is pronounced /'Es,eI'i/, starting with a vowel
sound.

--
Martin Ambuhl
now exiled to
Hurricane Bait, Texas

Adrian Bailey

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Jun 16, 2003, 1:07:23 PM6/16/03

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"Martin Ambuhl" <mam...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Xns939C25D47704Em...@207.217.77.25...

> har...@excite.com (M. Jakeman) wrote (16 Jun 2003) in
> news:3eed7ae8...@news.cis.dfn.de / alt.english.usage:
> > No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)
>
> "an", since S.A.E. is pronounced /'Es,eI'i/, starting with a vowel
> sound.

I don't understand how anyone could think it might be "a SAE". The only
possible reason, that the pronunciation of "SAE" isn't known, seems too
far-fetched.

Adrian

M. Jakeman

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Jun 16, 2003, 1:09:20 PM6/16/03

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On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 08:43:16 GMT, Martin Ambuhl
<mam...@earthlink.net> wrote:

>>har...@excite.com (M. Jakeman) wrote (16 Jun 2003) in
>>news:3eed7ae8...@news.cis.dfn.de / alt.english.usage:
>>
>>>
>>> No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)
>>
>>"an", since S.A.E. is pronounced /'Es,eI'i/, starting with a vowel
>>sound.

Ah, but what if you (mentally) pronounce it "stamped addressed
envelope"? Preceding that with "an" could send a weak-hearted person
into convulsions, no? ;-)

MJ

"If this is scrumpy, bring me some pig swill"
~ Peasmold Gruntfuttock

M. Jakeman

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Jun 16, 2003, 1:22:23 PM6/16/03

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On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 18:07:23 +0100, "Adrian Bailey"
<da...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>>I don't understand how anyone could think it might be "a SAE".

Because many people mentally see or hear "stamped addressed envelope"
when they read "S.A.E." ?

M. Jakeman

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Jun 16, 2003, 1:29:13 PM6/16/03

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On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 18:07:23 +0100, "Adrian Bailey"
<da...@hotmail.com> wrote:

PS

In any case... "a SAE" is more environmentally friendly
- it uses up less ink... ;-)

mb

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Jun 16, 2003, 6:50:06 PM6/16/03

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har...@excite.com (M. Jakeman) wrote
...

> >>I don't understand how anyone could think it might be "a SAE".
>
> Because many people mentally see or hear "stamped addressed envelope"
> when they read "S.A.E." ?

Wait a mo. Is that why junk mailers keep mentioning "serious adverse effects"?

Professor Redwine

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Jun 16, 2003, 7:30:28 PM6/16/03

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On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 17:22:23 +0000, M. Jakeman wrote:

> On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 18:07:23 +0100, "Adrian Bailey"
> <da...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>>I don't understand how anyone could think it might be "a SAE".
>
> Because many people mentally see or hear "stamped addressed envelope"
> when they read "S.A.E." ?

Funny, I hear/see "self addressed envelope", which IIRC is the normal
expansion in Australian usage.

Redwine
Berlin

Daniel James

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Jun 17, 2003, 5:16:33 AM6/17/03

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In article news:<3eed7ae8...@news.cis.dfn.de>, M. Jakeman
wrote:
> "An S.A.E." or "a S.A.E."?

That's the same as the other question isn't it? The answer is
"it depends on how you would say it".

If you would say (out loud) "an Ess Ei Eee" then it's clearly
"an"; if you would say "a stamped, addressed, envelope" then
it's clearly "a".

[I don't believe anyone would say "an stamped, addressed,
envelope" but I suppose other possibilities exist ... would
anyone say "a say"?]

> No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)

.. but there is none. You might as well write "don't answer,
just send me money"!

Cheers,
Daniel.

meirman

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Jun 18, 2003, 1:04:08 AM6/18/03

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In alt.english.usage on Mon, 16 Jun 2003 08:09:01 GMT
har...@excite.com (M. Jakeman) posted:

>
>No opinions - just the correct answer. :-)
>
>MJ

Much as I hate to reply to posts which rely on the subject line to be
understood, the answer is "the S.A.E." (Society of Automotive
Engineers)

s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.

Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 17 years

Margot

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Jun 18, 2003, 4:33:36 PM6/18/03

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... which always used to be expanded to "stamped self-addressed
envelope" or "stamped S.A.E." when the other person expected you to pay
the postage.

Margot

Daniel James

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Jun 19, 2003, 5:00:58 AM6/19/03

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In article news:<bcqhuv$lak33$1...@ID-183453.news.dfncis.de>,
Margot wrote:
> .... which always used to be expanded to "stamped

> self-addressed envelope" or "stamped S.A.E." when the
> other person expected you to pay the postage.

The 'S' of S.A.E. stands for stamped. I've never heard either
"stamped self-addressed..." or "stamped S.A...", and the seem
to me to be tautologous.

In fact, I have only rarely heard "self-addressed", and have
always suspected it of being leftpondian.

I assume "self-addressed envelope" is supposed to mean that one
has addressed the envelope *to* oneself (not just that one has
addressed it oneself), but why should a person asking for an
S.A.E. care to whom you address the envelope? You might want
them to send something to you, but you might also want them to
send it to your Auntie Nellie in Bognor; how the envelope is
addressed is surely of no concern to the person to whom you
send it for use?

Cheers,
Daniel.