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Pedants' corner

A MNer or an MNer?

11 replies

DevonFolk · 21/10/2013 11:32

A LP or an LP?

If you say the initials in your head i.e. em-enner/el-pee then it would be an presumably. But if you see an abbreviation and read it as the full word or words i.e. Mumsnetter/Lone parent, then it would be a.

So which is accurate?

OP posts:

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WMittens · 21/10/2013 14:49

In speech, I would definitely go with 'an'.

In text, I tend to see 'a' (in this sort of scenario), so it's to be interpreted as the full word or words; I would assume that is the correct version but either version is acceptable to me.

Does anyone refer to them as 'long plays' anyway? Like CD, I expect they have become the de facto name and it's acceptable to interpret as is, rather than the long form.

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TheNumberfaker · 21/10/2013 14:58

Hmm... you wouldn't say 'em en er', would you? I wouldn't as it's more of a typing abbreviation than a spoken one.

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AuntyEntropy · 21/10/2013 15:00

I also can't believe that any one has ever said "an em-en-er" out loud. It's a written abbreviation for a Mumsnetter. By contrast, I'd say "an MNHQ representative"

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WMittens · 21/10/2013 18:17

you wouldn't say 'em en er', would you?

We should all be thankful the initials aren't the other way round

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TheNumberfaker · 21/10/2013 22:07

Very good WMittens. I thought you meant we should be grateful we're not NetMumsers... then I said it and realised!

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FalseWidow · 23/10/2013 20:43

WMittens

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PigeonPie · 23/10/2013 21:02

I always read it as a M(ums)N(etter) and lengthen it in my heard when written. As I don't really talk about MN in RL the other doesn't apply!

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WMittens · 23/10/2013 21:12

As I don't really talk about MN in RL the other doesn't apply!

The first rule of MN is you don't talk about MN.

The second rule of MN...

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Hassled · 23/10/2013 21:16

Surely it's only ever "an" if the next word starts with a vowel or an H?
A cat, an hotel, a dog, an egg.

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FalseWidow · 23/10/2013 22:09

Yet again I am not going to contribute to this thread other than to laugh at WMittens' jokes.

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LOLisNOTaPunctuationMark · 23/10/2013 22:15

You always say 'an' before a vowel sound - not a vowel itself.

E.g An 'e'L.P An 'e'MNer

Whereas university, although starting with a vowel, is pronounce 'Yooniversity' - so sounds like it begins with a consonant. It would therefore be 'A university' not 'An university'.