Why isn't UPS pronounced like ups?

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Sonic200
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06 Jan 2023, 12:32 pm

Unlike certain acronyms like GPS it would be pronounceable without spelling it out. So why isn't it said as ups?

Misslizard
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06 Jan 2023, 1:47 pm

Some people do call it that.

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Radish
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06 Jan 2023, 1:51 pm

Misslizard wrote:

Some people do call it that.

Oops!

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Sonic200
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06 Jan 2023, 2:04 pm

Misslizard wrote:

Some people do call it that.

Yes, I've heard people say UPS as ups when being facetious.

kitesandtrainsandcats
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06 Jan 2023, 2:19 pm

This conversation brings to mind,

UPS down? Current outages and problems - Downdetector
https://downdetector.com/status/ups/

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kitesandtrainsandcats
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06 Jan 2023, 2:27 pm

There was a place I worked in decades past which had an assistant manager who would say things like,

"Our sales volume for that item has been struck down by the striking lateness of the upstruck."

Dude was a bit of a goof.

But was a fun and respected manager.

He reminded me of Grandfather W,

who would say thing like, "It's later than it would have been had it been earlier than it was."

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nick007
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11 Jan 2023, 12:27 pm

Sonic200 wrote:

Misslizard wrote:

Some people do call it that.

Yes, I've heard people say UPS as ups when being facetious.

I almost always only hear it pounced like that by people who are frustrated with em at the time like, "I waited for the ups man all day when the tracking said he would be here this morning"

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goldfish21
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12 Jan 2023, 12:01 am

Because it’s an acronym that stands for Under Paid Slaves. Can’t have it sounding too uplifting or anything.

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Double Retired
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12 Jan 2023, 11:54 am

I'm accustomed to two different treatments of the abbreviation "UPS".

When someone is talking about United Parcel Service I expect them to spell out the abbreviation: "U. P. S."

But if they are talking about an uninterruptible power supply sometimes they spell out the abbreviation but I think it is more common to say the word: "ups".

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lostonearth35
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12 Jan 2023, 12:08 pm

For as long as I can remember everyone I know has pronounced it You-Pee-Ess.

Ha ha, You-Pee, really mature.

naturalplastic
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12 Jan 2023, 12:13 pm

Sonic200 wrote:

Misslizard wrote:

Some people do call it that.

Yes, I've heard people say UPS as ups when being facetious.

A young lady coworker would say 'here comes the ups man' in all seriousness.

Unusual, but not unheard of.

nick007
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12 Jan 2023, 10:34 pm

Double Retired wrote:

I refer to both by the abbreviation, U.P.S. It should be very easy to tell which meaning I'm using by the context unless I had an uninterruptible power supply that was being delivered by United Parcel Service :wink:

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