canberrabirds

The danger of acronyms

To: "Yarden Oren" <>, <>
Subject: The danger of acronyms
From: "Barbara Preston" <>
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:31:56 +1100
To add to Yarden's comments - I distracted myself with a google after Philip's comment, and came across the follow at a site,  http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mag/MAen9905.html :
QUOTE  The turtle dove’s mating season begins in early May. Then the male produces a very peculiar sound - "tirrr, tirrr" - which sounds like ‘tor,’ the Hebrew word for turtle. Hence, the English word, turtle dove. UNQUOTE
Hmmm ....
cheers
Barbara

From:
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 11:58 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] The danger of acronyms

Indeed the turtle is a reference to the onomatopoeic nature of the European Turtle-Dove voice, manifest also in the Latin - turtur or the Hebrew - Tor for dove. This last bit gives a classic loss in translation of the biblical usage. In the song of songs, the biblical text describes spring time as the time when the turtle doves are cooing. However, in the English translation (in the King James Bible) it comes out as a very different sound - "...and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land".


Speaking of which ... 1-2 Turtle-Doves are heard and seen daily in our neighbour's yard in Watson.

From: Philip Veerman <>
To: Canberra Birds <>
Sent: Thu, 10 March, 2011 11:21:41 AM
Subject: [canberrabirds] The danger of acronyms

A clever analysis again by Geoffrey. Although I rather liked the confluence of Spotted Turtle Dove with sexually transmitted disease. I think it is more interesting than standard or subscriber trunk dialling and it is strangely appropriate, with discussions about the birds likely breeding and getting established as a feral. Scope for trivial amusement there. However I disagree that "There never was a ‘Spotted Turtle Dove’ in general use", as the recommended names list of May 1978 used it (actually with the hyphen, so Spotted Turtle-Dove ) and so does the Christidis & Boles (2008).  Therefore most books and most people have used that name over that period. I suspect the doctrinal reason Geoffrey refers to is that it needs a capital D because IT IS A DOVE, as distinct from names like Cuckoo-shrikes (that are not shrikes). - -- (Nor are they cuckoos for that matter, which is why I advocate a totally new name "Cush" for the group).

 

The real mystery is why the group name has "Turtle" in it. How are pigeons like turtles? I think it is an old misrepresentation of a suggestion that the European one's call sounds like that word. 

 

The other point is that there actually is a well established list of 4 letter acronym codes of Australian bird names. Someone obviously worked out years ago that a 3 letter code does not work well enough. This 4 letter code works quite well (apart from the Buff-rumped Thornbill and Brown Thornbill are the only confusion, following the rules both would be BRTH, so the Buff-rumped became BUTH). On that list the correct 4 letter acronym code of Spotted Turtle-Dove is SPTD, so on that basis the whole question does not arise.

 

As for calling it Spotted Dove, that is a horrible name, as if anything within Australia, that name best fits the Diamond Dove (which is far more obviously spotted). Although I note the species is called Spotted Dove in California (and maybe wider) in USA where they are also concerned about its spread.

 

As for John's suggestion that COG’s Birds of Canberra Gardens Second Edition (2009) is a credible reference on anything, what a dreadful thought.......... Sorry John that is no fault of yours. It is a first and I hope last time that happens. Although in this case, that name use is not at the initiative of the compilers of that publication, it is simply using a suggested name from another new suggested standard source. In the same way as using Eastern Koel. How ridiculous, having a book that, to find Koel in the index, you need to look under "E" (rather than K).

 

Of course it is still STD in COG's 'Birds of the ACT' and in Frith's 'Birds of the Australian High Country' because that was the name years ago when these books came out.

 

I like Geoffrey's suggestion of ‘Indian Syphilis Dove’.

 

Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah  ACT  2902
 
02 - 62314041

 

What an interesting suggestion.  I had thought the use of acronyms was a sufficiently worrying matter for some people without injection of the new science ‘Priority of Acronyms’.  Ah well, if we are back on what people should or should not say ...

 

My earliest recollection of ‘STD’ (for ‘standard’) was on record turntables of the 1950s, where it was used to distinguish the lever position for ‘78’ records from that for the exciting new ‘LP’ products.

 

Then came the even more exciting technology that enabled direct long-distance dialling (within Australia) instead of having to place a call through an operator.  That kind of ‘STD’ remains the primary meaning of the abbreviation in my Macquarie.  The disease-related use came later.  Without conducting research on the matter, I assume it was adopted to get away from the pejorative associations of ‘VD’.   In time, STD will no doubt acquire similar associations and go the same way.

 

There never was a  ‘Spotted Turtle Dove’ in general use.  The RAOU inserted the upper-case ‘D’ (‘Turtle-Dove’) for doctrinal reasons.  ‘Spotted Dove’ is now the recommended form.  Not that this will conclude the matter from the viewpoint of dove-rage.  The long-recommended ‘Common Myna’ has not prevented popularisation of ‘Indian Myna’ for the purpose of the elimination project.  Indeed I think a new name for this unloved dove is overdue.   My suggestion is ‘Indian Syphilis Dove’.  This conveys the desired message that this species is really unwelcome, retains a useful connection with ‘STD’, and furthermore gives us ‘ISD’ which rather neatly continues the traditional telecom association.            

 

From: Margaret Leggoe [ Sent: Tuesday, 8 March 2011 7:48 PM    To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] The danger of acronyms

 

Can we please find another acronym for Spotted Turtle Dove. 

For those who are not aware, it is a widely accepted acronym for infectious diseases transmitted by a certain kind of social behaviour.

 

Margaret Leggoe


-----

-----Original Message-----From: John Layton [ Sent: Wednesday, 9 March 2011 7:33 PM
To: 'Peter Ormay'     Cc: Canberra Birds     Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] The danger of acronyms

Christidis & Boles (2008) has it as Spotted Dove. Frith’s book is good but getting a bit dated unless there’s a revised edition abroad that I’ve not seen. COG’s  Birds of Canberra Gardens Second Edition (2009) has it as Spotted Dove. Keeping up with common names somehow reminds me of a mouse on a treadmill.

JKL

 

From: Peter Ormay [ Sent: Wednesday, 9 March 2011 6:22 PM     To: John Layton; Canberra Birds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] The danger of acronyms

 

It's still STD in COGs 'Birds of the ACT' and in Frith's 'Birds of the Australian High Country'. I never associated it with that other STD so I don't see any reason to change it.

----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 7:02 AM

Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] The danger of acronyms

 

I thought it’s now called the Spotted Dove (?), so that would make the acronym STD, as applied to this maligned species, obsolete anyway.

 

On 08/03/11 19:47, Margaret Leggoe wrote:

Can we please find another acronym for Spotted Turtle Dove. 

For those who are not aware, it is a widely accepted acronym for infectious diseases transmitted by a certain kind of social behaviour.

 


 
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