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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Joe Strout wrote:
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
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To purists, I barely qualify as an “AFOL,” but even I agree that that
term is preferable to “ALE.” AFOL has history behind it, and its creation
was organic, rather than deliberate, and it therefore has greater aesthetic
appeal to me on those grounds alone.
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So, you like it better because there was little thought behind it? Next
you’ll be saying you voted for Bush. :)
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Holy moley, them’s fightin’ words!
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I don’t care if either is “easier” to pronounce--no one I know “pronounces”
ETA, RSVP, or USA. “AFOL” is an abbreviation, not an acronym.
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Some people spell it out, but even that isn’t very euphonic -- unlike the
other initialisms you mention, AFOL when spelled quickly sounds more like a
word (ayafoal) than a string of letters.
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I don’t know. I can think of all kinds of abbreviations that don’t snuggle into
the ear all that pleasantly. The Society for Creative Anachronisms (The SCA,
which sounds like ESS-YAY) is one such example. Participants in that group
are called “SCAdians,” though.
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But the real problem isn’t when speaking to other ALEs (or whatever you
choose to call them), but when speaking to people who aren’t into LEGO.
I’ve tried this on a number of occasions since coming out of my dark ages:
“I’m an adult fan of LEGO...” The result is almost always a “you’re joking,
right?” sort of grin, because it sounds so ridiculously pompous. It’s like
saying “I’m a drinker of wines.” It’s stilted and sounds silly. When have
you ever heard a train enthusiast describe themselves as an “adult fan of
trains”?
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To be honest, I’ve never heard anyone describe himself as an enthusiast of any
hobby. Even if he did, he wouldn’t say “I’m an adult train enthusiast,” because
that sounds like he’s only into burlesque trains (which he may be, but that’s
beside the point...)
If you’re really invested in the term, I’d suggest dropping “Adult” from the
acronym because it serves no purpose other than compartmentalization. If you’re
speaking to non-LEGO savvy listeners, chances are good that they’ll recognize
you as an adult, right? And if you’re discussing it in writing, you’d have to
explain the acronym the first time you use it anyway, thusly:
“Hi all, I’m an Adult Lego Enthusiast (ALE), and here’s my story. I’ve been an
ALE for several years, and...”
In euphonic terms, pronouncing the word “ALE” isn’t much better or different
from spelling the abbreviation “LE,” and the latter is (IMO) superior by virtue
of being less arbitrarily subdivided.
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So, from now on, I’ll be introducing my passion this way: “I’m an adult LEGO
enthusiast” -- “LEGO enthusiast” just like “train enthusiast,” plus “adult”
since (unlike the train hobby) LEGO is still seen by most people as a toy for
children. Adding “adult” defines adult LEGO enthusiasts as a group, implying
that there are others, and that the speaker isn’t just having maturity
issues.
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Well, that’s a good explanation, but even insofar as I’ve never heard anyone
self-described as an enthusiast, I’ve never heard any non-adult described as
an “enthusiast” by anyone!
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IMO (also an abbreviation rather than an acronym!), to call oneself an
“enthusiast” is to make oneself sound hopelessly effete and snobbish.
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Nonsense; it’s a standard term -- there are train enthusiasts, wine
enthusiasts, music enthusiasts and so on. If you want effete and snobbish,
use “afficionado” instead. (And if you want crass, use “buff” -- enthusiast
is comfortably in the middle.)
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What’s wrong with “Hobbyist” as a term? We all participate in LEGO as a hobby,
right? Do we all participate in LEGO as an enthusiasm? I know, it’s not a 100%
precise comparison, but I think it underscores my point that “enthusiast,”
though certainly part of the lexicon, just sounds tritely artificial to me.
Like referring to a “Bottle Shoppe” for no particular reason.
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Laugh all you want, but I think this is a small but important part of getting
the society we live in to accept and understand the LEGO hobby.
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Jeez, is it as serious as all that? I couldn’t care less if society accepts or
understand my involvement in the hobby. And, judging from the huge response
that LEGO train shows seem to garner, society welcomes “us” as well as it
welcomes any subculture of hobbyists. Even the aforementioned SCA, haven for
ubergeeks of all stripes, attracts a huge crowd whenever it puts on a public
demonstration.
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P.S. Is this really off-topic?
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I wondered the same thing. Curse that scoundrel John Neal and his willy-nilly
FUT-ing!
Dave!
FUT lugnet.general
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: what is ALE?
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| (...) So, you like it better because there was little thought behind it? Next you'll be saying you voted for Bush. :) (...) Some people spell it out, but even that isn't very euphonic -- unlike the other initialisms you mention, AFOL when spelled (...) (19 years ago, 2-Jun-05, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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