Mastodawn

Why do people pronounce ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) like it's a word?

https://lemmy.ml/post/42320553

Why do people pronounce ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) like it's a word? - Lemmy

Is there some hidden pronounciation rule I’m not aware of? And why do we say F.B.I and not FBI or U.S.B and not USB ? I know it seems a really silly question seeing the actual situation with the ICE eveywhere on the news… But this really bothers me on why people yell ICE when it’s actually the I.C.E :/.

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Apepollo11 Jan 28

NASA, NATO, Radar, Sonar, Laser, Scuba, AIDS, PIN, SWAT, YOLO, CAD

The rule genuinely is “if it can be said as a word, it might be said as a word”.

They’re called acronyms.

BBC, TV, USSR etc. can’t easily be said as a word - these are just initialisations.

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N0x0n Jan 28

Okay I get that ! But in the case of the ICE both are actually acceptable.

I.C.E sounds good so those ICE. I guess in this context as some else said, it’s because they are “ice cold” (in this context).

Would it be acceptable in a conversation to talk about the I.C.E ?

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starlinguk

I.C.Es are trains in Germany. ICE are assholes in the US. Hope that helps.