After "speaking" with some Un*x-type people, I realize I must have led a
sheltered life with regards to "conversations" about un*x things.  For
example, we have a few gibberish entities in MPE:
 
   ldev - "ell-dev"
  showq - "show-queue" (not "showk" or other pronunciation)
 
Fortunately most of our specific terms have fairly obvious phonetic ways
of conveying them in conversation.  I get lost in some Un*x conversations,
and I wonder if there is an FAQ for conversationally-challenged neophytes?
 
For example, I have heard:
 
   /etc - "ett-see" as in "ett-see mott-dee" (/etc/motd)
   chmod - "cha-mode" (sort of rhymes with "commode")
   ! - "bang"
 
Seems they have a phonetic "code" for otherwise gibberish phrases.  I wonder
now many others there are?  Like "gnu".  Is this pronounced "nue/new" like
the animal, or is it "ga-NEW"?
 
Another conversational quirk is "www".  Talk about the web, and you have to
say "double-you double-you double-you" countless times.  For me, that runs
right up there with "rubber baby buggy bumpers" as tongue-twisters go.  If
any gibberish acronym ever needed a phonetic "handle", this one does!
 
Sorry for the slight diversion off-topic, but I'm genuinely curious :-)
 
Jeff Kell <[log in to unmask]>  (not "ut-see-vum dot ut-see dot ed-you,
                                 thank you)