Jeff writes:
> For example, I have heard:
>
>    /etc - "ett-see" as in "ett-see mott-dee" (/etc/motd)
>    chmod - "cha-mode" (sort of rhymes with "commode")
 
These seem to be universal.  I say ch-mod rather than ch-mode personally.
 
>    ! - "bang"
 
This goes way back, and is certainly not specific to unix. Haven't any of
you people read the Jargon File?  If you have Windows, go get it from:
http://www.denkart.com/jargon  It's good for you.
 
> 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"?
 
The G is pronounced.  Otherwise people could have trouble understanding
exactly what you mean when you say "I used the new C compiler".
 
> Another conversational quirk is "www".
 
I just say 'Web" whenever possible.  When reading URLs to people you are
usually stuck with spelling out "http://www." all the time, but since
they expect this, you can say it in a fast mutter pretty quickly and they
will still know what you said.
 
Gee.