Hacker News Reader

Hacker News

Comment by TazeTSchnitzel | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

TazeTSchnitzel

Oh El Eee, like the names of its constituent letters.

But then I've never heard it pronounced, only ever read it. So maybe "Olay" was the normal pronunciation.

View on HN

> So maybe "Olay" was the normal pronunciation.

It was.

I assume you also say SQL as 'ess que ell' as opposed to 'sequel.' Probably a generational thing.

That's the point where I cease to follow any discernible convention. I don't think I'm the only one.

  SQL:        "ess kyoo el"
  T-SQL:      "tee-sequel"
  PL/SQL:     "pee el ess kyoo el"
  SQLite:     "sequelite"
  SQL Server: "sequel server"
  MySQL:      "my ess kyoo el"
  PostgreSQL  "Postgres"

PostgreSQL may be the worst/best compromise. The Press FAQ provides an audio file the pronounces it post-grez-que-elle, keeping enough of both pronunciations to be a linguistic spork. Considering it's roots with Ingres, it makes sense, but it also feels like a layered pun.

http://www.postgresql.org/files/postgresql.mp3

It took me a while to learn "sequel" was the pronunciation, yes.

But this is because I learned SQL from reading about it, not going to conferences.

"SQL" is pretty complicated:

http://patorjk.com/blog/2012/01/26/pronouncing-sql-s-q-l-or-...

I say "olay" but "ess que ell". For me OLE is closer to an actual word (Olé), but SQL is nothing like "sequel".

SQL was originally SEQUEL, thus the pronunciation :)

Once interviewed a guy who kept talking about knowing "Squeel". Had no idea what he was talking about until he mentioned "Squeel Server". Cue banjo music...

I've never heard GUI pronounced until moving to the Bay Area. Before I called it G-U-I (still do).

I've never known anyone to spell it out like that. It has always been "gooey".

I loved the CRUD acronym when I first heard it. Sounds like an insult, and it kind of is one!

Whizzy wig was the first time I realised what I'd read in my head wasn't how others pronounced an acronym.

Mine was the first time i tried to buy a SCSI drive in the US. The sales person didn't even understand what i meant, when i said "es see es i". Then he pronounced "sceuzy" and i was amazed :))

I once requested the "Wi-fi" key in a hotel, at St. Malo, France. The receptionist gave me a weird look and, after I explained myself, said «Oh, le "wee-fee"».

Reply on news.ycombinator.com