RPG = ???

[Machete]

This could, very well, belong in Help.  However, I'm posting it here because I'm providing the info rather than asking for it.

Everyone knows the RPG is a Soviet- or Russian-built weapon depending on the generation of the weapon.  Thus, the acronym is romanized Russian, not English.  In Russian RPG is short for Ручной противотанковый гранатомет (Ruchnoĭ protivotankovyĭ granatomet), meaning hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.  However, English-speakers, at least tend to transpose RPG as the acronym for rocket-propelled grenade, which would have been реактивная граната (ryeaktivnaya granata; RNG?).

[Oniya]

Yooooou were watching the Military Channel last night, weren't you!  ('Cause I added that bit of trivia to the StoreHouse last night. ;D )

Of course, you realize that gamers have to be very careful discussing their hobbies in airports now.  'Hey, I've got a new RPG with me - man, you should see how it does damage!'

[Beguile's Mistress]

I once knew a man who serviced industrial lead acid batteries at coal mines.  He and his boss were having lunch and discussing a delivery of acid he was going to be making to a client that afternoon.  Two plain clothes detectives overheard the conversation and stopped them in the parking lot to discuss the situation. :D

[Inkidu]

This could, very well, belong in Help.  However, I'm posting it here because I'm providing the info rather than asking for it.

Everyone knows the RPG is a Soviet- or Russian-built weapon depending on the generation of the weapon.  Thus, the acronym is romanized Russian, not English.  In Russian RPG is short for Ручной противотанковый гранатомет (Ruchnoĭ protivotankovyĭ granatomet), meaning hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.  However, English-speakers, at least tend to transpose RPG as the acronym for rocket-propelled grenade, which would have been реактивная граната (ryeaktivnaya granata; RNG?).

That's probably right, but I mean, it's probably just an idiom thing, or a poor translation. I mean either way it works the same when you pull the trigger.

[Oniya]

I think it's more like what they call a 'backronym', which is where you start with a word and come up with the 'meaning' later.  Classic examples are SOS (does not mean 'Save Our Ship/Sailor/Souls, but was chosen for ease of transmission), or the joke of FORD meaning 'Fix or repair daily' (or even 'First on race day'), or the more recent contribution from NASA:  Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill

[HockeyGod]

The translation of Russian to English is often an interesting issue. Take for example one of the most famous words English speakers associate with Russian - "comrade." This isn't a Russian word at all. Russian for comrade is "товариш" (to-var-eesh).

Another example, when Russia was the Soviet Union people would often say C-C-C-P...using the Roman letters when in fact in Cyrillic these letters more accurately would be S-S-S-R (pronounced Es-Es-Es-Air).

[Oniya]

I'm not sure that the Americans portraying Russians as saying 'comrade' think that the Russians would be using that word and not their native term. 

(Of course, I don't know that the stereotype of Russians calling everyone товариш is necessarily accurate either, and there are probably still a few people that think that all you need to do to learn French is plug your nose and add 'Aw-haw-haw!' or 'No?' to the end of every sentence.  Probably more than a few.  Oh, hell.)

[NotoriusBEN]

I think that it just occurred as a ''happy accident'' or like Oniya said with the Acronym / BACKronym occuring before the explaination.

There is a long standing unrecorded and probably unsubstantiated history of military forces substituting 3+ syllable words with only 3 or 4 letters, and pronounced with one syllable.

I've not served in the armed forces or any life or death situation, so I'm probably using a lot of supposition. I would think that a serviceman wants to convey as much information as possible as quickly as possible to his fellow soldiers using short, crisp words that can be heard clearly in the exchange of weapons fire.

Screaming "RPG! Get Down!" conveys what you mean a lot quicker than "Ruchnoĭ protivotankovyĭ gran-" *boom from exploding grenade*

[TheGlyphstone]

I'm not sure that the Americans portraying Russians as saying 'comrade' think that the Russians would be using that word and not their native term. 

(Of course, I don't know that the stereotype of Russians calling everyone товариш is necessarily accurate either, and there are probably still a few people that think that all you need to do to learn French is plug your nose and add 'Aw-haw-haw!' or 'No?' to the end of every sentence.  Probably more than a few.  Oh, hell.)

You mean Canadians don't actually say "Eh" at the end of every sentence? ;D

[Oniya]

Screaming "RPG! Get Down!" conveys what you mean a lot quicker than "Ruchnoĭ protivotankovyĭ gran-" *boom from exploding grenade*

This.

You mean Canadians don't actually say "Eh" at the end of every sentence? ;D

I'm not sure, but North Dakotans do not, in fact, consider 'Don'tcha know' to be punctuation.  ;)

[HockeyGod]

I'm not sure that the Americans portraying Russians as saying 'comrade' think that the Russians would be using that word and not their native term. 

(Of course, I don't know that the stereotype of Russians calling everyone товариш is necessarily accurate either, and there are probably still a few people that think that all you need to do to learn French is plug your nose and add 'Aw-haw-haw!' or 'No?' to the end of every sentence.  Probably more than a few.  Oh, hell.)

Point taken.

You mean Canadians don't actually say "Eh" at the end of every sentence? ;D

I heard that's how the country got its name...C-eh-N-eh-D-eh.

[Shjade]

I'm not sure, but North Dakotans do not, in fact, consider 'Don'tcha know' to be punctuation.  ;)

Oh yah?

[LunarSage]

I'm not sure, but North Dakotans do not, in fact, consider 'Don'tcha know' to be punctuation.  ;)

Well H-E-Double Hockey Sticks!  Burst my bubble, why dont'cha?  :P

[MasterMischief]

Ayep.

[Elkay]

Screaming "RPG! Get Down!" conveys what you mean a lot quicker than "Ruchnoĭ protivotankovyĭ gran-" *boom from exploding grenade*

This, definitely this. Makes life so much easier, especially in the military.

Greeks also love acronyms.

[Zakharra]

I think that it just occurred as a ''happy accident'' or like Oniya said with the Acronym / BACKronym occuring before the explaination.

There is a long standing unrecorded and probably unsubstantiated history of military forces substituting 3+ syllable words with only 3 or 4 letters, and pronounced with one syllable

Radar.

[Oniya]

Radar.

Still shorter than 'radio detection and ranging'. :)

[Inkidu]

Still shorter than 'radio detection and ranging'. :)

For a brief time they were called Y-rangers, just like Sonar was called the new-model aquaphone, but they're actually two different technologies. :)

[TheGlyphstone]

Wait, they're not called 'the boopy thing' and 'the pingy thing'? ???

[Oniya]

Nope.  It's the bleeps, the sweeps and the creeps.

I'm having trouble with the radar, sir

[MasterMischief]

Are you sure it is not the machine that goes ping?