verbs - Proper to add tense to acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms


What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym? asked about pluralising acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms, but is there a standard way to add verb endings e.g. -ing and -ed (what are these called?), at least in informal English?


For example, which of these is/are best?



  1. I'm SMSing her.

  2. I'm SMS-ing her.

  3. I'm SMS'ing her.


I know I can rephrase it to "I'm sending her an SMS." but I wish to use SMS as a verb.


Similarly,



  1. He FUBARed.

  2. He FUBAR-ed.

  3. He FUBAR'ed.

  4. He FUBAR-d.

  5. He FUBAR'd.


In the latter set, as the verb is actually the F ("foul", or something more explicit) — the expanded sentence being "He fouled up beyond all recognition." — should it even be "He FedUBAR." or similar?



Answer



If you're using a non-verb acronym or initialism as a verb, you're already in the realm of jargon. If you're writing in a context where that's acceptable, you should add a simple "ed" or "ing" for a suffix unless you're going for a humorous effect. When acronyms are absorbed into the language, they may acquire verb forms; for example, the verb meaning "to produce a laser beam" is "lase," retroactively treating the acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation" as if it meant "something that 'lases.'"


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