SWAG's
SWAG's
(OP)
I have heard several expansions of the expression "SWAG", most having variations on the "S" part, namely
Silly Wild A** Guess
Simple Wild A** Guess
The version I learned was
Scientific Wild A** Guess
which I believe to be superior because it contains some of each of the following:
1. Seriousness coupled with experience and therefore professionalism;
2. Uncertainty and therefore candor;
3. Irony and incongruity and therefore humor: the unemotional and geeky "S" immediately followed by the shocking excess of "WA" has a Pythonesque effect that is simply too scrumptious for description (compare "Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who.");
4. An overall effect implying that the user of the term possesses sufficient wisdom to be credible.
When people unfamiliar with the term ask me what it means, I usually say "It's a highly technical, engineering term that means a Scientific Wild A** Guess." Any explanation beyond that is a waste of time.
Which version is generally preferred by the membership, and why? Can even what we have be improved?
Regards,
William
Silly Wild A** Guess
Simple Wild A** Guess
The version I learned was
Scientific Wild A** Guess
which I believe to be superior because it contains some of each of the following:
1. Seriousness coupled with experience and therefore professionalism;
2. Uncertainty and therefore candor;
3. Irony and incongruity and therefore humor: the unemotional and geeky "S" immediately followed by the shocking excess of "WA" has a Pythonesque effect that is simply too scrumptious for description (compare "Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who.");
4. An overall effect implying that the user of the term possesses sufficient wisdom to be credible.
When people unfamiliar with the term ask me what it means, I usually say "It's a highly technical, engineering term that means a Scientific Wild A** Guess." Any explanation beyond that is a waste of time.
Which version is generally preferred by the membership, and why? Can even what we have be improved?
Regards,
William





RE: SWAG's
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: SWAG's
Regards,
Cory
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: SWAG's
Scientific WIld Ass Guess (SWAG) - which more be more accurate than a WAG, but still just a guess.....hence this seems an oxymoron.
Swinging Wild Ass Guess (SWAG) - which is less accurate than the WAG.
The latter seems more consistent to me, but when you get down to is, a GUESS is just a GUESS.