Question Re: SAP insulting? in Additional Q&A

SAP insulting?

nscheaffer — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 14:38:44 GMT

No, not really. But apparently the language checker in my company's performance review system thinks so.

Cheers,

Noel

Re: SAP insulting?

stephenjohannes — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 19:12:48 GMT

Yes that's why at least in the United States we say S - A - P and not "sap" when alone, but can say "sap" when it's part of a word "SAPScript", "SAProute", etc.

Yep your performance management system was correct as the rest of the world who don't leave in the S-A-P reality distortion field associate the word with a different meaning.

Re: SAP insulting?

matt — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:02:33 GMT

I like that the scn filter objects to any talk about sex. But fortunately, it's ok with Essex.

Funny - calling someone in England a sap is an insult as well, but we've also got sap in trees. It doesn't seem to cause a problem refering to the German company using the same one syllable. I used to do CICS. The training material (from the US) always referred to C.I.C.S. But "systems programmers do it for c.i.c.s" doesn't work. So is this just more indicative of American dislike to acronyms?

btw - anyone recall the cover of Freelance Informer, showing a bunch of people licking a tree - with the caption "Some people would do anything to claim SAP experience".

Re: SAP insulting?

stephenjohannes — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 20:52:16 GMT

Yes there is a general disdain for acronyms in the United States when you are outside a technical or structured discipline. The funny part however as SMS became popular the general population starting using more acronyms as part of day to day lexicon. I think beyond using the acronym USA most people residing here consider acronyms as a way to hide/deceive/confuse someone.

SAPSpeak is guilty of overusing acronyms(MM, FI, PP, SD, CRM, SRM, BW, BI, etc) and culturally is one of the reason why SAP is considered "hard" no matter how easy we make it.

As culture has become more vulgar in normal media over in the USA, the use of "sap" as an insult has diminished in terms of use. Unfortuantely there are other more frequently used equivalents that are now used, of which none that I repeat here or in a polite conversation.

Take care,

Stephen

Re: SAP insulting?

Steffi_Warnecke — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:08:47 GMT

I can't stop thinking about SAPperlot...

Re: SAP insulting?

matt — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:49:04 GMT

Sounds like a knight of the round table. Sir Sapperlot.

Re: SAP insulting?

Steffi_Warnecke — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:53:06 GMT

Indeed! And I know, where he'd fit: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Re: SAP insulting?

matt — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:45:23 GMT

Just got a GUID that contained a very rude word.

Re: SAP insulting?

ThomasZloch — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 15:41:14 GMT

It can only contain A through F, what could it be...?

Re: SAP insulting?

matt — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 07:16:56 GMT

No - it can contain all letters. At least in BI.

Re: SAP insulting?

ThomasZloch — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 15:00:18 GMT

I see...in SRM they only have GUIDs in hexadecimal format. OK, this increases the namespace for swearwords somewhat.