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ACME

English translation: American Company that Manufactures Everything / Culminating point, perfection

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:ACME
Selected answer:American Company that Manufactures Everything / Culminating point, perfection
Entered by: Mary Worby

10:14 Jun 26, 2002
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Marketing
English term or phrase: ACME
What does this abbreviation (usually used in the context of describing a generic company) actually stands for?
Johan Sys
Sears brand, or American Company that Manufactures Everything
Explanation:
A Company that Makes Everything, supposedly the most common explanation, is incorrect (according to http://www.acme.com/what_is_acme.html):

The dictionary definition is: "the top", or "the highest point", or just "perfection". This is straight from Greek. (Greek mythology also includes a nymph named Acme.)
Apparently some early business school textbooks liked to use Acme as a business name in some of their examples. There's a story that the business school use is an acronym, standing for "A Company Manufacturing Everything". This is probably false etymology.
Sears-Roebuck used Acme as one of their in-house brand names in the early 1900s, just like they use "Craftsman" today. For instance, take a look at this ad for an Acme anvil: http://www.acme.com/calendar/images/anvil_ad.gif
Warner Brothers apparently took the name from Sears and used it for the mail-order company in the Wile E. Coyote cartoons from the 1902 Sears catalog.

For a listing of ACME companies on the web go to: http://www.acme.com/other_acmes.html
Selected response from:

Klaus Herrmann
Germany
Local time: 10:47
Grading comment
Thanks for answer! Excellent research
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +7A Company the Makes Everything
jerrie
5 +1A Company that Makes Everything
Isodynamia
4 +2Sears brand, or American Company that Manufactures Everything
Klaus Herrmann
5American Corporate Marketing Empire or American Corporation that Manufactures Everything
Enza Longo
4the peak of perfection
cheungmo


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
A Company the Makes Everything


Explanation:
An American Company that Manufactures Everything...

These are just 2 of lots of different ones on acronym finder, but this was my understanding.

hth

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-26 13:51:04 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Whoops, just noticed glaring typo in my answer....

Should read:

A Company that Makes Everything....

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 773

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  pschmitt
4 mins
agree  Piotr Kurek
11 mins
agree  Gayle Wallimann
30 mins
agree  Berni Armstrong: Note also that this is the company that supplies Wily Coyote with everything he needs to completely fail to catch the roadrunner :-)
32 mins
agree  Jeannie Graham: the first thing to my mind was also roadrunner!!!!
37 mins
  -> Thanks all
agree  Maria-Jose Pastor: BEEP BEEP -
3 hrs
agree  mickymayes
12 days
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A Company that Makes Everything


Explanation:
You can find more expansions to this acronym at the link below, but I think the most general one is "A Company that Makes Everything"

http://www.acronymfinder.com/af-query.asp?String=exact&Acron...

Isodynamia
Greece
Local time: 11:47
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 82

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  GILLES MEUNIER
1 min
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
American Corporate Marketing Empire or American Corporation that Manufactures Everything


Explanation:
I hope this answers your question.

Enza Longo
Canada
Local time: 04:47
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 46
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Sears brand, or American Company that Manufactures Everything


Explanation:
A Company that Makes Everything, supposedly the most common explanation, is incorrect (according to http://www.acme.com/what_is_acme.html):

The dictionary definition is: "the top", or "the highest point", or just "perfection". This is straight from Greek. (Greek mythology also includes a nymph named Acme.)
Apparently some early business school textbooks liked to use Acme as a business name in some of their examples. There's a story that the business school use is an acronym, standing for "A Company Manufacturing Everything". This is probably false etymology.
Sears-Roebuck used Acme as one of their in-house brand names in the early 1900s, just like they use "Craftsman" today. For instance, take a look at this ad for an Acme anvil: http://www.acme.com/calendar/images/anvil_ad.gif
Warner Brothers apparently took the name from Sears and used it for the mail-order company in the Wile E. Coyote cartoons from the 1902 Sears catalog.

For a listing of ACME companies on the web go to: http://www.acme.com/other_acmes.html


    Reference: http://www.acme.com/what_is_acme.html
Klaus Herrmann
Germany
Local time: 10:47
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 147
Grading comment
Thanks for answer! Excellent research

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Endre Both: Good research.
1 hr
agree  Andrea Bullrich
2 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the peak of perfection


Explanation:
"Acme" is not an acronym, despite the proposals, its the highest point possible, the very best.

Consider the entry for "acme" in the Merriam-Webster.
*******
Main Entry: ac·me
Pronunciation: 'ak-mE
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek akmE point, highest point -- more at EDGE
Date: 1620
: the highest point or stage; also : one that represents perfection of the thing expressed
synonym see SUMMIT
*********

It is usually opposed to "nadir", the point directly opposite the zenith in the heavens and directly below the observer.


cheungmo
PRO pts in pair: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Maria-Jose Pastor: Your definition is correct, however it is an acronym for a company that manufactures everything.
2 hrs
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