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isd: Why does there need to be an 'of' between Mean and Defeated Opponent's Score? I don't really see why it is strictly necessary.
Bass: Me neither. I like my opponents average and mean. Also, if the lack of "of" is too confusing for some, the rest of the phrase needs some heavy pluralization. I think I'd like "average defeated opponent's score" best though; the acronym is much more pronounceable that way :-)
Phelan: With my edit on TieBreaker, I was just trying to make the phrase clearer. If it muddles the meaning, feel free to change it back.
It's necessary because "mean" when used as an adjective is ambiguous: it can refer to "average" or to "unkind". In the phrase "mean score" it's not hard to tell which meaning is intended. However, in "mean opponent's score", the question arises whether "mean" modifies "score" or "opponent", so the phrase is a little harder to parse correctly. It's not incorrect, it's just clumsy style.
When we get to "mean defeated opponent's score", where there is already the adjective "defeated" modifying "opponent", it becomes even more clumsy. So at this point it's a good idea to rephrase it as "mean of defeated opponents' scores" so that "mean" is used as a noun, and is therefore unambiguous.
It's not that there's any real danger of confusion. After all, you could write "mean defeeted oponents score" and people would figure it out. But it would be ugly, and we can do better than that.
I don't think ambiguity is that pertinent an argument here. As there is only 1 opponent, then mean must apply to them, as must defeated. Adding the of just changes a singular to plural. Ultimately everyone is still going to blurt out "What does ---DOS mean?" on first reading a results table anyway. That's the joy of Acronyms for you. Maybe ADOS does a little better though. (^,^)
Bass: Here are some other name suggestions:
You've proved my point perfectly. "Mean" does not apply to "opponent", it applies to "score". Adding the word "of" does not just change a singular to a plural, it also changes a noun to an adjective.
But I agree that Bass's suggestions are even better ;-)
Hmm, but doesn't it make a difference where the apostrophe goes?
I don't find this all that confusing anyway. :) I think you can use either the first or the third. About Bass's ideas, I get the feeling there is some strange pattern going on there. Can't put my finger on it...