Your mileage may vary
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Your mileage may vary is a truism, frequently abbreviated in e-mails and Usenet postings as YMMV:
- It may work differently in your situation. Example: "In addition to Depakote, I take Wellbutrin. I am one of those people who *has* to have a mood stabilizer while taking an antidepressant due to AD-induced mania and rapid-cycling. YMMV." (USENET Posting, 1997. (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=5fpa9s%24cl%40peach.america.net&output=gplain))
- It may work differently on your computer. Example: "Possibly try cranking the record rate all the way down to 1x and make a fresh installation disc. (I haven't seen that make a difference myself, but other people say it can help. YMMV.)" (USENET Posting, 2002. (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=SCnn9.48316%24dp1.138117%40rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net&output=gplain))
- This is just my opinion/taste, your opinion/taste may be different. Example: "I've always found the Beatles much more charming, engaging, enjoyable, and charismatic than Joel. And they were funny too. I don't care much for Joel, and that's a matter of personal taste. YMMV." (USENET Posting, 1998. (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=35055829.7397%40NOSPAMearthlink.net&output=gplain))
The origin of the phrase dates from the early 1970s when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to rate passenger automobiles on their fuel economy. The first ratings were based on measurements of tailpipe emissions in laboratories, not on road testing, and consumers often observed significant differences between the EPA mileage figures and their actual experience. Automakers whose products had favorable EPA numbers bragged of them in their television commercials, but an announcer would usually disclaim, "Your mileage may vary," because it is impossible for laboratory tests to simulate all driving conditions and driver behavior.
External links
- US EPA site on gas mileage (http://www.fueleconomy.gov)
- US EPA page on Why is the fuel economy of my car different from the estimates in the fuel economy guide? (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml#differences)
- Jargon File 4.4.5 entry (http://people.kldp.org/~eunjea/jargon/?idx=Your-mileage-may-vary.html)