I thought that was probably the reason. Compiler-compilers weren't exactly news by that time ...

From https://www.computerworld.com/article/2534771/yacc--unix--and-advice-from--bell-labs-alumni-stephen-johnson.html

What made you name your parser generator in the form of an acronym: Yet Another Compiler Compiler? There were other Compiler-compilers in use at Bell Labs, especially as part of the Multics project. I was familiar with a version of McClure's TMG. When Jeff Ullman heard about my program, he said in astonishment "Another compiler-compiler?". Thus the name...

On Oct 2, 2023, at 6:25 PM, Douglas McIlroy <douglas.mcilroy@dartmouth.edu> wrote:

Steve,

Was Yacc an original coinage, or was it inspired by a similar acronym
for yet another whatever? The question is inspired by Yamoo, yet
another map of Orion, which is mentioned in today's NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/science/orion-nebula-webb-planets.html.
Do the two acronyms share a common ancestor?

Doug