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Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:17 AM Jan 2019

Too many acronyms..?? Abbreviations used ??? Many of us don't know the meanings.

What Is an Acronym? ..............................................................
... Acronyms are simply abbreviations created from the first letter of each word in a phrase or series of words.

.....The word ATM, for example, is an acronym that stands for automated teller machine
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes I try to look them up, using google search. Sometimes I get the definition, and sometimes I don't..Usually if I don't, I leave it alone. Therefore, some people are not getting through to others. If it were once or twice..ok. It is now every day I look up terms. I do not text. Therefore, I don't use the acronyms. The word acronym is a fairly new word for me. (BTW), By the way, not all of us know all of them.

Therefore, if you want to get through to all of us, please reduce the use of these short terms with capital letters...OK?...don't mean to be mean, just want to know all the meanings of what is said.
66 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Too many acronyms..?? Abbreviations used ??? Many of us don't know the meanings. (Original Post) Stuart G Jan 2019 OP
IBTL. TexasTowelie Jan 2019 #1
Irritable Bowel...Too Late ???? k8conant Jan 2019 #11
Yes, I have that too. TexasTowelie Jan 2019 #32
Lol California_Republic Jan 2019 #58
OH MY??? anothor one...I looked it up...In Before the Lock...oh well...In Before The Lock.. Stuart G Jan 2019 #12
I was joking with you. TexasTowelie Jan 2019 #31
I Bin Tryin', Laddie? robbob Jan 2019 #35
K n R. n/t Liberal Jesus Freak Jan 2019 #2
Kissing and Retching ??? k8conant Jan 2019 #13
Don't laugh...it's not as fun as it sounds... robbob Jan 2019 #36
Acronyms are generally used by people who can't spell, can't type, or both. Towlie Jan 2019 #3
Or are typing with one finger on a phone AndJusticeForSome Jan 2019 #4
The Stenographers Union just called - they said AMF ksoze Jan 2019 #8
AMF is a bowling company! k8conant Jan 2019 #15
not true, in a business environment, we had acronyms all over the place as they were beachbum bob Jan 2019 #10
I do not know what IBTL means. Polly Hennessey Jan 2019 #5
See post number 12, above.. Stuart G Jan 2019 #14
In Before The Lock. Polly Hennessey Jan 2019 #45
.... BumRushDaShow Jan 2019 #16
By the way, DU is now accepting new volunteers to serve on the MIR Team, whatever the f*ck that is. Towlie Jan 2019 #6
The Russian space station dalton99a Jan 2019 #42
The less you know about the MIR Team. Yavin4 Jan 2019 #46
They are the troll busters. MrsCoffee Jan 2019 #53
No escape from them. LunaSea Jan 2019 #7
I just hit the bottom link, It explained a few.. Stuart G Jan 2019 #19
It gets worse... LunaSea Jan 2019 #21
I tried looking up "ancronym" and got squat. Ilsa Jan 2019 #47
My bad LunaSea Jan 2019 #50
TL;DR Girard442 Jan 2019 #9
Trump's Lousy; Donald Reeks k8conant Jan 2019 #17
Here is the definition of TL;DR.....in case you didn't know........ Stuart G Jan 2019 #34
Technically Brainstormy Jan 2019 #18
Thank you! I was trying to pull the word "initialism" out WePurrsevere Jan 2019 #23
Not useless at all. 3catwoman3 Jan 2019 #57
ELI5 nt End Of The Road Jan 2019 #20
What do you know a brand new one....ELI5...definition below: Stuart G Jan 2019 #24
If I can't figure it out or Google it, I ask or ignore... WePurrsevere Jan 2019 #22
OK - now malaise Jan 2019 #25
Why two T's? Should be ITMF. nt Dr Hobbitstein Jan 2019 #28
Added treasonous malaise Jan 2019 #33
I'm learning Snapchat and Instagram abbreviations, Croney Jan 2019 #26
Trump voters use form Bob Loblaw Jan 2019 #27
To document the PICNIC/PEBCAK errors. MrsCoffee Jan 2019 #56
I had gotten to the point where I know what an ATM is treestar Jan 2019 #29
Automated Teller Machine... Wounded Bear Jan 2019 #43
Did you just end with OK? lunasun Jan 2019 #30
I would never end a sentence with OK...OK.... Stuart G Jan 2019 #37
But you do know the term originated as an abbreviation lunasun Jan 2019 #40
What does OK stand for? robbob Jan 2019 #38
here is the definition of OK.no I didn't make this up..hit the link & take a look, OK? Stuart G Jan 2019 #39
Wow! robbob Jan 2019 #41
I agree wholeheartedly. PoindexterOglethorpe Jan 2019 #44
If you've ever been on hobby subreddits, this will drive you crazy. Oneironaut Jan 2019 #48
Some people aim to communicate. Some have other goals. nt hvn_nbr_2 Jan 2019 #49
This may not be the info you're looking for, area51 Jan 2019 #51
Well said. I'm getting tired of pulling up Urban Dictionary for definitions. (nt) Paladin Jan 2019 #52
Stuart, I agree 100%. So here's a new acronym to use in these situations: IDKWTHYM Cousin Dupree Jan 2019 #54
ITAOC JHB Jan 2019 #55
Actually, ATM is an initialism. Radar, sonar, NASA, and PIN are acronyms. Acronyms are pronounceable tblue37 Jan 2019 #59
wdpkmusa? sksksksks kek jk! musicblind Jan 2019 #60
MFW I read a thread that's a PITA KG Jan 2019 #61
MFW - My Face When...PITA..flat white bread...not nice... Stuart G Jan 2019 #62
It's like trying to read someone's creative writing that's full of lunatica Jan 2019 #63
I agree...so many of them here. I almost always look them up.. Stuart G Jan 2019 #64
DU is always going a hundred miles a minute lunatica Jan 2019 #65
I just saw it again, I had lost it, but saw the one that got me to write this post: ..SOTU... Stuart G Jan 2019 #66

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
12. OH MY??? anothor one...I looked it up...In Before the Lock...oh well...In Before The Lock..
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:36 AM
Jan 2019
"In Before The Lock": An abbreviation posted to a thread on a web-based forum when the poster knows that any rational debate has long since been abandoned....

So, I had to figure that out too. I hope the people in charge do NOT lock this up.. Yes, this has been discussed before, but so many of them. Everywhere, here and there......WTF, ?

I cannot read and understand them all, I guess it needs to be told,
... that I am old! I fell off of Humpty's wall, and,
They could not put me together again.. WTF?


Towlie

(5,308 posts)
3. Acronyms are generally used by people who can't spell, can't type, or both.
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:25 AM
Jan 2019

And yes, they're very irritating.

ksoze

(2,068 posts)
8. The Stenographers Union just called - they said AMF
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:33 AM
Jan 2019

While they may be irritating, the linguistic capability of the sender can't be judged from the use of shortcuts.

 

beachbum bob

(10,437 posts)
10. not true, in a business environment, we had acronyms all over the place as they were
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:35 AM
Jan 2019

typically used in all correspondences. I am 65 and have no problem finding out what any of the most typical ones mean in seconds.

Polly Hennessey

(6,747 posts)
5. I do not know what IBTL means.
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:29 AM
Jan 2019

Oh, maybe, it is “I Better Tag Ligaments”. No? Well, TexasTowlie, IBTL to you, too. 🙃

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
19. I just hit the bottom link, It explained a few..
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:42 AM
Jan 2019

I think I will now hit the top link.
Thank You ...for the bottom one..
Snowing today where I live...I am not going out, lots of time to look up as many as I can..

I also hit the top link, here is what the top link is:...Huge List of 1,513 Text and Chat Abbreviations
I started looking through them, got bored. Had to come back here......?

Of course...The abbreviations are one problem..someday. (not today, please..one is enough)
........... I will discuss the spelling and grammar police.. again, ...not today, thank you.

LunaSea

(2,892 posts)
21. It gets worse...
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:45 AM
Jan 2019

Look up the difference between acronyms, ancronyms, and abbreviations.
They are often confused with one another.

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
34. Here is the definition of TL;DR.....in case you didn't know........
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 11:02 AM
Jan 2019

TL;DR, short for "too long; didn't read", is Internet slang to say that some text being replied to has been ignored because of its length. In slang it can also stand for "Too lazy; didn't read". It is also used as a signifier for a summary of an online post or news article.[1][2]

The phrase dates back to at least 2003, and was added to the Oxford Dictionaries Online in 2013.[3]

Here is the link for above, and you can learn more if you desire..(Yes, there is an entire article about that abbreviation....no, I am not lying, hit the link and find out for yourself ...ASAP...someone might take it down..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TL;DR

Brainstormy

(2,380 posts)
18. Technically
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:42 AM
Jan 2019

an acronym is a set of initials that form a word. Or something pronounceable. (PETA) Combinations that don't are called initialisms. (PTA) And that will likely be the most useless trivia I have to offer today.

WePurrsevere

(24,259 posts)
23. Thank you! I was trying to pull the word "initialism" out
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:50 AM
Jan 2019

of the ole grey matters filing system and you saved me further annoyance with myself. Lol

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
24. What do you know a brand new one....ELI5...definition below:
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:51 AM
Jan 2019

Explain Like I'm 5............. Used when you want someone to explain something in the simplest way possible.

WePurrsevere

(24,259 posts)
22. If I can't figure it out or Google it, I ask or ignore...
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:46 AM
Jan 2019

I use them occasionally for a variety of reasons from using less space to saving me a bit of energy and/or time typing/tapping. I don't mind people asking me what the ones I use stand for nor do I mind helping someone understand someone else's if I know the answer.

Sorry but people have been using them for eons... SWAK, KISS and SNAFU come to mind... and they're probably not going to stop doing so. If you think DUers are bad, you should look at genealogy and/or the medical/legal field's acronyms/initialisms for some major head scratchers.

Croney

(4,646 posts)
26. I'm learning Snapchat and Instagram abbreviations,
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:53 AM
Jan 2019

so I can stalk the grandkids' pages and understand. It's fun! So, LMR.

(like my recent)

It's very easy to google the terms and keep up.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
29. I had gotten to the point where I know what an ATM is
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 10:55 AM
Jan 2019

but could not have told you what it stood for!

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
39. here is the definition of OK.no I didn't make this up..hit the link & take a look, OK?
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 11:09 AM
Jan 2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK

OK" (spelling variations include "okay", "O.K.", "ok&quot is an American English word denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. "OK" is frequently used as a loanword in other languages. It has been described as the most frequently spoken or written word on the planet.[1] The origins of the word are disputed.

As an adjective, "OK" principally means "adequate" or "acceptable" as a contrast to "bad" ("The boss approved this, so it is OK to send out&quot ; it can also mean "mediocre" when used in contrast with "good" ("The french fries were great, but the burger was just OK&quot . It fulfills a similar role as an adverb ("Wow, you did OK for your first time skiing!&quot . As an interjection, it can denote compliance ("OK, I will do that&quot , or agreement ("OK, that is fine&quot . It can mean "assent" when it is used as a noun ("the boss gave her the OK to the purchase&quot or, more colloquially, as a verb ("the boss OKed the purchase&quot . "OK", as an adjective, can express acknowledgment without approval.[2] As a versatile discourse marker or back-channeling item, it can also be used with appropriate voice tone to show doubt or to seek confirmation ("OK?" or "Is that OK?&quot .[3]

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,750 posts)
44. I agree wholeheartedly.
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 11:20 AM
Jan 2019

Which I suppose I could sarcastically have typed IAW instead.

All too often people here use some abbreviation or acronym that simply isn't as widely known as they might think. It wouldn't hurt to write out the entire phrase the first time.

And then of course there's proofreading, which I'm guilty of not always doing myself, which is totally unrelated to the topic at hand.

Oneironaut

(5,462 posts)
48. If you've ever been on hobby subreddits, this will drive you crazy.
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 12:14 PM
Jan 2019

“I RL’d on the NT7 and then a BH YG’d a ZC!”

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
59. Actually, ATM is an initialism. Radar, sonar, NASA, and PIN are acronyms. Acronyms are pronounceable
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 01:19 PM
Jan 2019

words made from initial letters of words. Initialisms are just the initial letters, but not a word made from them: FBI, CIA, LOL.

musicblind

(4,484 posts)
60. wdpkmusa? sksksksks kek jk!
Sat Jan 19, 2019, 01:40 PM
Jan 2019

So you don't have to look it up:

wdpkmusa: Why Do You People Keep Making Up Stupid Acronyms?

sksk: excitement/laughter/speechless

kek: lol for people who play WOW (World Of Warcraft) but the alt-right has tried to co-opt that one which is VERY annoying to progressive gamers who feel like rightwingers act as if they own gaming. They don't.

jk: Just kidding.

Some of these acronyms IDEK (I Don't Even Know) and I'm like WDYMBT (What Do You Mean By That). When I saw asdfghjlk used to express excitement I was like AYKMWTS (Are You Kidding Me With This Sh*t)?

Seriously, though. Some acronyms are just dumb AF (As F*ck). Some are for convenience, but many seem made up by people who hate words.

I think we'd all be better if we just DATIC (Dropped Acronyms To Increase Credibility).

tl;dr - I feel your pain.

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
62. MFW - My Face When...PITA..flat white bread...not nice...
Sun Jan 20, 2019, 03:33 PM
Jan 2019

Pita........., sometimes spelled pitta, is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
63. It's like trying to read someone's creative writing that's full of
Sun Jan 20, 2019, 03:41 PM
Jan 2019

spelling mistakes that are not germane to the story. All you do is get tripped up so you constantly lose the thread of the story.

It ruins the message.

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
64. I agree...so many of them here. I almost always look them up..
Sun Jan 20, 2019, 03:45 PM
Jan 2019

Yes, I get tripped, go to look them up, then go back to the original message to reread it. Why? I really like to know what people are thinking here. And so many people use the cell phones that this in what they always do. There is an assumption that everyone knows all of them. I know some abbreviations, but not all those used here. Some I have never seen before.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
65. DU is always going a hundred miles a minute
Sun Jan 20, 2019, 03:51 PM
Jan 2019

Using unfamiliar acronyms continually is like putting pot holes in a race track. You have no choice but to put all your attention on the pot holes.

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
66. I just saw it again, I had lost it, but saw the one that got me to write this post: ..SOTU...
Sun Jan 20, 2019, 04:12 PM
Jan 2019

It is in a thread now being discussed. I realized it was an interview show called, "State of The Union"
...Originally, I thought it related to the "State of the Union" address. I read a few more posts and realized that thought did not fit in. Then I realized that thread was discussing an interview show on today..

.. Oh well, back to cleaning the house...time to take a break.

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