@A Common ’taterI get you on that. Acronyms have always irritated me. Never could pass a school test on those lists. The aircraft manufacturing company I worked for at one time started talking about one of their new software products they were going to market with called ATM. I wondered what airplanes had to do with banking. All the article talked about was ATM. I finally found the one place in the article where it was called Air Traffic Management. Sheesh!
Like the address 110 St. James St. Is that Street James Street, or Saint James Saint? It can’t be Saint James Street since you would be using the same short form for different words. How stupid would that be?
It just dawned on me, you’re confusing acronyms with abbreviations. An acronym is an abbreviation that becomes a word, such as NASA or POP or UNICEF. Some word can be truncated and merged to form acronyms. LOL, TMI, NSA aren’t acronyms, merely abbreviations. How do you pronounce FYI? So, is this TMI?
Just to clarify – we did not have electronic keyboards back in the 60’s. We had typewriters and punch cards. Alphanumeric CRT devices (sorry – Cathode Ray Tube) were just being introduced – at least where I worked in state government mainframe environment.
Back in the early days of computing, the Europeans developed a somewhat proprietary connector for Input and Output. It was called the European Institute for Electronics-Input and Output connector; otherwise known as EIEIO….
I was just about to add BOHICA! Another great acronym of military origin.
Also, I concur on the read of PI for Private Investigator. As an aside, there used to be a private, religious school in the area named Promised Land. The school tee shirts featured a prominent PL on the front. Students from rival schools would refer to the wearers as Public Litter.
Thanks everyone for enlightening me to the only abbreviaton I didn’t understand. I didn’t realize there was a period after the i. As for @Common tater on his high horse FO. (could mean fall off)
The local chapter of SPUAA meets tonight; you’re welcome to attend if you wish. .The Society for the Prevention of Useless Acronyms and Abbreviations is in its second iteration. We tried once before but it was DOA. So we had to try again at a time and date TBD, which turned out to be tonight.
It seems the English language is now lost in a sea of ever changing acronyms. No one will ever understand each other again. No one can learn the English language now, because it will all change again by Friday morning. We are all lost in a sea of babel. Did any one understand what I have said?
holdma over 10 years ago
I LOVE it. What does the PL stand for in the second frame?
cdward over 10 years ago
^I am guessing it means Platoon Leader in this context. I seriously doubt he means public library.
James Zuber over 10 years ago
It’s “P I .”, not PL. (Private Investigator)
Plods with ...™ over 10 years ago
Meh
oldwolf1951 over 10 years ago
@A Common ’taterI get you on that. Acronyms have always irritated me. Never could pass a school test on those lists. The aircraft manufacturing company I worked for at one time started talking about one of their new software products they were going to market with called ATM. I wondered what airplanes had to do with banking. All the article talked about was ATM. I finally found the one place in the article where it was called Air Traffic Management. Sheesh!
beisler over 10 years ago
Like the address 110 St. James St. Is that Street James Street, or Saint James Saint? It can’t be Saint James Street since you would be using the same short form for different words. How stupid would that be?
westny77 over 10 years ago
Ah computer lingo or secret code. Just like learning a second language.
Packratjohn Premium Member over 10 years ago
I know we decided it’s “PI”, but on the “PL” subject; that always meant Private Line, a Motorola two-way radio term.
Packratjohn Premium Member over 10 years ago
It just dawned on me, you’re confusing acronyms with abbreviations. An acronym is an abbreviation that becomes a word, such as NASA or POP or UNICEF. Some word can be truncated and merged to form acronyms. LOL, TMI, NSA aren’t acronyms, merely abbreviations. How do you pronounce FYI? So, is this TMI?
Packratjohn Premium Member over 10 years ago
Sounds as if you’re taking an inventory of vacuum tubes
Robert Wilson Premium Member over 10 years ago
Private Investigator it is. AcronymFinder.com had 124 listings for PL and none of them made sense in this context.
NoCents over 10 years ago
Just to clarify – we did not have electronic keyboards back in the 60’s. We had typewriters and punch cards. Alphanumeric CRT devices (sorry – Cathode Ray Tube) were just being introduced – at least where I worked in state government mainframe environment.
Packratjohn Premium Member over 10 years ago
Back in the early days of computing, the Europeans developed a somewhat proprietary connector for Input and Output. It was called the European Institute for Electronics-Input and Output connector; otherwise known as EIEIO….
ChessPirate over 10 years ago
So, if they used the actual words instead of the abbreviations, would you understand them any better? :-)
rphbeta over 10 years ago
I was just about to add BOHICA! Another great acronym of military origin.
Also, I concur on the read of PI for Private Investigator. As an aside, there used to be a private, religious school in the area named Promised Land. The school tee shirts featured a prominent PL on the front. Students from rival schools would refer to the wearers as Public Litter.
holdma over 10 years ago
Thanks everyone for enlightening me to the only abbreviaton I didn’t understand. I didn’t realize there was a period after the i. As for @Common tater on his high horse FO. (could mean fall off)
Doublejake over 10 years ago
The local chapter of SPUAA meets tonight; you’re welcome to attend if you wish. .The Society for the Prevention of Useless Acronyms and Abbreviations is in its second iteration. We tried once before but it was DOA. So we had to try again at a time and date TBD, which turned out to be tonight.
JudyAz over 10 years ago
Built my first transmitter with a 6L6! FB, 73
katzenbooks45 over 10 years ago
PI – Person of Interest?
chief over 10 years ago
Don’t forget FUBB.
mr_sherman Premium Member over 10 years ago
Here’s a real rare one, IHTFP. Only used while stationed in Turkey.
Stephen Gilberg over 10 years ago
This is the smartest I’ve ever seen Brewster. I had expected him to say in the end that he had no idea what he said.
pcolli over 10 years ago
An acronym is a bunch of initials that make a word….. like RADAR, LASER, NATO, UNESCO …… most of the examples on this page are purely initials.
kaffekup over 10 years ago
I did find “I have truly found Paradise”; however, I don’t think that was what you really meant. :-)
JP Steve Premium Member over 10 years ago
Classic naval signal:(To Flag Officer, Newfoundland from departing Corvette)TO: FONF: Request permission to FO from NF.
alan.gurka over 10 years ago
Guess I’ve worked with the gov’t too long. I understood every acrohym except PL. Piece of luggage?
alan.gurka over 10 years ago
Make that “acronym.”
Rick3540 almost 7 years ago
G.R.O.A.N.“Get rid of acronyms now.”
mistercatworks over 1 year ago
TLDR (too long didn’t read)
blakerl over 1 year ago
It seems the English language is now lost in a sea of ever changing acronyms. No one will ever understand each other again. No one can learn the English language now, because it will all change again by Friday morning. We are all lost in a sea of babel. Did any one understand what I have said?