Use of Acronyms...

Amen to that. In fact, this post should be a part of the CR4 code of conduct.

_{In addition to ...}

_{not using sms type texting language,}

_{using proper punctuation,}

_{using a reasonable form of address (not "Hay!" as one poster started) .....none at all is quite ok}

_{..... well, this is too much.}

Forget it.No acronyms is enough.

Sorry kvsridhar, I couldn't resist it:

Amen 2 dat. n fact, DIS post shud b a pRt of d CR4 code of conduct.n aDitN 2 ...

not UzN sms typ txtN language,

UzN propR punctuation,

UzN a reasonable form of adR$ (not "Hay!" az 1 poster started) .....none @ aL iz quite k

..... well, DIS iz t% much.

4get it.No acronyms iz Enuf.

splarf!

I got everything execpt DIS:

Sorry kvsridhar, I couldn't resist it:

What do you mean by the acronym SMS in your anti-acronym post?

not a movie clip only a sound bit from 'Good Morning, Vietnam'

http://www.hark.com/clips/ckpsqgxgxq-excuse-me-sir-seeing-as-how-the-vp-is-such-a-vip-shouldnt-we-keep-the-pc-on-the-qt-because-if-it-leaks-to-the-vc-you-could-end-up-an-mia-and-then-wed-all-be-put-on-kp

I don't understand......................what is acronym?

How do you mean squat?

Acronym : A synonym with acrobatic leanings.

Squat : We Indians understand the sense, since it happens here.....

I understand. Just trying to be funny.

Many people may not understand the term "squat" in that sentence.

I'm also guilty of greeting someone with Hey............

My brain kind of works in the regional dialect, so I tend to type that way.

I don't particularly like acronyms either, you will never catch me texting, tweeting, or anything that requires an understanding of them all. I don't get any of them.

If an acronym is known and common to experts in that field, why shouldn't it be used in a discussion forum? For those readers who are unfamiliar with a specific acronym, this acronym should help lmgtfy. For other common text shorthand acronyms, how about a quick look here netlingo ?

I realize I'm suggesting that the reader should put in a tiny bit of thought and effort to learn about what has been posted. Shame on me for suggesting such a horrific concept .

I agree that when engineering acronyms are well known and used world wide and are easily understood in the context of a given message, then there is no issue.

But... What does "MSB-01" and "MSB-02", mean to you? Means not much to me. All I can ascertain for sure is that there are 2 units called "MSB" in a given facility.

What we do is an engineering discipline. Doing this properly requires proper information! "Blue Skying" and "Guessing" have no part in these process.

Assumption has killed many a fool...

GA.

Recently I have found myself doing more proposal work. The standard approach we use in our proposals is to introduce the acronym by initially using the phrase (or term) spelled out with the acronym in parenthesis.

For example, if I were to use ASME, I would initially write American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). From that point on in the writing I would use ASME.

The use of acronyms has gotten out of hand.I want it stopped ASAP!!

American General

I once had a chassis made for a project at work. I wasn't in a hurry, so I put the required date for completion at 3 weeks. The next day the man brought me the chassis. When I asked why it came so soon he replied "Yours was the only one that wasn't ASAP".

I guess if you put out an RFQ (request for quotation) with an ASAP (as soon as possible) in it, you could also ask how S is P....

I have to point out that RFQ is not an acronym...it's an abbreviation.

An acronym is an initialisation abbreviation that forms a new word. A.S.A.P. or ASAP od borderline - I believe it's pronounced Asap in the US (and possibly other places) but more usually A.S.A.P. in the U.K.

NATO is an acronym, USA an abbreviation.

Most TLAs are, in point of fact, Three Letter Abbreviations...

Abbreviation is, of course, a compound word; being formed from the Latin "Ab" to move towards and "breve" to shorten. Ironic, really, what?

Reminds me of an experience with the chief supply clerk at the first mine complex I worked at. I needed some parts (to be bought--not normally stocked), so I wrote up the necessary requisitions, asking for delivery ASAP.

When I handed them to him, he looked at them, then very carefully lifted up a 15" high pile of paperwork in his in basket and placed them underneath.

I got them back and put dates on each of those, and all I submitted in the future.

It does weed out the uninformed, which if it peaks their interests they would ask.

What is and can be confusing is when and acronym has two totally different meanings.

But texting acronym should be hung. IMHO

Aren't acronyms on the Red List?

Acronyms and contractions can both be confusing. I agree with you, GIGO!

Amp? Are we discussing an ampere, an audio or signal amplifier, or an ampoule?

As you say, there are many acronyms that are considered common, but may only be so in English, and may only be really valid in the USA (United States of America): PSI (pounds per square inch), MPH (miles per hour)...

A command of communication is one of the most valuable skills in an engineer's toolbox. I have always believed so. Are these skills of communication no longer sharpened and honed at institutions of higher learning? It sometimes appears they are not nurtured in public education.

point of order - psi, mph etc. (Names have capitals eg Volts V)

sorry for getting picky but (and I make mistakes to) accronyms can sometimes get confusing if capitals are used where they shouldn't.

This thread has been a long time in starting. I fully back all you say, it's impossible to answer a question not fully understood.

Unfortunately some attempt the impossible.

There have been at least 2 such threads before...I'd put links but that means having to search for them and ICBA.

CRIMINAL

http://www.acronymfinder.com/

Another good one http://transl8it.com/

Without a doubt there are many such excellent lists of acronyms available on the Internet. The problem here is... which one are we to "assume" the OP (OP = Original Poster - which should be clear to all. But I added the codicil after the fact.) meant?

Where the use of a given acronym is clearly, or should be clearly, understood by all who read a given post, then the intent is clear and offers no impediment to the communication process.

Notice the word "communication". For communication to work, frames of reference understood by all are a core part of the communication process, or should be a core component.

This is especially so when dealing with technologies that can have a life safety aspect to them. There is no room for "What I really meant is..." in our line of work.

"In Morse Code, never transmit faster than the other end can receive." - Anon

TLAs are NBG.

I try to follow the convention of most government documents and specifications by identifying the acronym at its first use, then assume everybody is informed enough that explanation isn't needed again during that conversation.

I admit that I sometimes don't bother with PSI, MPH, etc.

What bothers me more than dealing with acronyms is having to convert everything from metric to "standard" terms.

Shouldn't that read: "from metric to Imperial terms." ?

No. US gallons are neither metric nor Imperial. 'Standard' is certainly the wrong term. Do we need to come up with a new term?

I'm used to calling units using foot, pound, mile, ... as English units (or the English system). And then, if I'm speaking with someone in England, Canada, or such, qualifying gallons (or tons) with "US" (when appropriate).

Perhaps I should have said "having to convert everything from metric to units with which I am familiar."

ER, back on the farm, we didn't realize that they were, " Imperial terms".

<huge grin> It's the term used in the UK to distinguish between our native units and the French ones we had to start using when they bred out the sixth finger.

Moneywise, we talk about pre-decimal and decimal systems: Ah! the Old Money: 240 pennies to the pound, 12d to a bob, 4 crowns to a pound, 2 tanners to a shilling, 4 farthings to penny. And you should see my thre'p'ny bits...

I still use Imperial lengths and weights, but confess to being unfamiliar with units of heat - I've never managed to get a feel for BTU (British Thermal Units...). I read the back of a milkshake recently and worked out there were 25g or sugar in each bottle. That didn't sound much until I realised it's about an ounce - suddenly I'm not drinking so many of them!

One question: How many fluid ounces in a US pint? We've 20 fl.oz in a pint (UK) and 8 pints in gallon...I know US gallons are slightly smaller than UK ones, are the other units similarly different?

Forget units, have you Brits been able to make a car that doesn't leak oil yet?

Of course we have, they're japanese cars manufactured in the UK.

The good old British cars, now that was a clever design! You never had to drain or change the oil, just top it up. Plus good rust protection on the underside of the car! They don't make'em like that anymore!

Amen !!! My neighbour had one which was pre-independance (Indian i mean). Never changed a single thing including the Champion spark plugs ! Used to smile when i changed my radiator every six months.

In my professional life, i have seen 40 year old BTH and English Electric Circuit Breakers, still happily in service. The customers can't understand why the company can't supply the same ones anymore. They can't swallow "Improved technology"

You Indians have a habit of keeping good things going - like Royal Enfield!

"bred out the sixth finger" ROFL

From Wiki:

US customary fluid ounce

Aha! I got the impression there were 16 of your fluid ounces to one of your pints...I found somewhere selling 8 fl.oz and 16 fl. oz bottles, which seemed odd strange numbers to pick, to UK eyes. Looks like "Standard" and "Imperial" are different beasts...even the ratio of teaspoons to tablespoons is different (2 tspn = 1 tbspn here).

Yes, I could have looked it up, but, well, you know how it is ;o).

Re: One question: How many fluid ounces in a US pint? We've 20 fl.oz in a pint (UK) and 8 pints in gallon...I know US gallons are slightly smaller than UK ones, are the other units similarly different?

There are 16 fluid ounces in a US pint. As far as I know, US and UK ounces are the same, and the difference in the US and UK gallon is then 32 ounces--ahh, but I'm wrong:

From Wikipedia: Gallon:

Definitions

A one US gallon gas can purchased near the US-Canada border. It shows equivalences in imperial gallons and litres.

• The imperial (UK) gallon was legally defined as 4.54609 L. This definition is used in some Commonwealth countries and Ireland, and is based on the volume of 10 pounds of water at 62 °F. (A US liquid gallon of water weighs about 8.33 pounds at the same temperature.) The imperial fluid ounce is defined as 1⁄160 of an imperial gallon. On 1 January 2000, it ceased to be a legal unit of measure within the United Kingdom for economic, health, safety or administrative purposes.[3]
• The US liquid gallon is legally defined as 231 cubic inches,[4] and is equal to exactly 3.785411784 litres or about 0.133680555 cubic feet. This is the most common definition of a gallon in the United States. The US fluid ounce is defined as 1⁄128 of a US gallon.
• The US dry gallon is one-eighth of a US Winchester bushel of 2150.42 cubic inches, thus it is equal to exactly 268.8025 cubic inches or 4.40488377086 L. The US dry gallon is less commonly used, and is not listed in the relevant statute, which jumps from the dry quart to the peck.[4]

Hmm, for some reason, I can't get those bulleted items to stay in italics.

<...And you should see my thre'p'ny bits...>

Do go and get a bath towel, ER! There are sensitive readers on here!!

Surely she was tought to keep her hand on her ha'penny too.
I've gone metric every inch of the way.
I always quote bow limb dimensions in mm taken at 6" intervals down the limb, 'cos mm is convenient for small dimensions and inches convenient for big ones.
Del
(tee hee I said big ones)

i am afraid the Americans have got you us all beat...

_{There was this ten-gallon hat guy in the loo at DC last time i passed thru there (Washington DC is a good place to pass through). He squatted. Some guys there giggled, so one braveheart asked the cowboy, "Excuse me, i thought you guys were really tough ?" .. Said the texan .. "Glad you asked podner...y'see, i had meself a hernia operation, and my doc tole me not to lift heavy things ya know"}

Small peristaltic pump tubing has also gone totally metric, eg 1.6mm, 2.4mm, 4.8mm, 6.3mm, 12.6mm, etc.

I'll wrap them in the towel after I've soaked them in coca-cola to remove the patina and make them all shiny

According to former president Bush, they are twice more gooder.

IDK

IYCLTJT

(If you can't lick them, join them)

Thats a new one on me!

WTF [what the fuqk] I use acronyms

but only after defining them the 1st time I use one within a thread

the UM [unit of measure] question requires patience on everyone's part, I have a conversion program & am not afraid to use it. as long as we aren't getting too obscure these things tend to work themselves out...

OP's should return to their threads early & often to provide additional input or clarifications

ER is right this subject comes up from time to time

Now that I think about it I used to carry a press cutting from the Electronics Times (or something similar) from about 1979, which explained that "Plessey electronic network information systems" had decided to change its name.

This discussion has really gone into the crapper.

Government agencies and technical fields seem to be hooked on acronyms.Some have been used so much that they are often used without having to think about the origin.Such as SNAFU(situation normal, all fouled up),BOHICA (bend over, here it comes again),DILLIGAF (do I look like I give a flip).When an acronym is eventually accepted as a word proper, and there is no need to mentally decipher it, it has transcended into the public vocabulary.

Language is a living thing, and mutates over time.Someone once said that I did not speak the king's English.You are right, I replied, but neither do you.

I found an old recording of old English,where the narrator had studied the old text, and was considered an authority on the matter, and only an occasional word could be understood.If we went back to the 10th century, we could not understand the English of that era.

That is one reason the medical field chooses Latin, because it is a "dead" language, and the meaning does not mutate over time.

As acronyms become more frequently used, they become accepted without hesitation.Eventually, a separate language develops within certain groups that is sometimes unintelligible to others.

Eventually, a separate language develops within certain groups that is sometimes unintelligible to others.

Oh, you mean like the hip-hop culture?

In the near future, more people will be using phones to access the internet and CR4 forums, than using computers. So often replies will be like tweets (140 characters), so how will one define acronyms with such limited text, screen area and typing functionality?

Maybe smart phones should have an acronym library built in that displays definition based on GPS indication of what country user is in.

GPS=Global Positioning System

And sorry, I could resest either, ha ha ....

How about predictive acronyms?

AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

Maybe smart phones should have an ...Like most things they'll be in the hands of (some) idiots so this discusion will rear its head again.

back to acronyms:- FYI to me meant 'for your information'. My wife has been using FYI when discussing her work and the distrubution of information there. She's been in the job for over 12 months and I've heard it a lot -and sometimes it didn't quite fit but ....any way the other day she said FYI 'Freedom of information' and suddnely a lot of discussions made a lot more sense.

My point along with many is that acronyms are not always as local as one would expect and should be clarrified at the onset.

Usual caveat !

!

"Usual caveat !"

More like 'Etymological naughtiness'

Well, i guess now "Weiner" will become immortalised by generating its own family of associative words... wining, dining and wein(er)ing for example..

I blame Andy Ky

But hauntingly accurate

Even associative careers, like Polish handball goalkeeper, playgirl photographer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and naturally; psychologist

Sounds like some people have had SUPER HIGH INTENSIVE TRAINING in ACRONYM ETYMOLOGY. And of course, you are right...it doesn't mean squat to some people..

After seeing all the variations of wiener....

I wonder----is polish Polish?

Are pencils made in Pennsylvania?

Are finish nails made in Finland?

Are there turkeys in Turkey?

Is it cold in Chili?

Do ties come from Thailand?

Are people in Russia in a hurry?

Are Europeans?

Is there a hairy peen hammer?

Do Bald Eagles have a comb over?

How odd - you spell it peen?

I wonder if it's cross

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7l449vlNzD8A14pXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1YW5oaGYyBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1ZJUDAyNl8xNDg-/SIG=11pphmtkv/EXP=1308248728/**http%3a//www.thefreedictionary.com/peen

Even spellings vary by locality/nationality....(sigh)......

Genesis:11:1.5

⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶ The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

And then ................... all that begat business started

More of a surprise that he thinks the ball part is bald

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball-peen_hammer

I think ball pain is something different altogether ^{_{and bald balls is a obviously a personal dilemma}}

A little artistic license, please!

Awesome !

Let me add my 2¢...

I got #5 'wrong' - but I'm cheap

Soft hair brushes are made from Kolinsky sable or ox hair (sabeline); or more rarely, squirrel, pony, goat, mongoose or badger.

Cheaper hair is sometimes called camel hair, although it does not come from camels.

And there's a perfectly logical explanation for each of those answers. Just not an obvious one.

http://www.urch.com/forums/english/9214-learned-vs-learnt.html

Which brings up a colloquial interpretation of an everyday word:

Naked,pronounced as it sounds, with a long A, and it means

"They ain't got no clothes on."

and Naked,same spelling, but pronounced NECK-ID.The definition of which is:

"They ain't got no clothes on, and they is up to somethin' "

Wow. American folklore at its best ! As my friend Old Sitting Bull keeps telling me....(i am Indian you know)

Learnt is correct for me, since i live in India.

Nekkid is a good word. i will remember that one.

When i first landed in NYC and went to a breakfast joint, i was asked by the impatient waitress, "Up or over?" .. not having a clue, i said "Easy over" having read in some Perry Mason book... delicious eggs, bacon, toast, whatnot. Still don't know what the difference is between sunny-side-up and easy-over. i want to come to USA once more just to order "Neither. I want them hardboiled for 20 minutes"