Skip to main content

some very common abbreviations

Here are some very common abbreviations. More often than not, we do not stop to think what they mean.

  • AD – Anno Domini – used to mark time that comes after the commonly accepted beginning of the Christian era.
    Usage: The ancient city was founded in 125 AD.
  • AI – Artificial Intelligence – used for robots, etc.
    Usage:Several professors at our university have been researching AI for many years.
  • aka – Also Known As.
    Usage: We went to see James Smith aka The Bulldozer wrestle.
  • AM – Ante Meridiem – the Latin word which means before noon.
    Usage: I always get up at 7:00 AM.
  • DIY – Do-It-Yourself
    Usage: I went to a DIY store and bought the materials to build a bed.
  • DNA – DeoxyriboNucleic Acid – the main constituent of the chromosomes of all organisms.
    Usage: My university has spent a lot of money in the study of DNA.
  • e.g. – Exempli Gratia – the Latin which means for example.
    Usage: The company has many factories around the world - e.g. Italy, Mexico, and Korea.
  • ETA – Estimated Time of Arrival.
    Usage: "What will your ETA be when you return home next month?"
  • FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions.
    Usage: The website had much information in the FAQ section.
  • GMT – Greenwich Mean Time – Greenwich is a place in England which is used as the standard for time around the world.
    Usage: The rocket will be launched at 10:00 AM tomorrow GMT.
  • i.e. – id est – from Latin with the meaning of "that is to say" or "in other words".
    Usage: The meeting starts at 8:00 PM - i.e. we cannot be late.
  • MC – Master of Ceremonies.
    Usage: My cousin was the MC for my sister's wedding.
  • MP3 – MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 – a method to compress digital audio.
    Usage: The students listened to their MP3 players as they worked in the computer lab.
  • N/A – Not Applicable (often found on a survey or questionnaire).
    Usage: I wrote down N/A for many questions on the survey.
  • NB – Nota Bene – Latin for take notice or note well.
    Usage: Our teacher told us to memorize the information in our text that is marked NB.
  • PhD – Doctor of Philosophy.
    Usage: After receiving his PhD in history my friend got a job at a university.
  • PM – Post Meridiem – Latin for afternoon.
    Usage: The meeting started at exactly 1:00 PM.
  • RSVP – Repondez S'il Vous Plait – the French which means, “please reply”.
    Usage: The invitation said RSVP so I sent a note to say that I would attend the party.
  • WC – Water Closet – toilet.
    Usage: When we entered the park we went directly to the sign that said WC.

A comprehensive list can be found here. And while you’re at it, you might want to check out twenty popular foreign phrases.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

this symbol is called a lemniscate, and other facts

The technical term for your foot "falling asleep" is "taresthesia". "Pins and needles" is really called "paresthesia". Great Britain has invaded about 90% of the world's countries. There's a brand of hand sanitizer called "Maybe You Touched Your Genitals". There was a hoax that the world was ending in 1806 because someone wrote "Christ is coming" on eggs, that were later stuffed into a hen. Gary Numan is actually 13 days older than Gary Oldman. There is a word in the English language with only one vowel, which occurs six times: Indivisibility. Los Angeles's full name is 'El Pueblo de Nuestra la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula'. Polyamorous people have invented a word to indicate the opposite feeling of jealousy - compersion. The Macrocilix maia moth confuses predators with wing patterns that mimic two flies eating bird poop. It even releases a pungent odor to drive home the dec
Post a Comment
Read more

abort, retry, ignore poem

The infamous Abort, Retry, Ignore message box of Windows, with no option given to close it. Found this classic and fun poem about the "Abort, Retry, Ignore" message. I have been able to trace back the source to Annoyances.org. Here it is: Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary, System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor, Longing for the warmth of bed sheets, still I sat there doing spreadsheets. Having reached the bottom line I took a floppy from the drawer, I then invoked the SAVE command and waited for the disk to store, Only this and nothing more. Deep into the monitor peering, long I sat there wond'ring, fearing,
 Doubting, while the disk kept churning, turning yet to churn some more.
 But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token.
 "Save!" I said, "You cursed mother! Save my data from before!"
 One thing did the phosphors answer, only this and nothing more,
 Just, "Abort
Post a Comment
Read more

blog now with devnagari

क्या मुझे प्यार है? क्या तुम येह पढ़ सकते हो? और क्या तुम्हारा नाम 'जोकर' है? हिन्दीमा त लेखीयो, बबाल सजीलो हुँदो रहेछ - अब नेपाली लेखेर हेरौं है, कत्तिको राम्ररी लेखिन्छ - भन्ने कुरा गर्ने हो भने तपाइँ मलाई भनी दिनुस कि यो गूगल को नयाँ सुविधा कत्तिको राम्रो लग्छ तपाइँलाई. फेरी पनि तिम्रो तस्बिर, आँखामा आयी दिन्छ अनी फेरी धुलो लागे जस्तो सारा हरायेर जान्छ - यो लेख्नु त majja po रहेछ - it's fun! देवनागरीमा ब्लग लेख्ने होइन त? सच्ची, यो एकदम सजीलो रहेछ - धन्यबाद ब्लगर! But it still needs refinements to be perfect.
3 comments
Read more