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Questions tagged [acronyms]

Acronyms are words which were created by taking the first letter (or several letters) of each word of a phrase.

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Meaning of SoA in a review of an academic paper

The reviewer of my paper said: It is not clear what is the main contribution regarding to SoA And in another question he said: The SoA should be improved What is the meaning of SoA here? (For ...
Joad 's user avatar
  • 83
1 vote
1 answer
55 views

When is it acceptable to pronounce acronyms for EVs [closed]

As a place of innovation electric vehicles having a growing number of acronyms with increasing length. It is common to call electric vehicles EVs in writing and in speech. My question is about longer ...
user16735583's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
42 views

Are mixed case like IaC or GoF in acronyms normative or allowed? [duplicate]

In IT (Information Technology) there are a lot of acronyms with mixed case: GoF: Gang of four, the oldest I found. IaC: Infrastructure as Code, very common nowadays I understand the logic behing ...
pdem's user avatar
  • 111
0 votes
0 answers
17 views

When using the acronym LTO (limited time offer), do I put a or an before LTO? [duplicate]

I'm creating an email for my customers regarding limited time offers; however, I'm using the acronym LTO. Do I put an a or an before LTO?
Wendy 's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
124 views

What is the term or word used to describe a name such as 'N.S Ennis' where the initials 'N.S' sound the same as the surname 'Ennis'?

My name, 'N.S Ennis', was called out in a waiting room some years ago and I was told there was an actual term for this occurrence where the initials 'NS' sound the same as the surname 'Ennis'. I am ...
Nick Ennis's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
30 views

What is the most proper way to add -ing to acronyms? [duplicate]

Sometimes acronyms represent actions. For example, a Super Smash Bros. player may be said to be "DI-ing" (Directional influencing). In these situations, what would be the best-established ...
Passhonrippu on Twitch's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
43 views

Capitalization of acronyms - maybe there is no definite correctness for all cases?

Is it correct to capitalize the acronym when it is a name? Sometimes it is dubious whether it's a name or a word, for example SQL, ANSI, GNU and more would be considered a name so it should be ...
Niklas Rosencrantz's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

The origin of slang GOAT (in a field) for the "greatest of all time"

Lately, I have seen GOAT being used for people. Like: Lionel Messi is called the GOAT. Muhammad Ali boxed his way into our hearts and will forever be known as GOAT. John may end up being the GOAT. ...
God Is One's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
233 views

Spelling out an acronym if first seen in the table of contents and do you spell it out in the paragraph title as well so that they match?

If a subject title is first spelled out in the table of contents, do you still spell out that same acronym when you get to the paragraph title within the document so that it is matching the table of ...
Charlie's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
51 views

VTOL Hybrid Initialism/Acronym?

VTOL, for "Vertical Takeoff and Landing" I have usually heard pronounced as "Vee-Tol", Cambridge link That got me wondering on what kind of word this is. As I understand it, an ...
Alan's user avatar
  • 207
2 votes
1 answer
128 views

How do you pronounce RND (Research and Development)? [closed]

Apparently, RND is an acronym for Research and Development. I'm used to R&D. How do you pronounce RND? Would it be "are and dee", like the form I'm used to? Or would it be "are en ...
Evorlor's user avatar
  • 915
0 votes
1 answer
36 views

Pluralising abbreviations ending in S

From general Googling, I understand it is correct to add an 's' (lower case) if pluralising abbreviations ending in 'S' and this makes sense. However, I am surprised to have so far found no instances ...
Liza's user avatar
  • 1
0 votes
0 answers
20 views

Can an abbreviation of a verb be classified as a nominalisation?

For example, in the abbreviation for the fictional organisation "SCP Foundation", "SCP" is short for "Secure, Contain, Protect." Would this classify the term "SCP&...
Demon In Denim's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
3k views

What’s the term for an acronym that refers to another acronym?

For example, AIM stands for AOL Instant Messenger, and AOL stands for American OnLine. This isn’t quite the same thing as a recursive acronym, which refers to itself. Maybe the term is nested acronym?
Reid Sherman's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
118 views

What does the acronym DAO mean in the book Clean Code? [closed]

I am reading a book called Clean Code. Although it is actually in Portuguese (translated) there are some code samples which aren't translated, so I don't know the meaning of the acronym "DAO&...
Rodrigo's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
61 views

How can I introduce an acronym parenthetically in a hyphenated compound? [duplicate]

How do I introduce the acronym for "deep learning" in the following case: "Deep learning-based" Example: Deep learning (DL)-based or Deep learning-based (DL-based)
user1503's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
105 views

Is it okay to put a colon after an acronym? [duplicate]

For example, when writing a list of fields to be filled e.g. Name: D.O.B.: Address: Is the colon after D.O.B. correct?
Gospel77's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
111 views

Is an acronym/initialism ever pluralized in its parenthetical introduction?

For example, if the first use of RDA occurs as follows: "Recommended daily allowances (RDAs) are established by nutritionists after some kind of research...." Should the parenthetical ...
Mathias Weibel's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
22 views

What's the difference between two capitalization styles related to acronym? [duplicate]

I know NAT is the abbreviation of "Network address translation", but there is another style of this phrase, "Network Address Translation", which capitalize the first letter of each ...
Runbing's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
11 views

Apostrophe after Acronym that ends in "S" [duplicate]

What are the rules for using apostrophes after an acronym that ends in the letter "S"? For instance, if I have a pretend product called Fast Ice Cream System, or FICS, which delivers ice ...
agentroadkill's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
87 views

Who determines the correct way to pronounce an acronym if the creator never specifies (if the acronym can be pronounced in multiple ways)?

This is more to settle an argument between a buddy and I. There is a program we use that goes by the acronym PRDA (Personnel Records Display Application) which I pronounce as "per-duh" and ...
Andrew's user avatar
  • 1
-2 votes
1 answer
137 views

How does lbs mean pounds? [duplicate]

An acronym is a pronounceable word formed from the first letter (or first few letters) of each word in a phrase or title. The newly combined letters create a new word that becomes a part of everyday ...
Walid Alfaid's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
69 views

Pronunciation of an acronym as a word - C as a stop or a fricative [closed]

At my place of work in the US at an agency, there is an acronym that is fairly well known: FOCI I've noticed some pronounce it "FOSI" (with a sibilant(?) C) and some "FOKI" (with a ...
CGCampbell's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
47 views

Analogue to appending "s" to the end of an acronym when plural does not have an "s" [duplicate]

Some acronyms can be naturally pluralized. For example, consider the acronym RTP which stands for regional tax policy -- the plural is regional tax policies and thus the acronym can be written as RTPs....
Erik M's user avatar
  • 109
0 votes
0 answers
43 views

Is there a word and/or term that describes the intention of converting words into an acronym? [duplicate]

I wanted to say this to somebody today, but couldn't find the word for it (neither in my head nor via Google). I have a task that acronyms would be better-suited to. Instead of saying "I want to ...
SnookerFan's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
57 views

What does it mean when an article's headline starts with "TA:"?

TA: Bitcoin Consolidated above $36K, Why BTC Could Start A Fresh Increase Source: https://www.newsbtc.com/analysis/btc/bitcoin-consolidated-above-36k/ I keep seeing this. What does it mean? Why do ...
M B's user avatar
  • 41
-1 votes
2 answers
247 views

Is it appropriate to write mixed capped abbreviations and acronyms in all caps for headers, etc?

When using an abbreviation or acronym that has a mix of lowercase and capital letters, such as mmWave or dBm, in a heading or line that is formatted in all caps, is it appropriate to use all caps - or ...
Kate's user avatar
  • 1
6 votes
2 answers
723 views

Why is electrocardiogram abbreviated EKG instead of ECG?

There is no K in electrocardiogram. So why is it often referred to as EKG instead of ECG? (ECG is an acronym for electrocardiogram, and it appears to be used twice as often in English literature as ...
feetwet's user avatar
  • 1,320
0 votes
2 answers
101 views

What does G2 (chapter title) refer to in Death by Meeting? [closed]

In Death by Meeting, by Patrick Lencioni (the book is about leadership), There is a chapter entitled "G2." Since it is the title, there is not enough context for me to figure out its meaning,...
AryoBarzan's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
67 views

History of 'acronym' versus 'initialism'?

Nowadays on the internet there's a contingent who make a strong distinction between 'acronyms', which they say must be pronounced "phonetically" (for lack of a better term), and 'initialisms'...
R.M.'s user avatar
  • 1,420
3 votes
1 answer
95 views

What would D.O.R.A. have meant in 1929?

I recently started reading a strange little book from 1929 called Breaking Priscian's Head, or English as She Will Be Spoke And Wrote, by a Scotsman named J. Y. T Greig. In a passage about how some ...
WiJaMa's user avatar
  • 155
0 votes
2 answers
47 views

Does "English as a Second Language" literally mean 2nd or can it mean 3rd or 4th?

I know an ESL teacher and he has students where English isn't their 2nd, but their 3rd and even 4th language. That got me thinking, why is it "English as a Second Language" and not something ...
thc's user avatar
  • 97
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the antonym to tech-savvy? [duplicate]

I think I can use tech-illiterate. However, this word seems to have a negative aura. Is there any word choice with a more positive feel?
ariefbayu's user avatar
  • 103
0 votes
0 answers
979 views

What's the correct British English plural form of TV? Is it TVs or TV's? Thank you!

e.g. I have two TVs VS I have two TV's. Which one is the correct form in British English?
Lex Rex's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
2 answers
109 views

What does RSD mean?

This is an acronym referring to psychological/therapeutic/social work/educational title/degree/certification. My Google research yields jack. I assume R might stand for "registered" but I ...
Jules Cocovin's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
26 views

Using the definite article with acronyms and initialisms with a number in front of it

I understand that using a definite article with an initialism. For example WKC for World Kendo Championship needs "the" if it pronounces "double-U kay si." I want to know if "the" is still need if it ...
Takamori's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

Alternatives to "simpler is better"?

I've been thinking about idioms, metaphors, and phrases one could use in a conversation to convey the idea that simpler is better. I came up with a few: "Don't scratch your left ear with your ...
Richard Kayser's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
21 views

If the word "dataset" is already included in the acronym, should I still include the word to describe it?

Sorry if the title is a little hard to understand. I'm trying to wrap my head around what the proper usage of a word would be. I'm writing an academic paper right now regarding COVID-19, and there ...
Sean's user avatar
  • 143
1 vote
0 answers
20 views

Plural of irregular or foreign acronyms [duplicate]

What is the correct way of pluralizing acronyms in which the last word is either irregular or a foreign word? For example: radiation transparent medium (RTM) What would be the plural of the acronym ...
borondics's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
2k views

Capitalization of "Grant"

Should grant be capitalized in this sentence? I don't know the rule that to apply to ensure I'm writing correctly. CS = Community Safety. I've provided two examples. A representative from the Office ...
BrettA's user avatar
  • 187
14 votes
5 answers
14k views

Is it CoViD? Or COVID? Covid? How should the word be spelled?

I have seen it spelled COVID-19, but I have also seen Covid-19. In addition, I believe I have seen CoViD-19, capitalising only the first letter of each word from which it was abbreviated (for it isn't ...
Cerberus - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
290 views

Why do so many people insist on using incomprehensible, obscure, ambiguous acronyms all the time? [closed]

I work in clinical healthcare. I won't be able to step away any time I want and we are already having problems getting PPE. Okay? "PPE"? Then I have to manually look that up on Wikipedia, and get ...
Gaddiel Schelp's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
122 views

Plural possessive of the acronym COA

How do I write the plural possessive of the acronym COA in APA style (which in general doesn't allow for the use of an apostrophe)? COA = children orphaned by AIDS Children orphaned by AIDS [...
Joe 's user avatar
  • 17
0 votes
0 answers
32 views

Using "test" after TOEIC and TOEFL [duplicate]

Recently, I've seen a few examples of people writing either "I took the TOEIC test" or "I took the TOEFL test". They tend to be ESL students, so I don't want to be a grammar Nazi about it, but for my ...
TFlo83's user avatar
  • 159
0 votes
2 answers
430 views

Correct way to introduce acronyms [duplicate]

What is the correct method of introducing the expanded form for Acronym in the bracket? is it expanded form first and then the acronym in bracket or Vica-Versa. Also, what is the difference in ...
Monika's user avatar
  • 1
0 votes
1 answer
436 views

Should it be 'an' or 'a' in front of an abbreviation? [duplicate]

I am using abbreviations for well-known phrases: e.g., "Nash equilibrium" becomes NE and "neural networks" becomes NN. Should I use "an NN" or "a NN"? Does it matter whether a reader "unfolds" the ...
Guy's user avatar
  • 111
0 votes
1 answer
65 views

Do I need to abbreviate plurals separately or can I just add an 's' at the end of original abbreviation?

I am writing an abstract for an article. I am using abbreviation Road Traffic Accident (RTA). In the further sentences I need to use plural of RTA that is Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs). My question ...
BetterCallMe's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
329 views

Plural of an initialism written in lowercase with abbreviation full stops

Although similar questions have been already posed and answered here, I still have this doubt: in the case of initialisms written in lowercase (and possibly having full stops after each letter), how ...
Vicent's user avatar
  • 244
0 votes
1 answer
485 views

Is there a word for an acronym that spells an existing word? [duplicate]

On a recent episode of The Simpsons, Marge and Homer attended DANK (Drug and Alcohol Night of Knowledge). It made me wonder: is there a term for an acronym that spells an existing word (like how Drug ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 9
-4 votes
2 answers
155 views

"Subject Matter Expert" [closed]

In the term "Subject Matter Expert" (SME), what does the qualifier "Subject Matter" mean? Are there experts without subject matter (other than perhaps Irwin Corey, the "World's Foremost Authority") ...
prototype's user avatar
  • 121

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