# abbr **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2000, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359 "2000-03-05T06:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/1 "2000-03-05T06:52:00Z")
Need sone help with the abbreviations . Havent been posting long enough to know what a lot of them mean. thanks ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/2 "2000-03-05T07:11:00Z")
## Try this: [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/acronyms.html](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/acronyms.html) I am a redhead, you see, and I do not tempt. I insist. -Cristi ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/3 "2000-03-05T07:17:00Z")
Seems like there should be a list of them somewhere but I dunno where, so here are a few: IIRC = if I recall correctly IMHO = in my humble opinion (may or may not be humble) AFAIK = as far as I know ICBM = intercontinental ballistic missile TVA = Tennessee Valley Authority i.e. = that is cf. = compare q.v. = which see e.g. = for example et. al. = and others N.B. = note carefully nos = not otherwise specified op.cit. = in the work cited seq. = the following If you refer to a reference book, you should identify it, e.g.: “the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) defines felching as…” And always cite your vague irrational claims. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/4 "2000-03-05T09:02:00Z")
Who exactly are the official authority on approving abbreviations? I mean, some of them are obvious - they’re just acronyms, and you’d hardly need approval for that. But for contractions etc. who approves them and allows them freedom in the world of the written word? * * * [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **Shadow of the Pigeon** - Weirdo of the Night ---
**Author:** ![Surgoshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Surgoshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surgoshan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/5 "2000-03-05T09:56:00Z")
Guano, as with most words in language, I’d say they just sort of happen. They’re convenient and become part of the lexica of things people say. Language is a societal process, not an organized study. * * * I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/6 "2000-03-05T14:58:00Z")
What I need help on are the latest generation of ROFL acronymns. It started with LOL, laughing out loud, then ROFL, rolling on the floor laughing, and then ROFLMAO, rolling on the floor laughing my ass off. Now I see things like ROFLLRPPRYYQQSWXYZABE,and I say to myself, WTF (what the flip, or words to that effect). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/7 "2000-03-05T15:17:00Z")
GuanoLad, Some abbreviations have been around since before computers. i.e. is the abbreviation for “id est”, which is Latin for “that is”; e.g. is “exempli gratia”, Latin for “for example”. The acronyms you see flying around the web (LOL, IMO, IIRC, et. al.) were just made up. People accepted them and started to use them and they became common. You can start you own acronym if you want to, and if enough people use it it will be on the tips of everyone’s fingers! Personally, I coined the term “sackie” for the Sacagawea dollar. I’m hoping that one catches on. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbr/14359/8 "2000-03-05T16:35:00Z")
First thing to know is that they use a period e.g. abbr. Say, why is ‘abbreviation’ such a long word?