# Acronym puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948 "2003-05-08T19:16:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/61 "2003-05-09T20:38:45Z")
Well I found a 15. There’s a UNESCO agency named IOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission = 13.3… and the French version of that name is COI Commission Océanographique Intergouvernementale = 15 ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/62 "2003-05-09T20:51:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Controvert \* > \*\*To the critics, please suggest a better test. \*\* [acronymfinder](http://www.acronymfinder.com)? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/63 "2003-05-09T20:55:05Z")
OBTW (2.25), IFF (1.33) doesn’t seem to pass the Google test, so OBTW seems to be the shortest so far… ---
**Author:** ![Kaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Kaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaf)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/64 "2003-05-09T21:08:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*[acronymfinder](http://www.acronymfinder.com)? \*\* Wow, thats a good link. A quick perusal turns up: **G** (Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Illinois) - 35 or 33 I’m not sure how to define ‘acronym’ now. > [@](#): > > ac·ro·nym - A word formed from the initial letters of a name or by combining initial letters or parts of a series of words > > ab·bre·vi·a·tion - A shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing to represent the complete form > > sym·bol - A printed or written sign used to represent an operation, element, quantity, quality, or relation, as in mathematics or music What if, for a working definition we defined an acronym as a series of letters, created by taking the initial letters of a name or a series of words, used in lieu of the original words to represent them. I’m still chuckling over the South African society to fight lung disease. 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LeprechaunPaul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@LeprechaunPaul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeprechaunPaul)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/65 "2003-05-09T23:56:51Z")
Do languages other than English count? I saw someone use French, and I’m sure some German Dopers can give us some really long ones. I’ll start it at Deutsche Gruppenpsychotherapeutische Gesellschaft (DGG)=15.66… ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/66 "2003-05-10T01:49:04Z")
This is more of a game/puzzle than a GQ, so I’ll move this thread to MPSIMS. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/67 "2003-05-10T03:54:48Z")
I did seem to open a potential can of worms with that French example. I was desperate to find a 15 or better. But since it’s open, how about GAA Gesellschaft für Arzneimittelanwendungsforschung und Arzneimittelepidemiologie = 22.6… I haven’t tried to translate it, but it’s the name of some medical organization. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948/68 "2003-05-10T15:54:19Z")
Other languages count as long as they come up on Google. Didn’t see DGG or GAA on google, which sort of means they’re a bit too obscure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronym-puzzle/173948.md?page=3)