# Acronyms that don't mean what most(/many/some) people \*think\* they mean.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronyms-that-dont-mean-what-most-many-some-people-think-they-mean/367834>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 8, 2006, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronyms-that-dont-mean-what-most-many-some-people-think-they-mean/367834 "2006-08-08T08:23:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronyms-that-dont-mean-what-most-many-some-people-think-they-mean/367834/61 "2006-08-11T16:34:05Z")

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Oh, damn, that was posted in the wrong thread. Should have gone here.  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7669195#post7669195](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7669195#post7669195)

Can a moderator please delete?

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**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronyms-that-dont-mean-what-most-many-some-people-think-they-mean/367834/62 "2006-08-11T17:07:11Z")

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Is **OT** on topic or off topic? check out [OT - What does OT stand for? The Free Dictionary](http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/OT)

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronyms-that-dont-mean-what-most-many-some-people-think-they-mean/367834/63 "2006-08-11T18:05:53Z")

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In theatre, lights out in front of the stage, above the audience, are called AP’s. A friend of mine was told (jokingly) that it stood for “above the people” and he believed it. It’s actually “ante proscenium”

A lot of people probably believe that laser and scuba don’t stand for anything. Plus, countless A’s that no one can remember whether they’re administrations or associations.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acronyms-that-dont-mean-what-most-many-some-people-think-they-mean/367834/64 "2006-08-11T18:48:37Z")

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[QUOTE=TJdude825]  
A lot of people probably believe that laser and scuba don’t stand for anything.  
[/QUOTE]  
A friend was fascinated when I pointed out what scuba stands for. Then it was revealed that he hadn’t never really registered the idea of a palindrome, not even “Madam, I’m Adam”!?! That was a fun day.

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