# EWTGDAICSTFO! (Enough with the God damn abbreviations I can't seem to figure out!) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 30, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493 "2003-10-30T18:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/41 "2003-11-01T04:56:22Z")
I still like Douglas R. Hofstadter’s “CYCOHATALAT?”. (“Could you come over here and take a look at this?”) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/42 "2003-11-01T06:54:37Z")
Um, technically an acronym is a _pronounceable word_ made from an abbreviation, like NATO or Scuba (or LOL, gods help us.) Ones that you spell out, such as STFU, are just abbreviations. But it may be a little late in the day for this. At any rate, I live for good acronyms. My affinity group in Quebec City was Fags ANd Dykes Against Neoliberal Globalization and Oppression, or FANDANGO. And I suggested a coalition for the peace marches last winter called QUeers Against Always Letting the US Destroy Everything, or QUAALUDE. I also suggested the McGill Pagan Association be named the McGill University Pagan Paths and Esoteric Traditions Society, or MUPPETS. (It’s time to light the incense, it’s time to start the rite…) Unfortunately they didn’t go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/43 "2003-11-01T08:35:14Z")
At least the McGill science students have some good ones, like the **M** cGill **U** niversity **C** hemistry **U** ndergraduate **S** ociety or **B** iochemistry **U** nder **G** raduate **S** ociety. MUPPETS would’ve been cool though. I was only involved with Amnesty International, so there’s not much you can do with the name of an established organization. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/44 "2003-11-01T15:11:07Z")
And I was in the **S** ociety of **L** inguistics **U** ndergraduates of **M** cGill. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/45 "2003-11-01T16:34:42Z")
Bit of a tangent, but the chemistry club at Iowa State is the **S** ociety of **C** hemistry **U** ndergraduate **M** ajors. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/46 "2003-11-01T18:37:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 7 up yours \* > \*_No, WIRAIHPUABTWTFTO_ > > \*What is really annoying is how people use abbreviations but then write the full thing out \*\* IDTSPU I do that so people understand. MOTO: master of the obvious ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/47 "2003-11-02T02:38:03Z")
Of course, us CS types use abbreviations obsessively. And acronyms, too, but the abbreviations we use are rarely spoken aloud. They’re the written form of the language, shorthand for a more pronouncable spoken form. Sometimes, I wonder that ASCII hasn’t developed diacritical marks to hint at vowels long dead. (Of course, nothing could help newbies understand what INTERCAL expands to, let alone why a sane man would use it.) Usenet is another place rich in abbreviations. Here’s a sample conversation: \>\> BTW, RTFM. \> WTF? IMNSHO, STFU! YHBT. YHL. HAND. The very model of civil discourse, no? And all of it as comprehensible as IBM assembly mnemonics! ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/48 "2003-11-02T03:33:53Z")
**Derleth** , that’s why they allow voicecom, for us conscientious objectors to acronyms and abbreviations. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/49 "2003-11-02T23:06:30Z")
**Quack** : Oh, you mean the COAA? They’ll never win. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bojon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bojon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bojon)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/50 "2003-11-03T00:54:15Z")
WTF makes you think I know what shit means. Please give us a break and s p e l l i t o u t. The other boards on the net do this, and they s u c k t h e b i g o n e . ---
**Author:** ![Kegg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kegg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kegg)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493/51 "2003-11-03T13:13:00Z")
THIS IS A HIJACK!!! The First Unitatarian Church in Kinsington is Called the First Unitatarian Church of Berkeley, * * * Spelling and grammer subject to change with our notice [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ewtgdaicstfo-enough-with-the-god-damn-abbreviations-i-cant-seem-to-figure-out/210493.md?page=2)