# MO or MOO
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 3, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725 "2001-08-03T01:59:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725/1 "2001-08-03T01:59:58Z")
When somebody says “that is their MO”, are they saying Method of Operation? I would think that they would need to say MOO… Or does MO go back to the Latin: Modus Operandi?
A dumb question, but it has been bugging me for some reason.
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### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725/2 "2001-08-03T02:06:02Z")
My understanding is that it is “MO”, which stands for _modus operandi_, which is translated as “method of operation”.
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### Author:  [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725/3 "2001-08-03T02:21:42Z")
While **AudreyK** is correct in this particular case, the “of” is often dropped from acronyms with no significant harm done to anyone.
To take one notable example, United States _of_ America == USA.
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### Author:  [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725/4 "2001-08-03T04:29:41Z")
To be specific, it IS in general “MOO”. But a know a few tough bovines who hang in my hood who insist on saying “MO!”
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### Author:  [@JohnW77707](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnW77707)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mo-or-moo/74725/5 "2001-08-03T05:01:59Z")
Modus operandi