# PWUA (People Who Use Acronyms) and terms they assume people will know (spoiler: they don't) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 21, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030 "2019-08-21T23:32:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/141 "2021-01-05T14:17:01Z")
There’s nothing wrong with using a TLA or an XTLA to simplify writing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/142 "2021-01-05T14:32:10Z")
“Male” and “female” connectors were standard in plumbing long before IT, or probably even electricity, were a thing. And people complain about “ATM machine” being redundant, but “ATM” is already redundant. What, you’d expect an automated teller person? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/143 "2021-01-05T14:38:45Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > Can you think of better terms that are equally clear? > > Positive and negative would be just as clear. You can even use + and - for simplicity. Just like batteries. I don’t agree, but whatever floats your boat. In my view, positive and negative have several specific meanings, and none of them denote anything in any way related to the physical form of anything. I’d be hard-pressed to imagine which type of connector is supposed to be “positive” and which “negative” in such a context. It could also be dangerously confusing when working with electrical wiring, where it’s not clear whether you’re talking about polarity or connector type! 😲 The male and female connector designations come from nature and are unambiguously understood. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/144 "2021-01-05T14:39:47Z")
That would make electronics and electrical work more confusing, not less. OK, I insert the positive into the negative on the positive wire and the reverse for the negative. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/145 "2021-01-05T14:44:48Z")
Also, 24 k of g in a pfd. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/146 "2021-01-05T17:58:41Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > In my view, positive and negative have several specific meanings, and none of them denote anything in any way related to the physical form of anything. Positive: sticking out/convex, negative: pushed in/concave. Simple and intuitive. The male/female is a reference to genitalia and is even called “gender”, which I guarantee will someday be changed as people take offense. And I wouldn’t blame someone for being offended either. As a society we don’t define gender by genitalia anymore, or shouldn’t. And I don’t see people talking about the “sex” of connector either. It could also be as simple as “A” and “B” (though they kind of terminology is already used somewhat, like USB cables). Anyway I’m not trying to derail this discussion which is about acronyms. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030/147 "2021-01-05T21:02:58Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Well, it became “PIN Number”… that you’d use at “the ATM Machine.” True. Intermediately, it was the redundant PIN number, but I mostly hear just PIN these days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pwua-people-who-use-acronyms-and-terms-they-assume-people-will-know-spoiler-they-dont/839030.md?page=7)