# What is a "op"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634 "2002-12-18T19:57:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/1 "2002-12-18T19:57:41Z")
I was wondering… Argh, I think I’m the only poster who doesn’t know what it means… ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/2 "2002-12-18T19:59:19Z")
Original poster ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/3 "2002-12-18T20:11:35Z")
Or (at least in my mind) it can also mean “Original Post”. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/4 "2002-12-18T20:14:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmileyDeath \* > \*\*I was wondering… > Argh, I think I’m the only poster who doesn’t know what it means… \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/5 "2002-12-18T20:30:00Z")
Op? can mean opportunity (photo op) operative (co-op) operated (coin-op, as in laundry machine) optical (op art) opposite (op-ed = opposite editorial) opus (op cit = opere citato, in the work cited) Thank you [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/6 "2002-12-18T20:38:35Z")
Op smash? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/7 "2002-12-18T20:42:25Z")
Maybe “op” refers to that kid from _The Andy Griffith Show_. …or Ocean Pacific, even… …those corduroy shorts were soooo cool back in the day! ---
**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:** [December 18, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/8 "2002-12-18T20:43:17Z")
It’s also short for channel operator in the context of Internet Relay Chat, and operative in the context of Dashiell Hammett stories. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/9 "2002-12-18T21:09:13Z")
Operation (Covert Op) Operational (non-op) ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/10 "2002-12-18T21:32:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*It’s also short for channel operator in the context of Internet Relay Chat, and operative in the context of Dashiell Hammett stories. \*\* Yep. “The Continental Op” was one of my favorites of his books. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/11 "2002-12-18T22:35:46Z")
Ron Howard in Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![PolskiKing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@PolskiKing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PolskiKing)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/12 "2002-12-18T22:52:33Z")
sumtimes abreiviation for osteopathic ---
**Author:** ![BKABBY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@BKABBY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BKABBY)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/13 "2002-12-19T00:08:24Z")
I always thought op-ed was opinion-editoral, signifying that it could be either of the 2 (don’t really know the difference between them, but I’m guessing one’s by anybody, and one’s by the editor, hence “editorial”). So, anyway, op = opinion in my book. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/14 "2002-12-19T00:28:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BKABBY \* > \*\*I always thought op-ed was opinion-editoral, signifying that it could be either of the 2 (don’t really know the difference between them, but I’m guessing one’s by anybody, and one’s by the editor, hence “editorial”). So, anyway, op = opinion in my book. \*\* When I went into the newspaper game, op-ed was indeed what you stated; the “opinion/editorial” page, but lately some of the shining lights in business have come out with “op-ed” meaning “opposite” the “editorial” page - or non-paper sponsored opinions often running on the page facing the editorial page. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/15 "2002-12-19T00:35:25Z")
[hijack] It took me a while to realize what SO meant. Is it a doper thing or is it an American thing to refer to your better half as SO? [/hijack] Smiley - I don’t think any of us [when we were new] knew what an OP was. I know it as Original Post (not original poster) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/16 "2002-12-19T00:38:52Z")
Also, I am on my 1035th post (this one) and I still don’t quite know how to take criticism. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/17 "2002-12-19T01:34:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*[hijack] It took me a while to realize what SO meant. Is it a doper thing or is it an American thing to refer to your better half as SO? > > [/hijack] > \*\* I don’t know if it’s a stictly US thing, but it’s a lot more widespread than the Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/18 "2002-12-19T01:45:54Z")
In tech jargon, “op” can also mean operation in the sense of a single change in CPU state (which can be several instructions). For instance, a “no-op” means an instruction that takes up at least one CPU cycle, but doesn’t actually do anything. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/19 "2002-12-19T02:10:16Z")
SO is a way of saying `whoever you feel special things for' without assuming anything about the sexual orientation or marital status of the audience. It simply means `significant other’. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634/20 "2002-12-19T08:21:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\*without assuming anything about the sexual orientation or marital status _of the audience._ \*\* (italics mine) Say again? 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-op/143634.md?page=2)