I know, this is probably just a stupid question, but what does YMMV mean? I see it at the end of a lot of posts and I just can’t figure out what it means. I’ve deciphered a lot of the other ones IANAL- I am not a lawyer, etc. But this one is giving me fits. I’m sure as soon as I figure out what it means I’m going to feel incredibly stupid, but it’s driving me nuts. Worse than that 14 p of d thing. And if you know of any other very common but maybe slightly confusing abbreviations, list them here too. Thanks in advance.
Your Mileage May Vary
“your mileage may vary”
Not a stupid question at all. Remeber, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people. Or something like that.
yancey
wow…just wow…I had thought of that being a possible one. If it is, then I think a lot of people aren’t using it correctly. but thanks none the less.
I think most people use it correctly; YMMV, of course.
Check out the Beginner’s Guide to Glossary of Terms on Straight Dope Message Boards posted in ATMB.
It’s all about inflation. Some are overinflated, they get more mileage, but less control. 
Since we’re asked and answered, a little hijack: What do people call “mileage” in metric contries? Just something mundane like “fuel efficiency,” or do you have a cool word like “kilometerage?”
It’s still “mileage” in Australia, even though people hardly ever refer to miles for distance these days (except when talking to Americans).
Well, here (speaking in French), we use both millage and kilométrage. When using the term in a figurative sense (as done here), I’d venture to say that most people, and especially older ones, would use millage.
People here are still somewhere between the SI and imperial systems. I know temperature in Celcius (except when cooking) and distances in kilometres only. I’m more comfortable with knowing a person’s weight in pounds, although I’ll also understand kilograms, and metric units I will also use for very large and very small masses. I understand a person’s height if it is given either in feet and inches or in metres; most people here would use feet and inches. As for cooking, as I alluded to earlier, it’s still all in imperial measures, which is why I cannot really use recipes that have been written in France (and not translated).
Sorry for pursuing the hijack further.
just a litle more hijack please. Do you pronounce it Kill-oh-meter or Ki-lom-iter. I have heard many highly educated and worldly people pronounce it both ways. is there a correct way in terms of most-people-in-places-using-metric say it this way.
Sorry. Carry on.
This link will give you all you need to know about Internet Shorthand.
http://www.romulus2.com/articles/guides/shorthand/shorthand.shtml
While “kilo” is more often than not pronounced “kEE-lo” , I tend to say and hear “kill-aw-mihter” most often. Quite inconsistent, I know!
[hijack]severus - Sherbrooke, eh? It’s my home town… my parents still live there and I go down fairly often. Grab a poutine at Louis’ for me![/hijack]
We use “kilometraje” in spanish (which I am sure I don’t need to translate for you)
It can also stand for You Make Me Vomit.
As mentioned above, it’s still “mileage” for the average person, but official sources tend to use “fuel consumption” instead.
This reminds me I once heard a record of old songs converted to metric. It was quite a hoot. “A hundred and sixty kilometres, a hundred and sixty kilometres, you can hear the whistle blow a hundred and sixty kilometres.”
I like the metric system. A grew up with it, and I find it easy and logical. Gotta admit though, it’s none too romantic.
In English, what I would say would probably be “kill-ah-meehter”. With a rather short “ee”. It’s close to the way you’re pronouncing it.
I just moved here a few weeks ago to do my Ph.D. in mathematics, actually; I was living in Gatineau before. I’ll try to find that Louis, I haven’t eaten a poutine for some time actually.