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Usenet Abbreviations and Acronyms.

Much more comprehensive references than this page can be found elsewhere.

Abbreviations

Dnt abrv8 2 much - although well-known acronyms or abbreviations are, IMHO, good.

In plain text, the _underscore_ may be used for underlining, the /solidus/ for italics, and the *asterisk* for bold-face.

I use these abbreviations from time to time :-

loc cit

the location previously cited

over-quote

The act of superfluously quoting all previous material, rather than just what remains germane; commonly combined with top-posting.

plonk

the action of kill-ruling an author, so that one no longer sees his or her newsgroup postings

sig

signature (at the foot of a News/Mail article)

Sig, SigSep

Signature [Separator] - minus minus space

top-post

The act of illogically putting reply text before previous, quoted material; commonly combined with overquoting.

Acronyms

Well-known acronym lists include :-

• Tootka (tootka = Terms One Ought To Know About) is an old list of acronyms: FTP demon.txt;
• Another, vast, list is at HTTP umd.edu.
• An online computer dictionary can be found at Imperial College (?), London.
• And see FYI18 (do I mean FYI28?)
• Mark Bradford's "Frequently Seen Space/Astronomy Acronyms" : regularly posted in news:news.answers, and on the Web at surly.org.
• A Google search for multiple acronyms is likely to find lists of them.

I also use these acronyms from time to time :-

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act (or similar)

AKOF

Another Kettle Of Fish

AISB

As I Said Before

ATSR

As The Service Required

BRF

Barney Rubble Format (YYYYDDMM; cf. FFF)

DDA

Disability Discrimination Act, UK

DDF

Daft Date Format - e.g. DMY (use YMD)

DSS

Duff Signature Separator (a line exactly "-- " is needed)

E&OE

Errors and Omissions Excepted

EFL

English as a Foreign Language

ETLA

Extended TLA

FFF

Fred Flintstone Format (MM/DD/YYYY) (not my invention)

FFU

Fred Flintstone Units (non-Metric) (ditto)

FIPS

Federal Information Processing Standard (US Gov't)

FNF

File Not Found - and where has it gone to?

FOAQ

Fairly Often Asked Question

FTMN

Far Too Many Newsgroups

FU

Follow Up ...

GIYF

Google Is Your Friend

HHTWHT

Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves

HLL

High-Level Language

IAEFRTI

If All Else Fails Read The Instructions

IAEFRTM

If All Else Fails Read The Manual

IANAE

I Am Not An Expert (Lawyer, ...)

IICCC

If I Can Count Correctly

ISTM

It Seems To Me (said not in Tootka!)

IYHO

In Your Humble Opinion

Jsc

JavaScript (JS gets mistaken for my initials)

KETFOB

Kindly Emulate The Fabled Oozlum Bird - Wikipedia

KOWTGW

Keep On With The Good Work

LCT

Local Civil Time

LHI

Lord Howe Island (Tasman Sea; has 30 min Summer Time Offset)

MC&HNY

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

mFAQ

mini-FAQ, meta-FAQ

NIH

Not Invented Here

OED

Oxford English Dictionary (and SOD, COD, LOD)

OP

Original Post/Poster

OTTH

On The Third Hand (q.v. LVCN & JEP)

OTTINMODNPPSODNPDW

Of that there is no manner of doubt - No probable, possible shadow of doubt - No possible doubt whatever. 'The Gondoliers', G&S.

OUAT

Once Upon A Time

PFOWYADBYDI

Please Find Out What You Are Doing Before You Do It

PGU

Please Give URL

PINDAR

Pascal Is Not Delphi; All Remember

PKUATB, PKUATBT

Please Keep Up At The Back [There]

PoV

Point of View

QHAH

Question Here, Answer Here (Newsgroup etiquette)

QPQ

Quid Pro Quo

RBIL

Ralf Brown's Interrupt List

RBTD

Retired Brain-Transplant Donor

RBYP

Read Before You Post

RotW/RoW

Rest of the World (i.e., usually, not NA or possibly UK)

RPN

Reverse Polish Notation (operator follows operand(s))

RSVP

French for 'Please Reply'

SENDA

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act, UK

SFSG

So Far, So Good

SMOP

Simple Matter Of Programming

So1036

Son-of-RFC1036

SoRFC1036

Son-of-RFC1036

STL

Signature Too Long - courteous convention is maximum 4 lines

TBYW

Think Before You Write

TLA

Three Letter Acronym

TMA

Too Many Acronyms

TWITF

That's What It's There For

UTC&A

Uncle Tom Cobbleigh & All

VFAQ

Very Frequently Asked/Answered Question

VFCE

Very Frequently Committed Error (cf. VFAQ)

WIP

Work In Progress (e.g., but not only, Usefor)

WTMB

Whatever That May Be

XP

Cross-Post ...

YCKI

You Can Keep It

YHBW

You Have Been Warned

YKIMS

You Know It Makes Sense

YACIB

Your Apostrophe-Checker Is Broken

YDNRC

You Do Not Recall Correctly (see IIRC)

YGCIB

Your Grammar-Checker Is Broken

YSCIB

Your Spelling-Checker Is Broken

YWII

Your Wisdom Is Imperceptible/Inadequate

YWIII

Your Wisdom Is Indeed Imperceptible/Inadequate