Over-reliance on TLA's makes me PDP!!

[MeGustaXL]

I *know* that in the technical world it is essential that we abbreviate some things to Three Letter Acronyms (TLAs - geddit?) but when I hear some Goon spouting a sentence composed almost entirely of TLA's I have to say "STOP! what does 'PDQ' mean?" I get sighs, groans, and looks that imply "I'm wasting time - let's get on with it".

It makes me Pretty Darned Pee'd, so I'd appreciate some advice on how to get these people to SIO for once.

SIO: [white]Spell It Out[/white]

Chris

I must only use this power to annoy! - Bart Simpson, aka Stretch Dude

 

[LadySlinger]

From my experience the people that have that reaction either don't know what they're talking about or have a mental imbalance where they think they are next to God (maybe from playing too many games in God-like mode).

Anyways, it tends to be confusing, especially when you cross over into other areas outside of IT. Sometimes acronyms cross paths and may mean one thing in one industry, but may totally be different in another industry.

Think of it like learning a second language

 

[MeGustaXL]

In all truth, the Engineering ones are my (almost) first language - it's the Go-Get-Em new management buzzword gobbledegook that gets on my thingies!

Someone gets sent on a £1500-a-week management course with a Japanese-sounding name and comes back with all kinds of new plans for an already-smooth turning wheel! Grrr!



Chris

I must only use this power to annoy! - Bart Simpson, aka Stretch Dude

 

[DirkStruan]

I read the above and a scene from Good Morning Vietnam sprung to mind - must watch that again.

Anyway...just start making up your own when you speak to them (possibly on the spot) or, make a list of the ones they use and give them other meanings and keep asking them to confirm what they do mean - perhaps that would be a Pretty Daft Question

Alternatively, if you are integral to their plans, tell them (politely) to please refrain from using abbreviations or else it will be a case of AMF-YOYO. One version is Adiós My Friend, You're On Your Own - you may be able to think up your own variations.



Dirk

Everything useful perishes through use....Should I not rejoice at being useless?

 

[SQLBill]

Pull out a pocket dictionary....riffle through the pages. Give the person a puzzled look and say "those acronyms aren't in my dictionary....if you tell me what they mean, I'll add them in"

-SQLBill

Posting advice: FAQ481-4875

 

[Kozusnik]

Good Morning Vietnam -
"Seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT 'cause if it leaks to the VC he could end up MIA and we'd all be put on KP."

I love that!!!

Mark

 

[DirkStruan]

That was the scene. Brilliant!

Dirk

Everything useful perishes through use....Should I not rejoice at being useless?

 

[Ed2020]

Without wanting to be pedantic most of the examples quoted are not acronyms as they are not pronounced as words....

Ok, I do mean to be pedantic.

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[DirkStruan]

Here's Websters definition.

Main Entry: ac·ro·nym
Pronunciation: 'a-kr&-"nim
Function: noun
Etymology: acr- + -onym
: a word (as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation (as FBI) formed from initial letters : INITIALISM

So I would have to say that they are Initialisms (or whatever), but this seems to be a subset of acronyms, therefore they are acronyms by extension. Pedantic? Definitely! ;-)

 

[Ed2020]

Fowler's disagrees. Although in everyday usage initialisms are sometimes referred to as acronyms, this is not strictly correct.

Anyway, apologies for the off-topic post!

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[MeGustaXL]

Hmmm... yeah the "manager-de-gook" ones are mostly abbreviations, but the ones I'm familiar with from aviation technology are usually pronounced as words: HUD, GIT, WOW, and of course, FAT. Hence I call 'em all TLA's


Chris

I must only use this power to annoy! - Bart Simpson, aka Stretch Dude

 

[aarenot]

call him an eye dee ten tea

id10t

or tell him he has made an id10t error in using all of these abbreviations. and he should not ass/u/me everyone uses all of these abbrevs.

 

[MeGustaXL]

call him an eye dee ten tea

Love it!

I could call him a nine-hundred enn as well - 900N ~ goon

Chris

I must only use this power to annoy! - Bart Simpson, aka Stretch Dude

 

[lerdalt]

I'm new to this forum, but I can really relate to this topic. LadySlinger made a point about sometimes the acronyms cross paths when you get outside of a technical world. I work in an information technology department of a health care organization. I think IT has a lot of acronyms, but I its gets really confusing with all the medical acronyms PLUS, the corporate offices come up with MORE acronyms based on other projects and initiatives going one.

THEN just to top it off, I have a coworker constantly used acronyms when he is talking to people. Seems like he does it even more when he is dealing with the non-techy people. Don't know if he does it to make himself seem like he knows what he's talking about or not. But I then later get asked questions like "what is RTFM?" At least I've learned to explain what the acronyms are to people, and they are then willing to come to me for help, because I talk in english.

 

[KornGeek]

call him an eye dee ten tea

Be careful with this one. Many people know what it means by now.

 

[SaishuHeiki]

Here is fun... try working IT in the Army. The US military has its own linguistic subset of the English language, formed primarily of TLAs.

I know that when I left the Army, I still spoke in Army-ese and people would just stare at me until I realized that they had no clue what I was saying.

It is easier for an intellegent person to "play dumb" than for an unintellegent person to "play smart". - gbaughma