TLAs
In the last few days, during the course of day-to-day work, I’ve come across a whole load of new TLAs - that is, Three Letter Acronyms - and I thought it might be high time to collect the whole set, so here are the beginnings of my A to Z of TLAs. Do feel free to teach me some more…
A - ASM = Assistant Stage Manager {courtesy of Moblogger OJ and the BBC} or AFP = Advertiser Funded Programming or ACL = Anterior Cruciate Ligament (which footballers damage just when they are most needed) {courtesy of Paul Chappel} or ATV = Automated Transfer Vehicle [launched by the ESA (= European Space Agency) in March 08 bound for the ISS (International Space Station)] or = Appointment to View {courtesy of Hideous Productions}
B - BNC = Bayonet Nut Connector (”y’know, the locking connectors like what you use to join co-ax together”) {courtesy of Mat} or BFF = Best Friend Forever {courtesy of Lisa Devaney} or BOF = Beurre Oeufs Fromage [a blackmarketeer in wartime occupied France - read in Murder in the Marais by Carla Black] or BBC = Bucks Boarding Centre {sticker on the tube today 11.1.08} or BAA= British Animation Awards {4mations} or BRB = be right back
C - CTA = Call to action {courtesy of Adam Preloaded} or CSF = Comic Sans FTypingerror / Cerebro-Spinal Fluid {courtesy of Mobloggers Seaneeboy and Hildegard} or CPF= Close Personal Friend {Mojo - used with irony i.e. celebs/musos you don’t really know properly but pretend you do} or CPR = Courtesy Professionalism Respect {NYPD} or CDO = Collateralized Debt Obligations [what made Goldman Sachs even richer this year - i.e. dumping them] or CBT = Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy or Computer-based Training (so if you do an online course you could find yourself doing CBT CBT) or CSF = Cheltenham Science Festival (where we recently filmed Richard Dawkins speaking on Charles Darwin)
D - DOG = Digital On-screen Graphic [those watermarky things on the corner of on-line video and digital tv channels] or DTO = Download to Own {courtesy of Gareth RDF} or DIC = Dubai International Capital [who want to dic about with Liverpool FC] / Death is Coming [medical term] or DSS = Dinosaur Space Service [Astrosaurs] or Dgl = Donegal {courtesy of Maura Logue of Ballyshannon} or D2T = Direct to Tribe ["marketingspeak - not 1 to 1, not 1 to many, but 1 to some"] {courtesy of Technokitten} or DCD = Digital Cinema Distribution {courtesy of UK Media Desk}
E - EOF = End Of File {courtesy of Mat} or EDP = Education Projects {Pirate, heart of the Kafkaesque bureaucracy of Channel 4 commissioning} or EAB = Education Advisory Board {courtesy of Channel 4 Education - some lovely peeps involved}
F - FRO = fuck right off (as in “I’m going to FRO now” rather than as a term of abuse - courtesy of Cowbite) or FFS = for fuck’s sake
G - GSM = Global System for Mobile communications {courtesy of Alfie Dennen} or GEH = Gormley Event Horizon {courtesy of Billy Liar} or GCT = Grand Central Terminal {courtesy of Bronx Elf} or GIB = Government Investigation Bureau {Zac Power} or GTA = Greater Toronto Area {encountered by chance in the Facebook Group ‘Single Muslims looking for their Soulmate in the GTA’} or GOK = God Only Knows [commonly used on doctors' notes - from The Guardian: Medical Shorthand 8.2.08]
H - HRD = Human Resource Development {courtesy of Practical Psychologist} or HEI = Higher Education Institution or HoF = House of Fraser (as in “I’m nipping out to HOF”) {courtesy of Alma Demirdzic & Lizzy Keene} or HLC = Hideous Lady’s Cardigan {Nationwide TV ad} or HFR = Horseferry Road or HON = Health on the Net {courtesy of MedicineChest Ltd} or HTH = hope that helps
I - ITB = Invitation to Bid {courtesy of the UN via Practical Psychologist} or ITT = Invitation to Tender {courtesy of Mike Flood Page of Illumina Digital} or ICT = (no, not the dull one but) Inverness Caledonian Thistle (the northerly football team) or IBS = Irritable Bowel Syndrome {Embarrassing Illnesses online, Maverick TV}
J - JIT = Just in Time or JLC = Justin Lee Collins {courtesy of Top Gear}
K - KPS = Kosovo Police School {courtesy of Practical Psychologist} or KTN = Knowledge Transfer Network {courtesy of TSB courtesy of DTI}
L - LDM = Life Defining Moment {courtesy of Practical Psychologist from his new book} or LGR = London Greek Radio (coming to you live&direct from North Finchley) or LSD = Light Space and Drawers [from Skins, when Chris was learning the ropes as a trainee estate agent] or LBD = Little Black Dress or LOL = laugh out loud or LCT = Luxury Car Tuning {courtesy of spam} or LTS = Long Term Solution {courtesy of Daily Networker}
M - MPU = Media Placement Unit [i knew what they were - flat ad spaces within the editorial content of websites - but had never heard what it stood for] or MSM = Mainstream (offline) Media or MDC = Movement for Democratic Change [who probably should be running Zimbabwe at this point] and Milk Development Council or MPT = Movement Poise Thrill {courtesy of Body Data Space} or MTS = Medium Term Solution {courtesy of Daily Networker}
N - NTK = No to Knives {courtesy of Royal Armouries} or Need to Know {courtesy of Dave Green} or NGA = Next Generation Access {Broadband Stakeholders’ Group} or NCA = News and Current Affairs {courtesy of Jon Rowlands, Renegade Pictures} or NQR = Not Quite Right [commonly used on doctors' notes - from The Guardian: Medical Shorthand 8.2.08] or NFI - no fucking idea
O - ORT = Oxford Reading Tree {courtesy of Mr O’Shannessy, Our Lady of Muswell School AKA OLM) or OMG = Oh my god! or OBL = Osama Bin Laden (the Osama but not an Osama) or OSS = Office of Strategic Services [formerly COI = Central Office of Information, at the time of FDR - Philip Kerr: Hitler's Peace]
P - PPC = Pay per Click [I heard it used by a marketeer this afternoon to mean paid for search on web search engines - when I asked, it took her a good few seconds to remember what the letters actually stood for] or PFJ = People’s Front of Judaea {courtesy of Practical Psychologist} or PWD = Public Works Department {courtesy of Empire’s Children} or PSP = Public Service Publisher (if you’re Ofcom, and something more straightforward that fits in your pocket if you’re an everyday mortal) or PQQ = Pre-qualification Questionnaire {courtesy of Mike Flood Page of Illumina Digital} or PVT = Public Value Test {BBC} or PDI = previous disco injury ["occurs in persons over 40" - courtesy of Maura Logue]
Q
R - RSM = Resident Sergeant Major {courtesy of Practical Psychologist} or RFP = Request for Proposals {courtesy of Alfred in Prague} or RSA = Regional Screen Agency (Royal Society for the Arts/Ridley Scott Associates) or RFO = Regularly Funded Organisations {courtesy of the Arts Council via Mike Smith of Carbon Media} or RMU = Retail Merchandising Unit {Make Your Mark in the Mall}
S - SWA = Site Wide Applications, after first 4 years of development became WCL {courtesy Channel 4 New Media} or SNS = Social Network Service/Site {courtesy of Matt Locke} or SPV = Special Purpose Vehicle - meaning a not-for-profit organisation {courtesy of Caroline Norbury of South-West Screen} or SPV = Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle {Captain Scarlet} or SIV = Special Investment Vehicle {mentioned on Radio 4 by Niall Ferguson, Harvard Professor of History and presenter of the Channel 4 series Empire} or SSO = Single Sign On {BBC - courtesy of Azka Malik} or SSI = Single Sign In {Channel 4 - courtesy of Azka Malik} or SPD = Space Patrol Delta {courtesy of Finlay Gee, age 5} or SLT = Science Lecture Theatre {unearthed by renowned archaeologist Nick Golson} or SIV = Simian Immunodeficiency Virus {courtesy of Chris & Xand van Tulleken, the Medicine Men} or SDM = Sustainable Defence Mechanism {courtesy of Practical Psychologist from UNFCCC, the UN Climate Change agency} or SID = Sound Inner Dialogue {courtesy of Practical Psychologist and his Assertiveness training know-how} or Seismic Intruder Device {courtesy of Sebasian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming in Devil May Care aka DMC} or SOE = Special Operations Executive {courtesy of Les Femmes de l’Ombre/Female Agents} or Society of Operations Engineers [professional engineering membership organisation promoting career development in road transport, plant engineering or engineer surveying, and light on gorgeous French actresses] or STS = Short Term Solution {courtesy of Daily Networker}
T - TDC = Thinly Disguised Contempt {courtesy of Technokitten} or TML = Trans Manche Link {courtesy of Practical Psychologist} or TLC = (no, not what you think) Taxi and Limousine Authority {New York City} or TSB = Technology Strategy Board {offspring of another TLA, the DTI, which is now an FLA} or TLD = Top Level Domain or or TLR = Two-legged Rat [commonly used on doctors' notes to indicate experimental/extreme treatment - from The Guardian: Medical Shorthand 8.2.08] or TSE = Testicular Self-examination (thanks for the leaflet Una, TS Eliot must be turning in his grave) or TBH = To be honest {courtesy of Cowbite - “less pompous than imho” ihho} or TPT = Tara Palmer-Tomkinson [how many people are TLAs?] or TBL = Tim Berners Lee {courtesy of Stuart Cosgrove} or TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury {courtesy of Gary Trudeau as he addresses the issue of Iraq}
U - UNV = United Nations Volunteers {courtesy of Practical Psychologist} or URL = Uniform Resource Locator [not a directory of army tailors but the most oft used TLA of which no-one cares about the long form] or UBI = Unexplained Beer Injury [commonly used on doctors' notes - from The Guardian: Medical Shorthand 8.2.08]
V - VFM = Value for Money {courtesy of Paul Deane at Aardman}
W - WCL = Web Component Library {courtesy Channel 4 New Media} or WRL = Work-related Learning {Skillset} or WTC = World Trade Centre {as in Man on Wire} or WTF = What the fuck!
X - XRF = X-ray florescence {courtesy of Practical Psychologist}
Y - YSL = Yves Saint Laurent (until something more useful comes along)
Z - ZPL = Zero-error Probabilistic Logarithmic space {courtesy of Mat} (not too useful in my world but I think with Z it’s probably a case of beggars can’t be choosers)
So the plan is to add to this list as I come across the little darlings.
Update 4.xii.07: As these little fellas (TLFs) multiply I’ve decided to give a bold award to the ones I most like
My god, I’m a trainer. I’ve probably got one for each letter.
SOB. Son of a bitch
Come on, Practical, lob us a few more technical ones
MMO - Massive Multiplayer Online
I meant more from your realm of activity. What about all that UN stuff - they must have some juicy ones?
KPS - Kosovo Police School
UNV - United Nations Volunteers
LDV - Leyland Daf Vans
RFU - Rugby Football Union
LPK - Kosovo Popular Movement (translated from Albanian!)
TML - Trans Manche Link
RSM - Resident Sargeant Major
The french love their initials - especially when a large committee gets involved. The newly re-opened Beziers airport isn’t just called ‘Beziers airport’. It is:
The airport of Beziers and Cap D’agde in the Languedoc’ Or ABCDL. I think. You should see their rugby clubs. Bordeaux for example are BBASCGH (or something like that). Don’t ask me what it means. And they are all like that. When you look through the results they don’t print the town name they stick all the initials down instead and it takes half an to work them out. Biarritz is thankfully short - BO - Biarritz Olympique.
Some nice ones there, thanks PP, worthy of The List
IRA - Irish Republican Army
FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
PFJ - People’s Front of Judaea (thanks to Monty Python)
NWA - Niggaz Without Attitude
ELP = Emerson, Lake and Palmer
HRD - Human Resource Development (this one should be banned. As Tom Peters said: ‘I have met plenty of human beings before but I have never met a human resource’
SGB - Scaffolding Great Britain
IMF - International Monetary Fund
Thanks, for those - have added my favourites. Peters is right about HR - what a cold, calculated phrase. Weirdly enough, just bought a DVD of Life of Brian this evening on my way back through Euston to show the enfants terribles (to supplement their Catholic education).
I think this site may prove useful in your quest: http://www.acronymfinder.com/
That’s cheating!
Got any other juicy ones for me beside CTA?
NWA is Niggaz With Attitude. The idea of NWA without the A is pretty funny. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.W.A.
Some others, to fill your gaps:
BNC - Bayonet Nut Connector (y’know, the locking connectors like what you use to join co-ax together)
EOF - End Of File
ELO - Electric Light Orchestra.
FAA - Federal Aviation Authority
ICE - In Car Entertainment
JLA - Justice League of America
LRF - Leukemia Research Fund (or, and I prefer this one - Little Rubber Feet)
QED - “quot erat demonstrandum”, or Quantum ElectroDynamics
VPL - Visible Panty Line!
XDR - eXtended Dynamic Range (an attempt to make audio cassettes sound good)
ZPL - Zero-error Probabilistic Logarithmic space
Thanks, Mat, a goodly selection, most eclectic, I’m going to pick out the plums
Been musing about the NWA thing - wouldn’t NWA without the A still be NWA? (Niggaz without Attitude)? or is that the point? :-~
Aha, I have another one for you… TDC. Retail staff often suffer from this affliction. It’s as common as the common cold, especially at busy times of year, and especially prevalent in high end fashion stores if you’re not dressed in *quite* the right way. What is this terrible affliction? It’s Thinly Disguised Contempt.
Top class, Technokitten, straight onto TOL (the ol’ list)
ITB - Invitation To Bid (used in UN quite a bit)
TLS - Times Literary Supplement
LDM - Life Defining Moment (as featured in my last book)
SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder
Thanks PP, another interesting batch. Presumably ITBs and RFPs are closely related?
You need an ‘X’, here is one:
XRF - X-Ray Flouresence
You’re going to have to spell that right before I put that in
And what is it anyway?
florescence
My advanced knowledge of physics (or is it chemistry? or biology even?) suggests it is the light thrown out at the moment that the x-ray photograph is taken. Do we know any scientists between us? Or have they all moved abroad?
A couple of others:
VSO - Voluntary Services Overseas
MSF - Medecins Sans Frontieres
PP, the X spot is all yours
PP, talking of KPS, interesting developments in Kosovo right now as you predicted…
It is indeed a seminal moment. I hope to be there at the end of March but I would love to be there now. Right now. Did I tell you about the time I was running a training course at the Ombudsperson’s Office in Pristina and there was a demo outside with guns going off?
I expect Serbia to be offered fast track EU membership as a softener but it may look more to Russia. Very difficult to know. Long term I think that Kosovo will be sucked into Albania. But I expect a Serbian terrorist group to establish itself at some point.
SFF? SRA?
[...] (4) My grandfather worked for Picture Post (I have a lovely photo of him at work just across the room now taken by Thurston Hopkins) - he was a VSP (Very Special Person - just made that up but you can’t have too many Three Letter Acronyms) [...]
[...] of decorative foliage from me so never had the pleasure of engaging with her beyond admiring her LBD+ (second only to Joanna Lumley’s flowing tangerine Grecian [...]
SID
Sound Inner Dialogue
For those preparing to be assertive.
ECB
European Central Bank
YSL (you need one)
Yves Saint Laurent
SDM - Sustainable Defence Mechanism.
From UNFCCC - the UN Climate change agency based in Bonn.
Ta, duly noted. Would love to find a Y or X that’s actually useful
TBH - to be honest
IMO - in my opinion
BRB - be right back
HTH - hope that helps
FRO - fuck right off (as in “I’m going to FRO now” rather than as a term of abuse.)
FFS - for fuck’s sake
NFI - no fucking idea
LOL - laugh out loud
I clearly spend more time than is healthy chatting online
Ah, we were light on The F Word - how very C4 of you!
I’ll incorporate these up top when I have a mo later
you can generally count on me to lower the tone
[...] WTF’s he talking about? 2gether [...]
I have a ‘y’ one for you. YIF means ‘yours in friendship’ and is used to sign off emails in groups like Ladies Circle and Girlguiding UK.