acronyms and
abbreviations
free acronyms and abbreviations finder and definitions -
business, training, medical, military, technical, funny - acronyms, backronyms
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This free acronyms and abbreviations finder is a dictionary of useful
acronyms and abbreviations for training, learning, teaching, etc. This
collection is also a study in language and communications. This acronyms list
contains acronyms and abbreviations, and 'backronyms' (acronyms constructed
restrospectively to fit a word), with origins in the armed forces, healthcare,
IT and various other business and training fields, including funny lifestyle
and social acronyms and abbreviations.
The acronyms and abbreviations in this listing can therefore be used
for various purposes: for simple amusement; for finding unknown meanings; for
illustrating and emphasising points that you wish to make in training or
speaking or presentations; and for examples of how language and expressions
develop and evolve. Whatever, acronyms and abbreviations add colour and texture
to the written and spoken word, and to life in general. They are a fascinating
reflection of the development of communications, language and social
attitudes.
Strictly speaking, acronyms are words formed from the abbreviations of
others, but as you'll see, many of these acronyms aren't words at all, and even
some of the best known acronyms like LASER and RADAR have bent the acronym
rules.
Other acronyms have meanings, usually amusing and ironic, which have
been formed in reverse, ie., by starting with a word, especially a brand name,
treating it as an acronym, and finding words to fit each of the letters, for
example the acronyms ACRONYM and
YAHOO. The amusing term for these types of
acronyms is 'backronyms' (or 'bacronyms'), which is a
portmanteau word (in this
case combining the words 'back' and 'acronym'). Backronyms feature strongly in
the acronyms created from aviation and
airlines and automotive
and car make names, and in corporate name backronyms such as
DIAGEO. The device is not new, as seen in the old
GWR interpretation. Two notable and quite
different examples of bacronyms being used to positive effect are
ASDA and PIG.
acronyms and abbreviations
Acronyms, whether true acronyms or not, and abbreviations, add colour,
fun and interest to our language, and thereby they act as mnemonics, or memory
devices. Many technical and process-related acronyms and abbreviations greatly
assist in memory retention and learning.
Many acronyms and abbreviations when used properly can certainly enhance
communications, because they act as 'short-hand' and therefore increase the
efficiency of communications; in other words, more meaning is conveyed in less
time and fewer words.
Many acronyms and abbreviations are also motivational and inspirational
for training, because they contain a special theme, and because the acronym or
abbreviation itself is a mnemonic device (a memory aid). Some of these acronyms
and abbreviations originated as far back as the 1940s (notably the 2nd World
War), and a few probably the early 1900s (notably the 1st World War). Many
other abbreviations listed here are far more recent. Many older acronyms
provide fascinating examples of the development of language and changing
cultural attitudes. Latterly similar dark and cynical humour is evidenced in
the development of acronyms and abbreviations relating to the field of customer
service, especially in the contexts of IT and healthcare, for which an
additional
healthcare
acronyms listing appears below separately, due to its richness and
diversity.... Also, increasingly, lifestyle groupings and demographics profiles
are providing fertile subject matter for acronyms, and again, a separate
listing of lifestyle and
demographics acronyms appears below.
When using acronyms and abbreviations for serious and intentionally open
communications ensure that definitions and meanings are understood or
explained, or the acronym defeats its own purpose. It's advisable that if using
acronyms in reports and other important communications, such as instructions,
manuals, procedures, and training materials, you should include a glossary of
acronyms and abbreviations, which hopefully enables the audience to understand
the meanings involved.
Automotive
acronyms (actually these are 'backronyms', since they are retrospective
constructions), lifestyle/demographics profiles
acronyms and
healthcare
acronyms are listed in separate sections below. Some of these acronyms and
'backronyms' also appear with more details and explanations in the main
acronyms listing.
acronyms and abbreviations main
listing
acronyms, abbreviations, menmonics, bacronyms for learning and
amusement
A3
Any time, Any place, Anywhere. Popular texting abbreviation (ack
J Lewis). The expression actually originated from a 1960s/70s Martini TV advert
in which the song went: Any time, any place, anywhere, There's a magical world
we can share (??), It's the right one, it's the bright one, It's (Thats ?)
Martini... Other variations of lyrics following the opening line were used in
more recent years (It's a new world, Me and you girl..). Suggestions on a
postcard please as to the original words (and ad agency, composer, etc), and
later versions. The word Martini in the context of media has now assumed an
amusing additional modern meaning, referring to mobile and on-demand
communications and media, and is also used as an ironic reference to someone
exhibiting particularly flexible or pragmatic tendencies, especially
politicians who pander to views and support for personal advantage above
ethical considerations.
A2O
Apples To Oranges. Acronym to highlight any inappropriate
comparison; a modern shorthand for 'chalk and cheese'.
A2HS
Age, Build, Clothes, Distinguishing marks, Elevation, Face, Gait,
Hair, Sex. Acronym used by UK armed forces and services staff for
identifying people involved in incidents or crime.
AAA
Alive, Alert, Aggressive. One of very many triple-A acronyms.
Somewhat macho but catchy nevertheless, and not a bad rallying call for self or
team in a variety of situations (visit to the dentist, disaster de-debriefing
with scary CEO, public speaking pep-talk, etc.) Apparently originated in the
Seal Cove fishing community on Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, New
Brunswick... (Ack G Myers) And by way of extending the theme:
AAAA
Association Against Acronym Abuse. (Ack P Vallee).
ABC
Always Be Closing. Traditional selling process acronym which
emphasises the need to be continually moving the customer towards action and
agreement within sales discussions (ack T Rowe). ABC (along with ABC1) also
refers to the JICNARS demographics system of social grades
classifications.
ABCD
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. Whether this acronym
originated in the armed services is not clear. These days it is just as
applicable to the civilian work environment, and particularly the need to
ensure a healthy work-life-balance. A reminder also for all managers and
corporations that people who go the extra mile, beyond normal expectations, are
to be treasured and suitably rewarded, not exploited. (ack T Rowe)
Abbreviated Coded Rendition Of Name Yielding Meaning. Fine
example of the 'backronym' art and very apt
for near top of the list. Great for dinner parties and smart-asses. (Ack. Ralph
Johnston.)
Absurdly Contrived Representations Of Names Yielding Mass
Stupefication. As above.. (Ack A Brady)
ACORN
A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods. Acronym for the
CACI Ltd research organization's system of demographics classifications, used
for consumer marketing in the UK.
More
about ACORN and other demographics classifications. In the US, ACORN also
stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now,
which claims to be the USA's largest community organization representing
low-income and moderate-income families, "...working together for social
justice and stronger communities..."
Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation. The
process of innovation, any field at all. Deviate from it at your peril. (Ack.
Don Clark)
AEIOU
DDD
Apoplexy, Epilepsy, Injury, Opium or other drugs, Uraemia, Dead Drunk
and Diabetes. Medical acronym and useful mnemonic for remembering the
different possible diagnoses of unconsciousness. (Ack Dr Duffield)
Another Flipping Learning Opportunity. A big mistake or onerous
task. (Ack JC)
AFOL
All Fine On Leaving. (ODSA) Nurses abbreviation on patient notes.
Ask For The Order. The 'psychological imperative' and one of the
most important rules of selling, despite which, millions of sales people
usually forget it.
AGA
Acute Gravity Attack. (ODSA) In other words, the patient fell
over, from Nova Scotia orthopaedics and no doubt used elsewhere. See also PAFO.
(Ack KP)
AHOYA
Asshole Of The Year Award. From the consumer electrical equipment
repair industry, although widely applicable elsewhere. An amusing acronym which
all decent folk can privately enjoy when faced with irrational, threatening,
anti-social behaviour and those exhibiting it, be they ignorant customers,
bullying bosses, or aggressive next-door-neighbours, etc. (ack PM Christian)
Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. If your sales, advertising
or any effort designed to motivate others to action doesn't follow this
sequence it won't succeed. Also extended version AIDCA - the 'C' is for
Commitment or Conviction (on the part of the customer or audience). Also known
as the Hierarchy of Effects, but HOE doesn't have quite the same ring as
AIDA.
AKA
Also Known As. An remarkable acronym that's now so well
established that it's virtually become a word, and certainly requires no
reference to the original source words to be immediately understood. Aka is
truly up there with the all-time great acronyms like radar, scuba, quango and
yuppie.
A Kick Up The Arse. Motivational method of debatable value and
limited use, rarely well timed or utilized (see the
Aristotle quote about anger). In
any event AKUTA is generally more effective when self-administered.
Always Listen First. Obviously great for training sessions
generally, also counselling, customer service, selling, etc, and relationships
overall. (Ack. M Booth)
ALITALIA
Airplane Lands In Turin And Luggage In Ancona. Air travel acronym
(strictly speaking a 'backronym' or
'bacronym') for those frustrating lost luggage moments. The metaphor is
universal of course, although there would be certain destinations that could
substitute and fit perfectly: Turkey, Tangiers, Australia, Alaska, etc. (Ack M
Janes) Alternative meaning Always Late In Take-off Always Late In
Arrival (Ack Chin). N.B. No offence intended towards Alitalia organization
- these terms are generic and for comment on air travel experiences in general.
More aviation acronyms are in the airlines acronyms list.
A Learning Opportunity. Generally something you'd rather not do
that someone else has decided will be 'good for you'... (Ack. JC)
All Mouth And Trousers. Acronym version of an old English
expression. See also BHNC.
AOX3
Alert, Oriented times 3 (person, place, time). Nurses' and
doctors shorthand used on patients' notes; this acronym transfers especially
well to training sessions, to highlight the characteristics of someone fully
alert and aware (and paying attention to the tutor). See also MEGO.
All-Points Bulletin. The classic USA police alert, as featured at
least fifty times in every single episode of Hawaii Five-O, Cagney and Lacey,
Kojak, Starsky and Hutch....
Attentive, Peripheral, Empathic. The three main types of
listening. Empathic listening is the skill of understanding meaning and motive
in another's words, a considerably powerful ability.
Annualised Revenues Per User. ARPU is a favourite and fundamental
financial measure used by the big consumer services corporations, especially
the massive global corporations in the broadcast, telephony and internet
sectors. ARPU basically represents the average sales or billing value that the
corporation is able to extract from each customer in a year. ARPU in the
collective and inter-related markets of telephony, entertainment, information,
internet connectivity and broadcast is likely to be threatened by the
progressive development and availability of free or low-cost technology and
content, the growth of which is arguably bound to squeeze the life out of some
very large traditional profit-driven corporations now caught between two
irresistible market forces: at one end by the free user-based content enabled
by the world wide web, and at the other end by free broadband connectivity (and
subsequent technologies) enabled by local and national schemes to establish
free high-speed big-capacity 'wi-fi' access for everyone, on the basis that
such infrastructure is vital for local and national competitiveness. This
battle for control of content and internet distribution - now under way - will
become one of the defining global issues of the modern age.
ART
Assuming Room Temperature. Paramedic term for the condition of a
patient when all hope is gone, ie., dead. Technically only a physician can
declare someone dead, so the paramedics use this acronym to get around the
protocol, not least when absence of life would be obvious to even a blind
gerbil. In this context, 'assuming room temperature' means that since the
patient is dead their body is no longer regulating its own temperature and
instead is 'assuming the temperature of the ambient'. (Ack T Easton)
Age, Site, Depth, Area. This acronym illustrates the immensely
useful aspect of the acronym as a teaching and communications device, aside
from its value as a branding method. First, ASDA is memorable because it is the
name of the UK supermarket chain, now owned by Walmart, but named ASDA in 1965
via the contraction of 'Asquith and Dairies' (not Associated Dairies, as
commonly believed). The alternative recent 'bacronym' interpretation is a very clever
technical healthcare acronym (ack Paul) used in emergency assessment of burns
victims, devised by the Specialist Burns Unit at Whiston Hospital in
Merseyside, used by the Merseyside Regional Ambulance service and no doubt
elsewhere too. Age = age of patient; Site = where on the body; Depth = depth in
mm or superficial/partial thickness/full thickness (redlining of
skin/blister/all skin damaged charred); and Area = area of burn, usually given
as a percentage of body area according to the ingenious 'rule of nines', a
methodology based on proportions, because people are different sizes. The 'rule
of nines' divides the body into eleven sections: head, chest, abdomen, upper
and lower back, each arm, each thigh and each lower leg. Each section
represents 9% of total body area. The balancing 1% is reserved for the
genitals, which arguably would constitute the greatest emergency burn of them
all. In one acronym we see many different aspects of how we use language and
systems to enhance understanding, awareness and procedures. Fascinating.
ASK
Activity, Skills, Knowledge. Super acronym for training and
development, especially sales and account management, since these three
components are essential for success and productive performance. Arguably the
order should be Knowledge, Skills, Activity, as this would be the order of
training, but 'SKA' doesn't have quite the same ring. Alternative
interpretation especially for roles where activity is reactive rather than
proactively motivated, can be Attitude, Skills, Knowledge. (Ack RC)
Always Stating The Really Obvious. Various uses at work and play.
Similar to calling a person 'Captain Obvious', which is very amusing as well.
See also STBO. (Ack D)
ATNA
All Talk No Action. See also BHNC.
Absent Without Leave. Military acronym, which implied a few days
in the punishment block for the absconder when apprehended, the expression is
now well established in life generally and applied to any missing, lost or
wandered-off person or item causing breach of rules or mere inconvenience. An
alternative meaning (ack A Gow) of AWOL applies in the healthcare
industry as an abbreviation on patients' notes: All Well On Leaving.
Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive. First aiders training acronym
used in casualty assessment, relating to a victim's level of response: A means
Alert; V means responds to Voice; P means responds to Pain; U means
Unresponsive, (ack G Chamberlain). AVPU is a descending scale of brain state in
which 'alert' is the highest level of conscious control and awareness, down to
'unresponsive', which is effectively unconscious or worse. When a casualty's
condition moves down the AVPU scale this logically signifies a deepening affect
on the brain. If anyone knows who devised the AVPU acronym please
tell me. And while not a first-aid or
life-threatening matter, the AVPU acronym might also be used as an interesting
and amusing reference point in discussing or illustrating the 'fight or fight'
unconscious reaction experienced in highly stressful situations such as public
speaking, in which the higher levels or outer layers of the brain are
temporarily shut down or over-ridden by the deeper parts of the brain
associated with fundamental survival and bodily function.
Away With The Fairies. Medical/healthcare acronym from the ODSA
stable. No longer politically correct in the clinical arena, this term is used
on notes or charts to denote a patient who is in a confused or demented state.
Doctors and nurses should use with extreme care, if at all, as it has become
commonly known in recent years and relatives tend to get a little miffed.
Having said which, the term is perfectly apt in the boardroom or shop floor if
referring to senile old directors grimly hanging on to their old fashioned
notions, as well as their dead men's shoes. (Ack Richard Beard)
B2B
Business To Business. Widely used business- and marketing-speak,
describing a trading model where a business supplies other businesses.
B2C is logially therefore Business To Consumer; B2G
is Business To Government, and then it gets really silly:
B2E is Business To Everybody; B2A is Business To
Anybody; and B2B2C is Business To Business To Consumer.
BANANA
Built Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone. Partner acronym
and ideal next stage to NIMBY. (Ack D Bodycombe)
Bang Another Nuisance Job Out. Sister acronym to JFDI. For those
irksome tasks that won't go away, no matter how long you leave them at the
bottom of the in-tray. (Ack. Julie Bramhall)
BASIC
Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Acronym name for
the early computer programming language. Makes a good quiz question. (Ack R
Leviton) See also COBOL.
BDU
Brain Dead User. Covert IT technical support staff acronym to
describe a human failing instead of equipment or software fault. When you next
hear reference to a BDU error, ask for an explanation... (Ack NM) See also
ID10T, PEBCAK and PICNIC.
Behaviour, Effect, Expectation, Results. The headings by which to
assess performance of anything, particularly a new initiative. A great
discipline when working with a team or delegating another to conduct a review,
when it's importnat to keep the review focused. (Ack. Don Clark)
BENDWIMP
Beliefs, Evidence, Needs, Desires, Wounds, Interests, Mentors, Proud
of. A model, typically used as a table or template or matrix for
identifying motivations and issues of stakeholders within a project plan. This
has the look of something that could be protected intellectual property so I'd
urge caution if you intend to exploit it outsode of a passing reference. The
BENDWIMP acronym is apparently used by Tony Robbins, who seems also to be the
originator. (My thanks to Steve Buonaugurio, who emailed to suggest it was
first coined by Tony Robbins. Robbin's use of BENDWIMP is also confirmed by
Robert Buttrick, who emailed me to confirm it featured on a Robbins seminar
handout.)
Big Hairy-Arsed Goal. The polite version 'Big Hairy Audacious
Goal' doesn't have quite the same ring to it (no pun intended). (Ack M Cook)
Provides an additional interpretation (and emphasises the
WIIFM motivational theory) of the word 'bag' when
used to refer to someone's area of interest or expertise, for example, when
turning down an offer or opportunity with the response, "Not my Bhag I'm
afraid...."
Big Hat No Cattle. What a great expression. The abbreviation is
all the more amusing because it looks like some kind of highly official
certificate for the construction or maritime industry. See also
AMAT and FCNK.
BIAT
Boss Is A Twit/Twerp/etc. Toned down a little. No nonsense
here... one of the more direct modern workplace acronyms. (Ack R Biggs)
Break It Down. When training anything to anybody never teach the
whole thing all at once. Break the skill or process down to digestible parts.
This will avoid destroying confidence, and enable gradual progress to the point
that the whole thing can be practiced.
Babe In Total Control of Herself. Supreme interpretation or
response for the typical insulting or envious use of the term. A small yet
powerful example of redefining a negative into a positive. Finding the good
angle - an essential instrument of success. (Thanks A MacGowan)
Base-Line Test. More boring and less tasty alternative to the
more common usage - Bacon Lettuce and Tomato (sandwich). (Ack Don Clark)
Before My Time. If you are a new broom trying to sweep clean,
this is a useful response to the 'we've always done it that way' school of
thought. In other words, 'that was then and this is now'. (Ack M Paretski)
Bitch, Moan and Whine/Whinge. Behaviour that can be exhibited by
a group when stressed, demotivated or unhappy with their situation. Also a
common subject area in meetings where the purpose and facilitation perhaps
requires a more a positive focus or perspective. (Ack Denise) If you are a
manager or team leader and ever find yourself having to handle a BMW session,
give the group encouragement, responsibility and suitable freedom to identify
and pursue constructive response, change and improvement. Focus on positive
response rather than blame. Here are a couple of helpful quotes in this
connection: "You have a choice whether to be part of the steam roller or part
of the road.." (unknown) and "If you're not part of the
solution you must be part of the problem.." (the commonly paraphrased
version of the original quote: "What we're saying today is that you're either
part of the solution, or you're part of the problem.." by Eldridge Cleaver
1935-98, founder member and information minister of the Black Panthers,
American political activist group, in a speech in 1968). More relevant
motivational quotes are on the quotes page. BMW is
also interpreted in some police circles (ack P&J) as Break My
Windows, being a reflection of the car make's tendency to attract envious
attack, either through envy or because the mark is a favourite among gangsters
who attract aggressive attentions. Additionally (ack Ed P) BMW is interpreted
to form other ironic meanings such as the somewhat offensive Built by
Migrant Workers; the irresitibly smile-inducing Big-up My Willy, and
probably funniest of all to the folk who particularly dislike the make and what
they think it stands for: Bought Mainly by Wankers. There are some other
automotive-related interpretations of BMW in the
automotive aconyms list,
interestingly including (ack G Boyle) Bersten Mal Wieder, which is
apparently used by German folk, and means 'Bust Again'.
BOAC
Better On A Camel. Younger viewers perhaps will not know the old
BOAC airline, which officially stood for British Overseas Airways Corporation.
BOAC was the British state airline from 1939-74, after which it merged with BEA
(British European Airways) to become British Airways. (ack ET) More aviation
acronyms are in the airlines acronyms
list below.
BOBFOC
Body Off Baywatch, Face Off Crimewatch. Nightclub and dating
vernacular, and not gender specific. (Ack JHB)
Belief, Optimism, Courage, Conviction, Action. For the process of
change. (Ack M Cook)
Buy One Get One For Free. Marketingspeak, but also great for
emphasising the need for creative thinking to achieve cost-effective, high
perceived value promotional selling.
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again. A fine motto for all who suffer
under incompetent management. If you're a Theory-X manager (see
Douglas McGregor X-Y Theory), your staff will
regularly use this in your honour. For a free BOHICA colour poster see the
free businessballs
posters page. And if you are a CEO and you begin to see a few BOHICA
posters appearing around the place, then perhaps start asking yourself some
questions about your organisational culture and management style.. (thanks to
Ralph Johnston for suggesting this acronym.)
BOHOF
Back Of Hand On Forehead. For those BOHOF moments.
Brotherhood Of Man (under the) Fatherhood Of God. Paternalistic -
and thoroughly patronising - expression of traditional values still held by
many, including some who lead us. Accepting modern politically correct
adaptations, BOMFOG attitudes typically sit snugly alongside the
marginalisation of women and all other historically brow-beaten groups.
Nowadays more importantly, BOMFOG thinking undermines humankind's independence
and development. Nigel Rees, the commentator and language expert refers to
BOMFOG as an acronym for a pompous meaningless generality. This interpretation
- and the wider implications of BOMFOG - have a very relevant modern resonance
with a certain arrogant deluded leadership style (akin to
Theory Y, but altogether more deeply insidious) that
we often see in the western world, which seeks to suppress and control all good
and honest folk - people like you and me, capable of mature independent
thoughts and actions of far greater purity and truth than those exhibited by
our leaders, supported incidentally by much of our media. Leadership - and
government, and any organized system - should be a force for genuine individual
aspiration and emotional maturity. Regrettably however many sorts of leadership
- especially of significant scale - eventually degenerate into control,
manipulation, sham, and BOMFOG principles. By the way the term BOMFOG is linked
most famously with certain very grand quotes attributed to the Rockerfellers
(Nelson and John D) around the mid 1900s, generally pronouncing how a new world
can be established, based on their own (superior, western, 'enlightened') view
of life, and the assumption that holding such a view somehow includes the right
to impose it on others. Sounds familiar?...
Balanced, Observed, Objective, Specific, Timely, Enhancing,
Relevant. Useful acronym for coaching and giving feedback to people. If
anyone knows the origins please tell me. (Ack C
Lloyd)
BOSCARDET
Background, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, Assumptions, Reporting,
Dependencies, Estimates, Timescales. Very useful acronym for inception of
projects, committees, investigations (inquiries), studies, reports, etc, where
purpose, parameters and ground-rules etc., have to be established. It was/is
used (apparently originally by Hoskyns, who later became Cap Gemini) as a
reminder of the headings for a terms of reference document. (Ack J
O'Connor)
BPO
Business Process Outsourcing. An acronym from recent times,
covering a multitude of activities that are commonly outsourced today, for
example, call centre and customer services, IT, HR and training, telemarketing,
recruitment, health and safety, quality assurance and accreditation,
manufacturing, logistics, sales and promotion, R&D, and pretty well
anything else that a corporation might have considered a core function before
outsourcing came along. I'm wondering when the first example of an outsourced
board of directors will be seen....
Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Nothing. Decision-making aid,
applicable and useful for all sorts of situations. What are the benefits and
risks from a particular course of action or option or default? What are the
alternatives (also considering their benefits and risks)? And finally always
remember that there is the option to do nothing, which on occasions can be the
best thing. (Ack A Jones)
BRIC
Brazil, Russia, India, China. This increasingly visible acronym
emphasises the growing significance of the emerging markets, and the fact that
the world is changing, whether the traditionally dominant (and patronising and
arrogant) nations like it or not. It will not be long before the old economies
start to find manufacturing and low-skilled jobs returning, for the same
reasons they were once moved away.
BTP
British Transport Police. More amusingly the acronym allegedly
takes on an alternative meaning among certain transport staff who translate
instead to mean Be There Presently (or Possibly or Potentially) when
enquiry demand from customers exceeds the staff resource that is available to
respond. (Ack AB)
BTW
By The Way. One of the most commonly used abbreviations today,
meaning 'incidentally' or 'in passing', and, BTW, originally meaning 'by the
way of a secondary subject or matter', which was earlier shortened to 'by the
bye', which has now almost passed out of use. 'By the way' is referenced in
1870s Brewer, so it's not a recent expresssion.
Bankrupt Unemployed Rejected Person. Never use this, just try to
be kind and understanding. See Maslow.
BVA
Breathing Valuable Air. (ODSA) Apparently used in Los Angeles by
nurses as a comment about less deserving patients. Amusing and highly
efficient, and transferable to a wide variety of situations. (Ack KT)
BWS
Beached Whale Syndrome. (ODSA) Nurses and doctors shorthand
acronym.
CADET
Can't Add, Doesn't Even Try. Assessment acronym for the
numerically and motivationally challenged.
CAP
Cover All Possibilities. Versatile training and planning acronym.
A more polite mnemonic than the
P6
expression. (Thanks L Woodhouse).
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans
Apart. You will probably have used a captcha without realising that it has
this strange name, or that it has a name at all. A captcha is the distorted
code you copy and type into a website form. The code is unique and random and
distorted so that computers (hopefully) cannot read and re-use it, which guards
websites against mischievous or criminal automated attack. However, the speedy
development of malevolent technology used by hackers and computer criminals
(you could call it 'captcha catchup'..) means that the captcha designers must
stay ahead of the bad guys, to keep captcha systems impregnable to automated
computer violation. Incidentally when a captcha system is breached it enables
what is known as a 'denial of service attack' (DoS attack), whereby a website
or multi-user computer system is brought down by computer-automated enormous
and unmanageable volumes of requests or actions, occasionally for the purposes
of blackmailing the site operators, but often for reasons unrelated to monetary
gain. The captcha is not the only angle of DoS attack, but the captcha does
represent perhaps the earliest strategic battleground in the struggle to
protect the web. Captcha is one of the most interesting and convoluted acronyms
ever devised, seemingly by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas Hopper and John
Langford in 2000. The acronym reflects its technical meaning and origins, and
also reflects its purpose, which while primarily acting as a security device,
also enables the 'capture' of data. The Turing test element refers to the
exceptional English mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing and his
theory and test work, first published in 1950, dealing with artificial
intelligence and comparisons between human and computer 'thinking'
capabilities. Alan Turing (1912-54) was a fascinating character in his own
right - regarded as a founder of computer science, he was part of the famous
and pivotal codebreaking team at Bletchley Park in the Second World War, and
subsequently went on to pioneer the development of early computers and
artificial intelligence. Shamefully his country later saw fit to prosecute and
convict him for being a homosexual, following which he committed suicide in
1954, aged forty-one. Today Britain is very keen to patronise and impose our
holier than thou ideas on the developing world. As with any situation where one
seeks influence and change, perhaps a little more humility and awareness of our
own past (and ongoing) failings would be more constructive.
Counselling, Advice, Referral, Assessment and Throughcare.
Acronym used in HM Prison Service (of the UK) referring to prison drug services
and the programmes therein. The term (sometimes understandably mistaken to be
CARROT) also extends to the assistance and workers involved in the delivery of
prisoner drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation. The acronym does not signify
a sequential process, but instead the elements contained within it. The actual
sequence would typically place the Assessment element ahead of Advice and
Referral, but the resulting CAART was presumably not memorable enough, or
perhaps too close to the slang term 'cart', meaning prison or gallows, derived
from the the late 1500s when horse-drawn carts were used for prisoner
transport, and which is the origin of the modern expression 'in the cart'
meaning to be in trouble or difficulty. The element called Throughcare might
alternatively be represented as Aftercare (after release). We must assume that
Throughcare was preferred because devising a useful mnemonic with three A's, a
C and and R would have been impossible. There is an interesting lesson in this,
aside from illustrating the elements of a rehabilitation process, namely that a
good acronym should be memorable and distinct in its abbreviated and full form,
and unfortunately CARAT is not, despite the very worthy aims and activities
which underpin it.
Chief Has Arrived On Scene. From the Fire Rescue Service in
Georgia US, and no doubt used elsewhere too. If not then it should be. For
interfering bosses everywhere. (Ack J Attison)
Council Housed And Violent. Modern mischievous
'bacronym' based on the chav slang word for
a vulgar and/or anti-social person, male or female. The bacronym meaning is
entirely made-up, but reflects a certain view in society of the description.
See the likely actual word origins of chav.
CLAMPS
Challenge, Location, Advancement, Money, Pride (or Prestige),
Security. Employment and recruitment industry acronym: the six acceptable
reasons for leaving your job if asked why in a job interview, cited by MJ Yate
(interview guru and author). See the job interviews
questions and answers page.
Career Limiting Move. A reminder to think twice before embarking
on any action that has an obvious whiff of disaster about it. (Ack R Gesling
and S Phillips)
COBOL
COmmon Business Orientated Language. Acronym-derived name for the
early computer language. (Ack RL) See also BASIC.
Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment. Relatively
modern supply chain management term, sometimes more fully expressed as CPFDR
(Collaborative Planning, Forecasting Demand and Replenishment). Alternatively
and less likely: Continuance Policy - Domestic Relations Division (related to
legal process in Philadelphia County USA). Or it's also a US Engineering
qualification, or a microbiological term for a Mitochondrial-type Ferredoxin
Oxidoreductase, when it would be shown as CpFdR.
Cost Per Thousand, Cost Per Inquiry and Cost Per
Conversion. Advertising terms and crucial measures of advertising and
selling performance. CPT refers to the cost of reaching each thousand people of
the target audience with the advertising message. CPI is the cost of each
inquiry received, ie total advertising cost divided by the number of inquiries
received. CPC is the total cost of each converted sale. Lowest CPT doesn't
necessarily produce the lowest CPI, neither CPC. Lowest CPI doesn't necessarily
produce lowest CPC. Conversion ratios or percentages between CPT, CPI and CPC
are what count.
Can't Remember A Flipping Thing. This acronym has various uses:
for example Monday morning after Glastonbury or the Prague stag/hen weekend;
those 'Senior' moments experienced by folk of advancing years. Or a tedious
training course or meeting, or one of those awful 'pep up the workers' roadshow
presentations by the new board of directors. (Ack L Speden, R Dale)
CSN
Computer Says No. Needs no explanation.
CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility. A central aspect of capability
and process within all all good organizations, and one of several related
concepts within the 'ethical
organisations' philosophy.
CT
Cerca Trova. Latin for 'Seek and and you shall find'. Highly
civilised and academic alternative to
GAAFOFY, and
WIOFYFS.
CTD
Circling the Drain. Healthcare acronym. Technically and
originally Close To Death. Transferable to a wide variety of lost
causes. (Ack L Russell)
CUOA
Compulsive Use Of Acronyms. Not guilty....... There is the true
story of the meeting that took place in a particular government office to
discuss the effects of EMU. Some considerable time into the meeting it was
discovered that half of the participants thought they were there to discuss the
European Monetary Union, while the other half were thinking about Environmental
Monitoring and Utilisation. (With thanks to Kevin Thomas.)
Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results. The
principle that the effectiveness of advertising can only be measured if the
aims of the advertising are clearly specified before it takes place.
DELTA
Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport. Sardonic reverse acronym at the
Delta airline's expense. I'm sure they are every bit as punctual as all the
other airlines. (Ack M Navaroli) See several other interpretations of the DELTA
acronym in the airlines and aviation
backronyms list.
DIAGEO
Don't Expect Any Great Employment Opportunities. Not true of
course... See the full entry in the corporation backronyms
('corporanyms') list.
Don't Interrupt Me While I'm Talking. I rarely publish newly
created acronyms in this listing, but this one is so good I had to include it.
This was created and sent to me by writer Sandra McCarthy, thanks.
Do It Now. See JFDI.... For procrastinators everywhere. As the
famous quote says: 'We all know what happens to people who stay in the middle
of the road. They get run over..' (Aneurin Bevan).
DINA
Description Is Not Analysis. Simple yet profoundly useful
acronym for anyone involved in helping others to think and interpret rather
than simply paraphrase or describe. Commonly used by teachers when encouraging
students to be more creative in answering questions. Readily transfers to
corporate training and evaluation, business report writing, strategic planning,
etc. (Ack Leena Cohen)
Double Income No Kids/Yet. The only people these days who can
remotely afford to buy a few bricks of and a couple of fence panels towards
their first house. The Y for 'yet' was a later addition based on the pluralised
DINKIES version of the base DINK expression.
Define opportunity, Measure performance, Analyse opportunity, Improve
performance, Control performance. The Six Sigma process improvement model,
used by Six Sigma project teams, as defined by Motorola Inc. An acronym - or
strictly an abbreviation - from the 1980s. One would have expected that such an
all-conquering management movement, as Six Sigma seems now to be, could have
come up with a more memorable mnemonic...
Deoxyribonucleic Acid, represented by the famous double helix,
and the Human Genome Project which successfully mapped human DNA in 2003. DNA
(Deoxyribonucleic Acid) was first identified in salmon sperm by Friedrich
Miescher in 1869, and was generally accepted to carry genetic code of all
living things following the published work of Crick and Watson in 1953. A
mischievous alternative interpretation to the usual meaning of DNA is
National Dyslexia Association, which is of course cruel if used as such,
but does offer the opportunity to explain a little about Dyslexia, which is
widely misunderstood. As regards the word Dyslexia, its meaning, 'difficulty
with words' is derived from Greek (lexis is Greek for speech), and that's what
it means - difficulty with words, notably spelling and reading - it does not
mean that the person is daft or stupid, in fact often the opposite is closer to
the truth. Dyslexia is often called a gift, since for many 'sufferers' that's
what it is. Interestingly as many as 10% of people at work are thought could
suffer with this disability to one extent or another (source:
British Dyslexia
Association - not the National Dyslexia Association, which is a made-up
organisation to fit the acronym). Two important points about dyslexia: Dyslexia
is technically a disability as well as a 'gift', so employers quite rightly
have to make appropriate allowances for sufferers or risk falling foul of
disability and discrimination laws. An innocently intended workplace joke or
email, like the outrageously non-pc "Dyslexics of the world - Untie!" (thanks L
Scott..) would be grounds for a disability discrimination claim, or perhaps
even a bullying tribunal, so be careful. Secondly and more positively, dyslexia
sufferers tend to have special strengths resulting from the way their brains
work, notably in problem-solving, innovation, creativity, trouble-shooting,
entrepreneurialism, intuitive feelings and judgements, sport, politics, and
artistic expression of various sorts. Famous dyslexics include Albert Einstein,
Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Andy
Warhol, David Bailey, General George Patton, Robin Williams, John Lennon, Nigel
Kennedy, Cher, Muhammad Ali, Steve Redgrave, George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, John F Kennedy, Richard Branson, Henry Ford, William
Hewlett, Charles Schwab, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Erin Brockovich - see, it's
a gift. This aspect of alternative strengths relates to
multiple intelligence
theory, which like the whole area of individuality, is much neglected in
education and work. Employers, teachers, and individuals seeking more
information about dyslexia should visit the
BDA website.
Finally, and nothing to do with Dyslexia, DNA might alternatively be employed
(thanks S McCarthy) to mean Do Not Ask, which aside from other purposes
is a witty response for anyone seeking the full scientific explanation.
Dignity and Respect At Work. Acronym mnemonic for workplace
culture, attitude, behaviour, values, etc. (Ack M Andrews)
Dedication, Responsibility, Education, Attitude, Motivation. The
DREAM acronym seems to feature particularly on rubber wrist bands, and is now
linked with Kevin Carroll, former NBA trainer, motivational speaker and author.
According to Steve Wulf, an executive editor of ESPN's The Magazine (Oct 2005),
"... Carroll, working at Nike at the time, noticed that clear DREAM bands were
being put as giveaways in boxes of Kevin Garnett shoes..... Carroll asked if he
could use them in the motivational talks he gave at schools and camps. Part of
his spiel, in fact, had to do with the acronym DREAM: 'Dedication,
Responsibility, Education, Attitude, Motivation.' Pretty soon, Carroll was
handing them out by the thousands..." Also according to Wulf, the wristband
penomenon can be traced back to the 1960s, when it was "just a series of rubber
bands that urban basketball players put on their wrists as both a fashion
statement and a shooting aid.... every athlete was wearing elastic
cloth-covered wristbands.... But it wasn't until 2001 that the fashion
statement took on some meaning.. "
DRIB
Don't Read If Busy. Only the email generation could have
developed the need for such an acronym....
DRIVE
Define, Review, Identify, Verify, Execute. Influential and useful
acronym within the Quality Management
field. (See
Quality
Management process improvement tools.)
Digital Rights Management. DRM might seem one of the most boring
abbreviations in this list, but Digital Rights Management is a hugely
far-reaching issue. Digital Rights Management is basically the means by which
intellectual property (IP) is protected and its usage is controlled. This
particularly applies to intellectual property of the digital age: music, film,
news, and arguably more significantly: information, software, and technology.
The implications of Digital Rights Management extend ultimately to the way that
knowledge and created works of all sorts are spread and made available around
the world, the process of which of course contributes to the development of
human civilisation. The 'web 2.0' age of the internet (community-generated
content and technology provision and sharing) is now challenging how we all
think and behave towards intellectual property. The internet offers
unprecedented opportunities for sharing knowledge and extending access to
created works of all sorts, whereas many IP owners and exploiters have an
entirely different priority, namely profit. The transference of knowledge and
technology among people around the world, and from one generation to the next,
is what determines human progress. And yet typical corporate interpretations of
DRM essentially seek to frustrate this process. Where DRM is restrictive and
greedy, so knowledge and human advancement are suppressed. Where DRM is open
and giving, so knowledge and advancement are expansive. The begs certain
questions of IP owners and also of those who might challenge their behaviour
and motives. For example, to what extent can people and organisations who have
already made vast fortunes from their intellectual property be a little more
willing to share for free? Could multi-billionaires start helping the world
earlier, before accumulating such an incomprehensible level of personal wealth?
Does accumulating money and power and corporate success make people mean and
greedy, or are they mean and greedy to start with, and that's what makes them
so effective at protecting and exploiting what they create? What is most
important: making a ton of money, or making the most of what you can offer the
world? These and other unfathomable questions will not be answered here and
now, but in the way future generations look back on it all. And anyway, will
anyone actually want to pay money for Cliff Richard's music in 80 years
time?..
DRT
Dead Right There. (ODSA) Doctors and nurses shorthand acronym
for a patient found dead at the scene.
DRTTTT
Dead Right There, There, There, and There. (ODSA) Nurses and
doctors abbreviation, as DRT above, but used for pedestrian-train incidents.
This outrageous acronym is an example of the human species' tendency to use
humour when dealing with horrific trauma.
DUTCHIE
Defer Until The Christmas Holiday Is Ended. Seasonal acronym
explaining why most business comes to a grinding stop for two whole weeks at
the end of the year. See also LUCID.
Dead Right There And Going To Stay That Way. Extended version of
DRT used by certain US police and fire-rescue personnel in incidents involving
catastrophic injuries. (Ack J Attison)
E&OE
Errors and Omissions Excepted. Shorthand disclaimer notice, used
as a rider at the bottom of invoices and other documents with potentially legal
and contractual implications. Effectively means that no liability is accepted
for mistakes and omissions. (Ack N Whiteley)
EBITDA
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization.
One of a series of esoteric 'EB' (Earnings Before..) financial acronyms, eg,
EBT = Earnings Before Taxes; EBIAT = Earnings Before Interest after Taxes; EBIT
= Earnings Before Interest and Taxes; EBITD = Earnings Before Interest, Taxes
and Depreciation; and the completely unrelated EBRD = European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development. (Earnings are profits from operating and
non-operating activities.) More financial terms and definitions on the
financial terms and acronyms section.
EDINBURGH
Elated Darling, I'm Near, Book Usual Room, Grand Hotel. Lovers
code from way back. You see, people have been using social and flirting
short-hand for generations - before texting was ever imagined, see also SWALK,
NORWICH, etc.
Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale. Retail acronym.
Extension of EPOS (Electronic Point Of Sale), whereby the retailer or seller
point of sale system allows payment by electronic credit or debit method via
connection to a central banking agency. (Ack L Starkey)
Evaluate, Plan, Action, Check, Amend. And so on.... The helix of
continuous improvement.
Electronic Point Of Sale. The retail industry term for
auto-readers - normally of bar-codes - at store checkout tills. EPOS caused a
retail revolution, enabling massive advantages for retailers and sellers,
including automated stock control and re-ordering, sales tracking, market
research, staff de-skilling, customer service, customer spending profiling and
loyalty card systems. Sometimes referred to as EPS. See also EFTPOS.
ERCP
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatoscopy. (ODSA) Healthcare
acronym. A way of examining the bile ducts/gall bladder and pancreatic ducts
using an endoscope. However, if a newly admitted patient dies suddenly before
they have been examined ('clerked') by the ward doctor, the 'admission' notes
may be written up post-mortem (after they should have been, in other words), in
which case the acronym takes on a more mischievous interpretation: Emergency
Retrograde Clerking of Patient. (ack ET)
ESO
Equipment Superior to Operator. Coded acronym written on a
work-order by a technician that means 'There's nothing wrong with this
equipment - the problem is the owner.' See also PEBCAK, BDU, PICNIC, UBAD. (ack
PM Christian)
Everything To Attract Men. It was suggested to me a while ago
that this is the origin of the ladies fashionwear chain name. It isn't, but
it's an amusing acronym all the same. I am grateful to Alain Xhignesse for
explaining that ETAM in fact derived from the company name ETAblissements
Mayer, which in 1916 created the first ETAM store - a hosiery boutique in
Germany - which later grew into the famous ETAM chain.
Features, Advantages, Benefits. A widely used selling techniques
acronym within the traditional selling process and related sales training.
People are more interested in what improvements a product or service will bring
rather than a description of what is being sold. While modern sales methods
have eclipsed the significance of the FAB principle, the fact remains: it's
more important to focus on what a proposition will do for the listener, beyond
merely what the proposition is.
Fecal Air Rectally Transmitted. Daft and amusing restrospectively
devised acronym, so it's technically a 'backronym'. The word fart in fact is derived
from Old High German 'ferzan' (pronounced fertsan) from older Germanic roots
'fertan', both of which are clearly onomatopoeic (sounds like what it is), as
is the modern-day word, unchanged in English since the 1200s. Words and
language might change over time, but the sound of a fart is one of life's more
enduring features.
Final Acceptance Testing. Marketing or product development
technical term. Crucial stage often overlooked by egocentric owner-managers and
corporate chieftens, expensive designers and advertising agencies, politicians
and millennium commissioners, etc, who become seduced by their own
magnificence, and make disasterous assumptions on behalf ordinary people who
then decide not to buy/vote/turn up etc. (Ack. Don Clark)
Failing Better Offer. A caviat for many occasions - business
negotiating, social diaries, time management and planning, quality management,
percentage management - a great alternative to simply saying maybe or perhaps,
or yes, when you really mean FBO. (Ack. Ben Ball)
Fur Coat No Knickers. And with similar meanings, see also
BHNC and AMAT. (Ack M
Price)
Forget Everything And Run. One of the best reverse
acronyms (bacronym is the modern term) ever devised. (Thanks A Davice) The
acronym explains what happens when the fear response takes over, and the
primative brain switches to auto-pilot. Great for presentations training and
'training the trainer', to emphasise why nobody ever does anything really well
under extreme stress except shut down. There are fruitier interpretations of
the word Forget of course. An alternative acronym meaning which addresses the
point that fear is 'all in the mind', and therefore not to feel so threatened
by it, was popularised by Zig Ziglar: False Evidence Appearing Real.
Additionally I am informed (thanks C Lane, who originated this clever
alternative) of another excellent interpretation of the FEAR acronym, for use
especially in teaching public speaking and presentation skills, where one's
natural FEAR response can be seen instead in terms of nervousness benefits:
Focused Energized Alert Ready.
Forget It and Drive On. An acronym made populr by motivational
writer and speaker Zig Ziglar. Dwelling on past disappointments or seeking
revenge is self-destructive. It's far better to concentrate effort on the next
challenge. See also SUMO and BUFFS.
Fart In A Trance. Every organization has a person who seems to be
perpetually in FIAT mode. Most of us experience being in this state at least a
couple of times a week, especially Mondays after heavy weekend, or while
captive in corporate presentations or boring training sessions. Alternative to
MEGO. (Ack Tony Lomas)
First In First Out. Originally an accounting term, to provide a
convention for writing down the balance sheet value of assets of the same type.
Apply it to any situation where the oldest go first and the newest stay
longest; rather like the HR policies of many large organizations...
First In Last Out. Again originally an accounting term for
depreciation practice, whereby the oldest assets are the last to be written
off. The term has wider applications, particularly rock festival car parks,
overcrowded tube trains and airport buses.
FILTH
Failed In London, Try Hong-Kong. Before handover of Hong-Kong by
the UK to China in 1999, this acronym sardonically reflected the treatment by
certain multi-national employers of under-performing or out-of-favour staff.
(Ack JW)
Flip I’m Good, Just Ask Me. Superb acronym with Australian
origins for show-offs and big-heads everywhere. Ideal code for referring to
person or behaviour when someone holds a very high opinion of themselves,
through self-delusion, arrogance, or because they happen to be held in
unreasonably high esteem by a superior. '...he's full of FIGJAM...' (Ack NB)
FINE
Fanatical, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. Alternative ironic
acronym response to the universal question, 'How are you?.....' (Ack D
Jenkins). FINE carries an alternative meaning: Feelings Inside Not
Expressed, notably in the context of attitude, communications, coaching,
life-change, etc. People commonly respond to the question, "How are you?" by
saying "Fine," when they perhaps are anything but fine. (Ack K Freeman)
FIRE
Find Inform Restrict Extinguish. One of those wonderful acronyms
in which the new word actully relates to the subject; this one for student
fire-fighters, and anybody else for that matter, since it represents the
essential rules and process of dealing with fires. (Ack JH)
FISH
First In Stays Here. Stock control expression, similar to FIST.
(Ack A Chapman - no relation)
FISH & CHIPS
Fighting In Someone's House & Causing Havoc In People's
Streets. Army infantry acronym for urban warfare.
FIST
First In Stays There. Financial and stock-holding term,
describing the practice of not rotating the stock, so that the first pieces of
stock stay in stock and 'on the books' for ever. (Ack J Taylor)
FLA
Four Letter Acronym. Arguable contradiction in terms, and
companion acronym for TLA. See also UTLA and UFLA.
Funny Looking Kid. (ODSA). Used by medical and healthcare folk to
describe an infant or newborn whose looks are unlikely to provide a passport to
fame and fortune. Perhaps (aside from dark humour at work) this is a
manifestation of some sort of envy, given that 'funny looking kids' often grow
to be some of the loveliest people you could ever wish to meet. Where we fear
and ridicule funny looking people, deep down perhaps we see in them a strength
and resolve that normal looking folk don't possess, because we've never had to.
(Ever read Mary Shelly's Frankenstein?...)
FLKFLP
Funny Looking Kid, Funny Looking Parents. Healthcare acronym. See
above. (Ack S Pennington)
Fat Little Ugly Fellow. Polite version. For a short boss with
Napoleonic syndrome. (Ack D Harrison)
FLOFTUS
First Lady OF The United States. Acronym for the president's
wife, used by Whitehouse staff according to Richard Clarke, in preference to
the more obvious and widely referenced FLOTUS. It's a mystery why the F is
employed - perhaps FLOTUS means something else as well? Answers on a postcard
please... First suggestion (ack Kit Watson): "I can think of a reason why they
use 'FLOFTUS' and not 'FLOTUS'. Flotus is very close to the word 'Flatus',
which refers to the gas passed in flatulence..."
Fast Moving Consumer Goods. Nothing to do with skills
development, just an acronym that lots of people have heard and don't know what
it means.
FOAK
First Of A Kind. An acronym to illustrate the development or
attainment of uniqueness, relevant to developing sales and business
propositions, USP's and value-added offerings. (Ack PL) See also GOAT.
FOBIO
Frequently Outwitted By Inanimate Objects. Ideal for anyone
struggling with one of those ridiculous picnic tables, flat-pack self-assembly
furniture, crisis situations caused by errant cars, computers, mobile phones,
and the ultimate FOBIO challenge - removing the cellophane from a new CD.
FOCUS(ED)
Futuristic Observation Creates Unique Solutions (Enabling
Development). Training and presentations acronym to emphasise that vision
is essential for creating unique solutions and development. (Ack PL)
Free On Board. FOB is an import/export term relating to the point
(outgoing port or airport usually) at which responsibility for goods,
insurance, and costs of transport, passes from seller (exporter) to buyer
(importer). The FOB expression originates from the meaning that the buyer is
free of liability up to the point that the goods are loaded on board the ship.
In recent years FOB is used less specifically, even to the extent that other
meanings are inferred from the acronym, most commonly Freight On Board
(which appears in many online dictionaries and acronyms listings), and I've
also heard of Fixed On Board. These distortions reflect the fact that
the FOB principle is not readily recognised or understood by the Free On
Board original (and quite old) meaning. When language doesn't make obvious
sense people are apt to change it, which is how language evolves, which is okay
so long as explanations are given. If you use or hear the term it's sensible to
clarify precise meaning. More
explanation about FOB in the financial terms section.
Free Of Charge. Widely used acronym promising a good deal,
however see TANSTAAFL.
Focus On Reducing Costs Everywhere. From USA industry. An acronym
that can be applied anywhere. Perhaps not the most progressive strategy ever
invented, but sometimes necessary and helpful, provided the cost-cutting does
not prevent activities that would otherwise bring good and fast returns on
investment, and also provided that the long-term well-being of operations and
people are not sacrificed. (Ack P Lock)
FORD
Found On Roadside, Dead. Apt and amusing acronym (backronym actually) to describe a project,
idea, etc., not worth bothering with, due to high probabilty of ultimate
failure. A quick explanation for not pursuing the non-viable. An excellent
reminder of the need to invest one's time productively. (Ack D Compton)
Alternatively, in relation to the car make, Found On Rubbish Dump. (Ack
T Day). Alterntively and amusingly: Fix Or Repair Daily (Ack AJ), or
arguably a more grammatically correct expression Fix Or Replace Daily
(Ack SM). Then there is Flip Over, Read Directions, also First On
Race Day, and how about For Outstanding Reliability and
Dependability... (ack PL) See further
automotive acronyms.
FUD
Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Acronym from the marketing world, in
which propositions leveraged by FUD create additional motivation for the target
audience to buy or act - for example Y2K computer scare stories, various types
of insurance, extended warranties and guarantees, security and surveillance
offerings; typically most preventative products and services. (Thanks M
Adamson)
Go Away And Find Out For Yourself. A motto for self-reliance and
taking personal responsibility. The quest for empowered people in organisations
cuts both ways - the organisation needs to give people more freedom, and people
need to take responsibility for finding their own answers and solutions.
Managers of course need to support the process of achieving all this (see
delegation and Tannenbaum
& Schmidt). GAAFOFY is also a super acronym for daft questions received
in a training, teaching and coaching context. It's a reminder that we all need
to seek our own answers rather than rely on 'received wisdom' or someone else's
solution that might well be overdue for improvement. See also WIOFYFS. For a
free GAAFOFY colour poster see the
free businessballs
posters page.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. To non-accountants this
may seem a contradiction in terms.
General Anti-Avoidance Rule. Pertaining to taxation and the
avoidance thereof.
Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. Perhaps only marginally
less contradictory than GAAP, but they do exist, honestly.
God Alone Knows. Originally British First World War doctor's
shorthand on a traumitised soldier's medical report for shell-shock or other
nervous disorder (this prior to any official recognition of nervous condition
resulting from months or years active service under fire and bombardment).
Nowadays GAK serves as an incredulous reponse to any unfathomable question. See
also NYDN.
Group Against Smokers Pollution. Nothing to do with business, but
a really great acronym.
Garbage In Garbage Out. Originated as a computer metaphor but
deserves a much wider exposure. Use freely for any situation at all that
involves effort and output (esp. design, recruitment, purchasing, etc.)
Variations include CICO = Crap In Crap Out, and SISO, which you'll be able to
work out for yourself. (Ack. GJ)
Greying, Leisured, Affluent, Married. Another wonderful
demographics acronym.
GMC
Garbage Made Carefully. A wonderful example of industrial warfare
by acronym (no offence intended). "Lil' som'thing back from the Ford guys...."
(Ack S Clory)
Godt Mitt You. (God be with you) The only Anglo-German hybrid
abbreviation I know, used today as a sign-off in certain naval communications,
notably still among Swedish vessels. Some believe its origin dates from the 2nd
World War, when the message was sent between British and German enemy
submarines operating in surface mode, when traditionally they would not engage,
other than to communicate their mutual respect through this expression. (Ack
Robert Stael Von Holstein) Others possible origins are suggested: That GMY was
a greeting between German Wolfpack submarines during WWII who used the mixture
of German and English words to confuse the allies; it was a traditional
greeting between commercial ships; it stems from old unofficial telegraph code;
is was an invention of a Swedish naval officer. Apparently the signal GMY is
mentioned in "I nationens intresse", a novel by Jan Guillou. A retired WWII
navy officer ascribes the origin of the signal to Christer Kierkegaard, who
died 1999. There is apparently no mention of GMY in British or German signal
books from WWII. (Ack Pieter Kuiper) If you can read Swedish these's more about
GMY here.
GOAT
Greatest Of All Time. An acronym from the sporting commentators'
book of superlatives, and transferable to all. Everyone can be GOAT at what
they do and who they are. An alternative and related meaning for GOAT, as
referenced by positive thinking writer Douglas Miller, is Goals, Objectives,
Aims, Targets. In his
excellent book
about positive thinking, Miller uses the metaphor of 'herding' your GOAT's
to explain the importance of organising personal activities so that they are
focused on clear meaningful outputs, and in this respect there is a certain
resonance between both GOAT acronym interpretations: decide what you want to be
great at and then organise your plans accordingly.
GBC
General Body Crumble. (ODSA) Healthcare acronym to describe an
elderly person with no specific diagnosis, but just generally deteriorating.
(ack ET)
Government Owned, Contractor Operated. An admission by government
that they have the expertise to run the country (supposedly) but not anything
as practical as a hot-dog stall.
GOFER
Genial Old Farts Enjoying Retirement. Super demographics acronym,
allegedly originally seen on the back of a caravan touring Australia; now much
used at retirement parties. Alternative meaning in similar context is Genial
Old Fisherman Enjoying Recreation. (Ack LA)
GOK
God Only Knows. (ODSA) Apparently a popular healthcare diagnosis
from many years ago, used especially on bank holidays/weekends, after midnight
or when there was an important football match on TV. After a very quick visit
to A&E the junior doctor would diagnose GOK and admit the patient to a
ward, often adding LTNWIO (let the nurses work it out). Such patients not
infrequently later had an ERCP. (ack ET)
Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. For chauvinists everywhere.
Especially at the golf club. (Ack C Judd)
GOMER
Get Out of My Emergency Room. (ODSA) Abbreviation used on
ungrateful, unworthy patient's notes; another superb contribution from LA
nurses. (Ack KT)
Goals, Objectives, Strategies, Plans, Activities. A simple
blueprint and order of thinking for business planning of any sort, even for
large complex challenges and entire businesses. (Thanks Chris Starke)
Guardian Reader Of Limited Intelligence, Ethnic Skirt. (ODSA) See
FLK and other ODSA's. Use with care if you must use is at all, and whilst not
necessarily recommended, there is a potential application for explaining the
more technical aspects of customer profiling.
Goals, Reality, Options, Will. A maxim from the life-coaching
industry, which makes a lot of sense, and is relevant to any situation that
requires realistic objectives to be established, and then the planning and
determination to achieve them.
Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre, and Unprecedented. GUBU is a
sort of maxim of political and corporate infamy, effectively invented by
Charles, J Haughey, Taoiseach of Ireland (Prime Minister) for three separate
terms between 1979-92. Charles Haughey became embroiled in several outrageous
scandals related to abuse of his position and financial affairs, and when
questioned on one occasion prior to his eventual fall from grace he responded
that the accusations were "...grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, and
unprecedented..." GUBU has since become a popular acronym in Ireland, and
it is listed here because the underlying meaning and message is obviously
transferable to all sorts of corporate and political so-called leaders, who
abuse their power and insult the intelligence and tolerance of ordinary people,
and then shamelessly deny their shortcomings and deceit with the GUBU defence.
(Ack S Doherty)
Goes When Ready. A 'bacronym'
popular in the days of the original Great Western Railway (which makes it over
50 years old - see full entry in corporanyms
section) and of course transferable to many situations and people which act
when ready and not before. As such GWR is a novel way to describe or present a
personality or system which cannot be moved or changed without suitable
preparation and patience. GWR people tend to be process and detail oriented.
GWR situations tend to be big complex systems or networks (large old
organizations and institutions) with lots of entrenched practices and
attitudes.
HARTL
(This is now in the corporate
backronyms 'corporanyms' list)
Human Capital Management. Arguably the same as HRM (Human
Resources Management), although many (especially in the HCM field) would
disagree, pointing to various 'new' HCM components linked to such terms as 'new
economy', but which strictly speaking could be covered simply by a modern view
of HRM. As with many labels, differences between HRM and HCM largely depend on
your own situation and interpretation. If it suits your context/audience to
differentiate between traditional HRM and more open and progressive methods
(HCM) for managing people within an organization, then using the HCM title
might bertter emphasise the difference or change you are aiming to achieve. If
are studying modern HR practices and methods then again you will tend to find
such ideas being presented under the HCM heading. But don't be kidded that the
label itself changes anything. Good HRM will always be better than crap HCM.
The use of a new title doesn't automatically ensure a successful initiative or
implementation. On a more specific point, you will see the word 'Reporting'
commonly appended to the Human Capital term, which indicates the additional
emphasis on analysis and accountability that perhaps most distinguishes HCM
from the traditional HRM in practice, although there is nothing to prevent well
run Human Resources activities enabling and generating just the same reporting
needs and outputs. What these things are called is not the issue - it's what
actually goes on that matters. Cynics would say that HCM is not so much a
different field, it's more a different way to sell more services, books,
training, and the like. The HCM term has arisen in recent years, as new
buzzwords and abbreviations tend to, when sufficient people embrace the idea
that a new approach is warranted or opportune, in which case a new brand or
packaging usually happens. How long the HCM expression lasts, and the notion
that it is very different really from modern Human Resources Management,
remains to be seen. As ever, it's not the label, but the precise definition and
practice that counts. That said, if anyone would like to suggest any aspect of
HCM that is not possible under HRM, please feel
free, and I'll gladly publish the comments, or better still put together
some sort of matrix by which the two terms can usefully be compared.
High Earning Worker. Demographic acronym, representing the UK's
534,000 people who earn more than £100,000 per household and yet regard
themselves as 'working class', according to the Future Foundation (May
2006).
High Involvement Product. A marketing term for a product which
requires a high amount of thought before purchase, cars, holidays, etc. By
definition the selling approach must be different for HIPs compared to FMCG's
and LIP's for instance.
HIVI
Husband Is Village Idiot. (ODSA) Classic nurses' shorthand.
Hope Our Love Lasts And Never Dies. Acronym from the envelopes of
wartime home-bound love letters (see also CHIP, ITALY, SWALK, EGYPT and
NORWICH). Text messaging ain't got nothing on it...
Hard-up Old Person Expecting Full Useful Life. Another poignant
demographics acronym. Could be a great name for the next governement initiative
on pensions...
HR
Human Remains. Cynical interpretation of the more conventional
Human Resources meaning. (Ack Gwen)
HTH
Hope This Helps. Email abbreviation when replying to requests.
Potentially counter-productive if the recipient doesn't understand what it
means...
HTTP
Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol. Destined to become one of those
abbreviations which nobody knows the origin of in thirty years time, and here
mainly lest we forget.
How To Make Love. Amusing alternative interpretation of the more
conventional HyperText Markup Language meaning of HTML, normally
representing the code which underpins the workings of much of what we see on
the internet. Alternative created and contributed by writer by S McCarthy,
thanks.
IAMS
It's About Me Stupid. Elegant and wonderful acronym for many and
various situations, especially explaining and understanding human relationships
and communications. A great reference point for explaining the 'emotional
contract' and the false notion that people will do what you say just because
you tell them so. See also WIIFM, and the sections on
empathy and Transactional
Analysis.
I Blame Microsoft. A 'backronym' with different applications,
aside from having a dig at MS, for example to highlight where a person finds it
difficult to accept responsibility for their own actions, or more usually,
inactivity. (Ack to Dr Neale Roney.) IBM is also interpreted (ack P&J) as
I've Been Married, in dating circles, and in some jobs, for example the
police service, which for some competes strongly with marital responsibilities.
And with no slight intended to the IBM corporation (ack S Adam), since this can
apply anywhere, Idiots Become Managers. More IBM acronyms (in fact
backronyms or 'corporanyms') for IBM as used for the IBM corporation are listed
in the corporate backronyms list.
ICE
In Case of Emergency. While the acronym has had this meaning for
a while, in recent times the termonology has assumed additional significance:
apparently modern practice is increasingly to identify a special 'ICE number'
within one's mobile telephone 'phone book' listing, so that in case of
suffering a debilitating accident or emergency, a person assisting anyone in
their moment of need is able immediately to contact the nominated friend,
spouse, parent, etc. (Ack D Kugler)
ID10T
Idiot. Not an acronym obviously but worthy of inclusion. The 'ID
Ten T' code has been used by technical service people for years, and probably
explains very well a large proportion of user-reported faults and queries. See
also UBAD, ID10T, BDU, PEBCAK and PICNIC.
IDEA
Identify, Design, Execute, Augment. Process for changing
anything. Identify the issues, priorities, constraints, resources; Design the
plan; Execute the plan; Augment, refine, adjust and improve activies to
consolidate change. (Ack. Dean Whitehead.)
IDEAL
Identify, Define, Explore, Action, Lookback. Process for solving
problems: Identify the problem, Define it, Explore possible solutions and
effects, Action the chosen solution, and Look back at the SNAFU you've brought
about (not really - Look back at a 100% successful outcome and a job well
done). (Ack. Don Clark)
IIP
Investors In People. The UK system of human resources quality and
development accreditation system. Or more amusingly, Intellectually Impaired
Person (or Passenger or Protester) - being the unofficial
term allegedly used by some London Transport staff to describe a person
aggressively questioning staff and appearing not to understand the information
or explanations provided. (Ack AB) See also PITSA.
IKEA
Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd. Ingvar Kamprad, from a place
called Elmtaryd, in Agunnaryd, Sweden, founded the IKEA retail chain. Not a lot
of people know that. Great quiz question. (Thanks SJ for the spelling
correction)
I'll Know It When I See It. Ironic and actually very prevalent
alternative approach to WYSIWYG. The IKIWISI principle is not a great help when
working with specialists who require a decent brief. People exhibiting IKIWISI
behaviour generally need help to try thinking a little about aims and outcomes.
See also IKWIWWISI below.
I'll Know What I Want When I See It. Variation on the above
theme. The procrastinator's motto. Instead: sit down, think, write down some
ideas or aims, and then you will get good results.
IMCIS
Identify, Manage, Change, Improve, Show. The basis of the
Japanese approach to TQM, as in: Identify customer-supplier
relationships, Manage processes, Change culture, Improve communications, Show
commitment. (Acknowledgments to John Oakland.)
IMHO
In My Humble Opinion. We don't list many acronyms and
abbreviations used in emails and texting, etc, because there are millions of
them and other sites do it better; however the IMHO acronym has a certain
resonance for life and communications generally, and it's been around for ages,
so it is worthy of inclusion here. (Thanks DH)
INSET
In-Service Education and Training. On-the-job training in other
words, just sounds a bit more technical.
IOWA
Idiots Out Walking About (or Wandering Around). For all those
executives who haven't got a clue what's really going on in their companies,
and think that a quick stroll among the workers will boost morale and uncover
some great idea how to save or make the next million. (Ack Tom Calvert)
IP
Intellectual Property. A common term meaning copyrighted or
trademarked or otherwise protected work, owned by the originator unless sold or
transferred. Most international law recognises the originator's rights in any
type of original work or idea - in whatever media. If you doodle on a napkin or
take a photo or write a poem this is all automatically your intellectual
property. If you write a book or a play or a training programme or you design a
better mousetrap, this would all automatically be your intellectual property
(unless of course it replicates intellectual property already belonging to
someone else). IP is a widely used abbreviation referring to any work of
original creation. It's a complex area however. Many employers quite reasonably
insist that any IP developed by their employees relating to their paid
employment automatically belongs to the employer (since the employer has paid
for it). Some employers seek to extend this to employees' ideas and creations
that are not related to the work, which is less reasonable. For more detail
relating to IP issues attached to important or potentially significant personal
or organisational liabilities, licensing, etc., it's best to seek qualified
advice.
IPATTAP
Interrupt, Patronise, Argue, Threaten, Terminate, Apply
Penalties. A less than ideal customer service process for dealing with
complaints and dissatisfied customers - widely exhibited, especially by large
organizations in the finance, insurance and telecoms sectors. The acronym is
useful to remind all exponents of poor customer service how not to do it...
IPO
Initial Public Offering. Stock Exchange and corporate acronym for
the initial sale of privately owned equity (stock or shares) in a company via
the issue of shares to the public and other investing institutions. In other
words an IPO is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public.
IPOs are typically small, young companies raising capital to finance growth.
For investors IPO's can risky as it is difficult to predict the value of the
stock or shares when they open for trading. An IPO is effectively 'going
public' or 'taking a company public'.
Internet Protocol TeleVision (Internet Protocol TV). I wonder if
an acronym ever had a more serious fundamental meaning than this one? Full
convergence between computers and TV is fast approaching, and its effects will
be wide and deep. Nick Negroponte saw something like this coming nearly twenty
years ago (they called it the 'Negroponti Switch'). Now it's almost upon us,
bigger and scarier than he ever imagined. Just as VOIP (Voice Over Internet
Protocol) is revolutionizing the phone and mobile communications markets, so TV
over the web will do the same for TV, and the incredible implications of
combining unlimited on-demand content, a high-speed virtually free internet,
and mobile communications. Look out especially for Joost, being pioneered by
Zennstrom and Friis, who have already succeeded with two sector-rattling
developments - Kazaa and Skype - now safely launched and divested. Other modern
age entrepreneurs are now emerging alongside Joost to challenge the traditional
'old economy' media giants, who will all have their work cut out to keep pace
with their quicker more efficient rivals in the battle for a share in this
unimaginably dynamic market. If you want to try imagining the possibilities,
consider combining all types of TV and video content, computer games, virtual
reality, web 2.0 interactive internet technology (and the artificial
intelligence of web 3.0 when it comes), and wireless anytime-anywhere
high-speed high-capacity mobile connectivity. And that's just for
starters...
IRBIA
I'd Rather Be In Ambridge. You've seen people with that 'IRBIA'
look on their face, when the real world is getting to be too much. When they'd
rather be somewhere else, far away from the pressures of a particularly tedious
meeting or training course. (Ambridge is the fictional and normally idyllic
home to Radio 4's 'The Archers'.)
ISDN
Innovations Subscribers Don't Need. Amusing alternative
interpretation of the abbreviation's original meaning: Integrated Services
Digital Network, in other words a digital telephone line. Another
alternative meaning: I Still Don't Know. (Ack Q Armitage) And another
amusing meaning of ISDN: It Still Does Nothing. (Ack D McNally)
ISO
International Standards Organization. The international
standards-setting organization chartered by the United Nations, more properly
called the International Organization for Standardization, whose
'initials' prefix various published standards, typically four digit numbers,
for example ISO9000, the quality standard. The words 'International Standards
Organization' are, fascinatingly, a retrospectively applied meaning - ISO was
not originally an acronym. The word derives from the Greek 'isos', meaning
equal (as in 'isobar' - meaning a line on a weather map denoting the same
atmospheric pressure, 'isometric' - meaning equal measure, and 'isosceles' as
in an 'isosceles triangle', which you will remember from your school-days is a
triangle with two equal sides).
ITALY
I Trust And Love You. Wartime back-of-envelope lovers code. (See
also NORWICH, SWALK, and HOLLAND)
Jump And Pump All Night. Australian origins apparently. Various
applications. (Ack R Knight)
Just Flipping Do It. Pronounced 'Jifdi', this acronym is the
antidote to procrastination, and a reminder that simply getting on with it is
often the best answer to most moments of self-doubt. JFDI is a must for
management training, time management and a maxim for self-reliance and
empowerment.
JICNARS
Joint Industry Committee for National Readership Surveys. The
body which established and runs the ABC social grades classification system,
much used by media and marketing folk. See the
demographics section.
JIT
Just In Time. Pertains normally to resource and stock-holding
planning the aim of which is to reduce to a torturous knife-edge minimum an
organization's cash tied up in non-productive activities. Alternatively
represented by the description 'disaster waiting to happen'. Use freely and
scornfully wherever you see such examples. Use variations by adding suffixes
with the initial letters of the particular starved resource (eg JITS = Just In
Time Stock, JITT = Just In Time training, JITIA = Just In Time International
Aid, etc.) Humorous antonyms include JTL (=Just Too Late) and the frustratingly
JTFL (= Just Too Flipping Late).
JOB
Just Over Broke. Acronym for economic and financial life-change.
A useful spur if you are contemplating self-employment, starting your own
business, buying a franchise, becoming a consultant, plumber, etc. (Ack P
Gosling)
KAS
Knowledge, Attitude, Skills. The constituents required for people
to succeed at what they do, individually and collectively. Knowledge and Skills
can largely be trained; Attitude can't - it's a factor of personality, emotion,
personal circumstances, and the organizational environment - accountants and
bosses can't measure it, so it's often overlooked, and then the boss and the
accountant wonder why people aren't performing. (Ack. Don Clark) See also KASH
below.
KASH
Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habits. Another useful acronym for
trainers to explain different aspects of learning. Generally skills and
knowledge are easier to develop and change than attitude and habits. (Ack SD)
If you know the origins of the KASH acronym please contact us.
KEV
Key Ethical Value. More typically shown in plural as KEVs,
referring to the Key Ethical Values of an organization or proposition.
KEY
Keep Extending Yourself. Coaching and motivational maxim. A
reminder of the importance of striving to improve yourself, and always to be
seeking new challenges.
KIPPERS
Kids In Parents' Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings. See also
SKI-ing for the antidote. (Ack. D Rowland)
Keep It Simple Stupid. One of the all time great acronyms, and so
true. A motto and reminder that simplicity works - in communications, design,
philosophy, relationships, decision-making, meetings, management and life
generally. Apply and promote KISS to any situation to deter unnecessary
complication, excuses, bureaucracy, red-tape, and to encourage practical
positive outcomes, no-nonsense communications, integrity, truth, beauty, and
honesty. (See also 'JFDI'). Variations on the KISS theme include Keep It
Short and Sweet, Keep It Simple Sunshine, Keep It Simple and
Straightforward, Keep It Simple Sister, Keep It Simple
Sweetheart, etc. For a free KISS colour poster see the
free businessballs
posters page.
Kick In The Ass/Arse. Motivation at its most basic. In fact not
motivation at all. (See also AKUTA). Managers persisting with this idiocy will
find that after a KITA session the recipient will be motivated to move only the
small distance that Newton's Laws of Motion provide for them to do so, and then
will do one or more probably a number of certain things:
- sprawl to the floor in a useless heap (metaphorically) and be less
committed and productive than they were pre-KITA, and/or
- turn around and return their manager's KITA with a PITG (Punch In The
Gob) and/or
- say nothing, go home and begin preparations to STEFABOD (Sue The
Employer For A Barnful Of Damages).
KLOE
Key Lines Of Enquiry. System much used now by the UK Audit
Commission (and no doubt by other highly centralised and high-control culture
organizations) to set down extremely specific criteria for inspectors assessing
and reporting on local government services. So much for empowerment... (Ack
MC)
KPI/KSI
Key Performance Indicator/Key Success Indictor. A measure, target
or standard, used to manage and gauge the performance of an activity, process
or project. Establishing a series of KPI's or KSI's is a very useful way to
manage, monitor and assess the effectiveness of any organizational activity or
process (Thanks for reminder Nick Whiteley). KSI (= Key Success
Indicator) is a less common version of this acronym.
KYHAFTY
Keep Your Hands And Feet To Yourselves. For the youngest of
audiences, or unruly adult ones. Originally a teachers' acronym but much too
good to restrict to school assemblies. (Acknowledgments to Anstey Latimer
School, Leicester, England.)
LADDER
Longitudinal And Directional Distance Extremity Reacher. Perhaps
one of the silliest and most wonderful reverse acronyms ever to have been
devised. (Ack M Rand)
LADIES
Life After Divorce Is Eventually Saner. Motto for independence
and self-determination, from the so-named activist group.
Lower Academically-Minded Person. Euphemistic reference to an
idiot, or someone who's behaviour resembles one. (Ack P Garbutt) LAMP® also refers to the Miller Heiman organisation's
Large Account Management Process, which is an altogether more serious
use of the abbreviation (see the sales training
section).
LANO
Lights Are Not On. For people who aren't concentrating or simple
unable to do so. See MEGO, PEARL and RHINO. The shorthand coded version of 'The
wheel is turning but the hamster is dead'. (Ack L Speden) Alterntive acronym
is: LONI = Lights On, Nobody In. (Ack MG)
LASER
Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
Should technically be LABTSEOR, but it would never have caught on. (Thanks
KBS)
LAST
Listen, Advise, Solve, Thank. A good aid for training customer
service and complaints handling. (Ack Tumby). Certain organizations continue to
pursue less positive methods, notably the IFO technique (Ignore and Fob-Off) or
the IPATTAP model (Interrupt, Patronise, Argue, Threaten, Terminate, Apply
Penalties).
LBIAC
Left Brains In Airport Carpark. As used by airport and airline
ground handling staff the world over, and also very good for inattentive
delegates who've had to make an expensive air trip just to fall asleep on your
training course. (Ack. David Rawsthorn)
Listen, Empathise, Ask, Resolve. A fine mnemonic for customer
service and other problem-solving communications, which appears in John
Stanley's highly regarded book Just About Everything a Retail Manager Needs to
Know (thanks Stephen Carr, Dec 2007). John Stanley is a retail expert, writer
and speaker. Here is more detail of the model represented by the LEAR acronym:
- Listen - You must show serious and honest concern for the
customer seriousl, which you will begin to do by listening. By listening
actively you also take the first step towards diffusing customer upset or
anger.
- Empathise - Put yourself in the customer's shoes and see the
situation from their perspective. Showing genuine concern and understanding is
vital for empathy. Understanding is not necessarily the same as agreeing, which
can be important where the issue needs investigating before finally resolving.
- Ask - Ask Questions: ask open questions (what, how, etc) to
diagnose the situation or request, and never attempt to interrupt, or justify
your point or argue. The customer is not interested in your point of view - the
other person wants you to understand them, not present a defence or a
counter-argument.
- Resolve - Resolve the problem to the customer's satisfaction
as quickly as possible. Consider the value of the customer and not the cost of
resolving this particular issue.
(Thanks Stephen Carr, and acknowledgements to John Stanley, who
confirmed to me that to the best of his recollection he devised the acronym in
the 1970s. Here is John
Stanley's website, which will be useful especially if you are interested in
the retail industry.)
LEDO
Listen, Empathise, De-personalise, Offer. Mainly for customer
service, and also good for any conciliation or conflict resolution: listen to
the complaint, empathise with the customer, de-personalise the situation (both
of you stand back and look at it objectively), and then offer a solution.
Brilliant and simple. (Ack. Matt Booth)
LIFER
Lazy Ignorant Fool Expecting Retirement. One of the many amusing
acronyms with miltary origins, with wider potential applications. The armed
forces offer relatively short timescales by which staff can retire on a full
pension, hence the expression to describe people who fail to make the most of
their opportunities and efforts. The term has also been spotted in the
education sector. (Ack DR)
LIP
Low Involvement Product. Marketingspeak for a product which
doesn't require much thought before purchase. Question: Are all FMCGs LIPs as
well?
LOBNAH
Lights On But Nobody's At Home. Great extension of LANO, LONI or
as an alternative to PEARL. Also for people who say that they've been listening
when really we know they haven't.
LOL
Lots of Love. (Or) Laughing Out Loud. Ubiquitous acronym
found in email, chatroom and texting communications. Very probably the most
common acronym in use today.
LOFT
Lack Of Flipping Talent. Sardonic put-down or comment upon a daft
action of a colleague found in banter across City trading floors and sales
offices where such aggressive and competitive behaviours are part of the scene.
(Ack R Werrett)
Loads Of Money But A Real Dickhead. As if any confirmation were
needed; inheritence or accumulation of wealth doesn't necessarily correlate
with decency and integrity. A good acronym for Maslow
and Herzberg emphasis. (Thanks DM for reminder)
Lombard in fact is a very old word for a pawn broker, derived from Lombardy in
Italy where the system first flourished due to religious constraints
surrounding money-lending.
LONI
Lights On, Nobody In. Alternative acronym to LANO from the 'wheel
is turning but the hamster is dead' category. (Ack MG)
LUCID
Leave Until Christmas Is Done. Yuletide acronym, when
procrastinators everywhere are joined by most of the western world in deferring
anything other than a life-threatening emergency until the Christmas blow-out
is properly organized and maximum enjoyment extracted.
MAAH
Mad As A Hatter. (ODSA) This healthcare acronym has a certain
onomatopoeic quality... (Ack E Thomas)
MAEW
Moves All Extremities Well. (ODSA) Nurses and doctors acronym
used on patient notes. The term is perfectly transferable to over-active team
members, and delegates at meetings or training courses. See also KYHAFTY.
MACINTOSH
Most Applications Crash. If Not, The Operating System Hangs.
Largely unfair but very clever reverse acronym.
MBA
Master of Business Administration. Not everyone knows what this
actully stands for, and when you think about it, 'Master of Business
Administration' arguably gives a somewhat lop-sided impression of what modern
business management is all about. Too late to change it now though..
MBO (or MBO's)
Management By Objectives. The classic management, delegation and
development technique, but which people's activities and aims - and the
coaching support given - can be geared to organizational targets and
priorities. See also SMART and SMARTER, and the techniques for
effective delegation. (Thanks for reminder SD)
MBWA
Management By Walking About (or Wandering Around). Depending on
who is doing the walking about and whether you are in the vicinity this could
be either a good thing or a bad thing. If you are a manager and like to manage
by walking about make sure you do it with humility and genuine interest. Better
still why not actually do the job on the factory floor for a week and you'll
really find out what's going on. (Thanks Tom Calvert for pointing out this
omission.) See also IOWA. The term MBWA is generally acknowledged to have been
coined by Tom Peters (In Search Of Excellence, 1982), but the MBWA style, and
it's extended variant MBWAL, were part of a new management ideology which seems
to have been first pioneered by a few bright American companies as far back as
the 1940s (eg Varian Associates, the healthcare company), along with Management
By Objectives and Open Door Management. The style was later adopted and further
evangelised from the late 1950s onwards by David Packard and William Hewlett,
the founders of Hewlett Packard (who incidentally seem to have learned it from
working at some stage with Edward Ginzton of Varian). This modern approach is
also known as Silicon Valley Management - SVM - because that's location of the
first companies who used it, and where its effectiveness was first proven. The
SVM style, and its contemporary variations, now a mainstay of recently
successful big organizations like Cisco and Sun, is also indirectly referred to
as the 'HP Way'.
MBWAL
Management By Wandering Around and Listening. Extension of the
MBWA management technique.
My Eyes Glazed Over. Watch for this sign from your audience at
your next presentation. If spotted you could need more acronyms.... See PEARL
and LANO also.
MELVIN
Mediocrity, Ego, Limits, Vanity, Incompetence, Name-calling.
Non-productive aspects of workplace behaviour and attitude. Various MELVIN
terms (eg 'NO MELVIN', 'Don't be a MELVIN', 'No MELVIN's here', etc) help
remind people of the behaviours to avoid, especially in blame cultures or
negative-thinking environments. (Ack P Lubbers) Sits well alongside other
motivational and positive attitude maxims, many examples on the
quotes and leadership
sections, and links well with the philosophies of
Covey's seven habits,
Carter-Scott's rules of life and
Ruiz's Four Agreements.
Maximum Impact, Little Effort. Acronym to express the principle
of optimising productivity, and the value of identifying 'high-yield' areas on
which to apply 'high-yield' methods and techniques. Especially helpful in sales
and marketing training. See also PAY. See
Pareto Principle (The 80:20
Rule). (Ack PL)
MIP
Mobility Impaired Person. Semi-official acronym used by London
Transport staff to describe a person who may have difficulty using stairs or
escalators because of some physiological condition or because they are burdened
with heavy luggage and/or children. (Ack AB) See also VIP.
Measurable, Manageable, Motivational. A great tri-pod or
three-legged stool analogy - the three essential struts for any contracted
arrangement or understanding, or delegated task. Remove any of the three legs
and the structure falls over. See also SMART, and the
Smartie Hunt
team building game. Alternatively: Mrs, Mother, Martyr, with an
optional fourth M for Mistress if appropriate. (Ack E Gidley)
MOODLE
Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Moodle is a
very popular open source VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) internet website
platform. Platform in this sense means the technology and code on which a
website operates. Apparently the M first stood for Martin, after Martin
Dougiamas, the originator of the Moodle system. Also, apparently, the word
moodle is now a verb too, referring to the process of improvisation and
discovery leading to enjoyable personal development and learning.
Moodle.
MOP
Measure Of Performance. Critical and essential aspect of all
sorts of business activities (training, delegation, planning anything, product
development, etc), often overlooked, which invariably produces unsatisfactory
and un-measurable results that then surprise the perpetrators. (Ack. Don
Clark)
Mean Time Between Changes of Mind. Originally an engineering
abbreviation, which is actually applicable to all project work and delegated
tasks, from the perspective of the delegate, or person expected to carry out
the work. When designing, performing or carrying out any activity at the
request or instruction of another person or group, it is usually best to wait a
given time (the MTBCM) until the specification has stabilised. A few situations
and instructions have a MTBCM of zero (for example when you have left your car
in the CEO's car-park space); most other tasks (for example creating a new
corporate brochure or a company-wide training programme) tend to change in
nature considerably, and many times, before agreement is possible on final
specification. The MTBCM factor does not allow of course for those projects
which need to be started before a precise specification can be agreed, which is
another matter altogether.... (Ack MG)
Most Useless Police Probationer Ever Trained. Not a recommended
trainer's term, given the acronym's obvious disrespectful tone. (Thanks NT).
See also Muppet in the word origins.
MUPPIE
Middle-aged Urban Professional. Amusing twist on the YUPPIE
theme. Another demographic social class acronym from the 1980s.
NAAFI
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. Again, one of those
acronyms whose origins are not widely known. The NAAFI traditionally run shops
and bars within forces establishments. NAAFI has been alternatively and
mischievously interpreted within parts of HM Forces as Naff All Ambition F'
all Interest or Not At All Flipping Interested in referring to
certain NAAFI staff who display a lack of motivation, arguably resulting from
low incentive, and by comparison with their customers, a relatively safe
existence. (Thanks R Bolden and S Keightley)
NACTAC
Not A Chance Til After Christmas. Understandable response from
overworked despatch departments and customer services staff when attempting to
explain quite reasonably that it's not possible to process urgent last-minute
orders received at lunchtime on the day before holiday shut-down. Variations
include NACTAE (Easter), NACTAT (Thanksgiving), etc.
NAD
Nothing Abnormal Discovered/Detected. (ODSA) Nurses and
healthcare staff acronym to describe test results that are within the normal
range. However, NAD is alternatively often used when superiors ask for the
results of tests that no-one thought to order, in which case it means Not
Actually Done<
