We abbreviate to save time. Yet this everyday encryption also serves to obscure meaning from outsiders and eventually even from those who once knew what the terms meant. In this challenge, we asked readers to explain the hidden meaning of common three-letter acronyms (TLAs).
One self-described nit-picker reminded us that a real acronym is pronounceable as a word, like SCUBA and laser. We stand corrected, but unbowed. And perhaps one of the best entries, from Dan Norton, came in over the three-letter limit: “PCMCIA — People Can’t Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms.”
THE WINNER
PDA: Public Display of Affluence
— Keith Amman
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CRT: Cheap Radiation Therapy
— Mark Q. Moore
FTP: Find The Porn
— Janne More’n
JPG: Just Porn, Gentlemen
— John Cave
IPO: Idiot’s Pyrrhic Optimism
— Jeff Ryan
SUV: Suburban Uneasiness Vehicle
— Nancy Ott
PBS: PLEASE Be a Subscriber!
NPR: Not Particularly Radical
RFP: Rigged to Favor Pals
— Keith Amman
AOL: Amateurs On Line
BMW: Burn My Will
— Neal Conner
ATM: Addicted To Money
TLA: Terrible Language Additive
— David Bedno
IRC: Interrupt, Rant, Curse
— Rafe Brox
MP3: My Profits cut in 3rds
— B.J.D. Cruz
MP3: Music Pirates Please Pay
— Dharmo
VCR: Voluntary Commercial Remover
— Pat Hunt
Thanks for taking our challenge. Look for another one in two weeks.
