Technical Writing Exercise - Abbr & TLAs

People like to keep things brief when they're writing. It saves a lot of time if you write HMS rather than Her Majesty's Ship. Some shortened forms are so standard that there are people who have never seen mister written out. It's always Mr. And it's not a new idea. Centuries ago, the Romans used the letters SPQR rather than spell out Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Senate and the Roman People). (Easier if you're carving it in stone.)

Generally, shortened words and phrases are called abbreviations. These are broken down into specific kinds of abbreviations, but even the experts don't agree on what the various names mean. Some abbreviations are made up of initial letters where you don't try to pronounce it as a word such as SPQR or HMS.

In 1943, the guys at Bell Laboratories came up with the word acronym to mean an abbreviation that can be pronounced. Sometimes they're made up of the initial letters such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), radar (radio detection and ranging), and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Others are made from putting parts of the words together such as sonar (sound navigation and ranging) and INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization). Usually, though, they're all called acronyms.

Every area of business and industry uses acronyms. As tech writers, we tend to just automatically learn the ones that we need. From working with GM, I know that MSRP means manufacturers suggested retail price. And from his time working with BP, Bryan knows that CNG is Compressed Natural Gas. Where the problem arises is that different definitions are used in different situations. PMS to a medical professional means something quite different from what it means to a professional printer.

To add to the potential for misunderstanding, an abbreviation can have different meanings in different parts of the world. For example, PDO is a common abbreviation. To a meteorologist it stands for pacific decadal oscillation. In the UK it can mean potentially damaging operation or Pilots Development Officer. In the US it can be Public Defender's Office or paid days off. In Australia it means Postal Delivery Officer - what we'd call a postman or a mailman.

This week's exercise is to find at least two meanings for each of these familiar acronyms. For extra credit, you can also identify the business or industry they're used in.

AAA AKA AMA CIO ISO

NDA PAC SALT SME SOP

Here are the answers:

In case you're wondering, TLA is an acronym for three-letter acronym.

AAA

abdominal aortic aneurysm
- medical American Automobile Association
- business arrival and assembly area
- US military

AKA

above knee amputation
- medical also known as
- business

AMA

 

https://canvas.usao.edu/eportfolios/1084/Home/Advanced_PCAP3102_Exam

https://canvas.usao.edu/eportfolios/1084/Home/Ideal_PCCSA_Exam

https://canvas.usao.edu/eportfolios/1084/Home/Real_PDDM_Exam

https://canvas.usao.edu/eportfolios/1084/Home/Innovative_PDPF_Exam

https://canvas.usao.edu/eportfolios/1084/Home/Ideal_PEGAPCLSA80V1_2020_Exam

 

 

Academy of Model Aeronautics
- model planes against medical advice
- medical American Management Association
- business American Marketing Association
- marketing American Medical Association
- medical American Motorcyclist Association

CIO

Central Intelligence Organisation
- secret police in Zimbabwe Chief Information Officer
- business Congress of Industrial Organizations
- unio
People like to keep things brief when they're writing. It saves a lot of time if you write HMS rather than Her Majesty's Ship. Some shortened forms are so standard that there are people who have never seen mister written out. It's always Mr. And it's not a new idea. Centuries ago, the Romans used the letters SPQR rather than spell out Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Senate and the Roman People). (Easier if you're carving it in stone.)

Generally, shortened words and phrases are called abbreviations. These are broken down into specific kinds of abbreviations, but even the experts don't agree on what the various names mean. Some abbreviations are made up of initial letters where you don't try to pronounce it as a word such as SPQR or HMS.

In 1943, the guys at Bell Laboratories came up with the word acronym to mean an abbreviation that can be pronounced. Sometimes they're made up of the initial letters such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), radar (radio detection and ranging), and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Others are made from putting parts of the words together such as sonar (sound navigation and ranging) and INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization). Usually, though, they're all called acronyms.

Every area of business and industry uses acronyms. As tech writers, we tend to just automatically learn the ones that we need. From working with GM, I know that MSRP means manufacturers suggested retail price. And from his time working with BP, Bryan knows that CNG is Compressed Natural Gas. Where the problem arises is that different definitions are used in different situations. PMS to a medical professional means something quite different from what it means to a professional printer.

To add to the potential for misunderstanding, an abbreviation can have different meanings in different parts of the world. For example, PDO is a common abbreviation. To a meteorologist it stands for pacific decadal oscillation. In the UK it can mean potentially damaging operation or Pilots Development Officer. In the US it can be Public Defender's Office or paid days off. In Australia it means Postal Delivery Officer - what we'd call a postman or a mailman.

This week's exercise is to find at least two meanings for each of these familiar acronyms. For extra credit, you can also identify the business or industry they're used in.

AAA AKA AMA CIO ISO

NDA PAC SALT SME SOP

Here are the answers:

In case you're wondering, TLA is an acronym for three-letter acronym.

AAA

abdominal aortic aneurysm
- medical American Automobile Association
- business arrival and assembly area
- US military

AKA

above knee amputation
- medical also known as
- business

AMA

Academy of Model Aeronautics
- model planes against medical advice
- medical American Management Association
- business American Marketing Association
- marketing American Medical Association
- medical American Motorcyclist Association

CIO

Central Intelligence Organisation
- secret police in Zimbabwe Chief Information Officer
- business Congress of Industrial Organizations
- unio
People like to keep things brief when they're writing. It saves a lot of time if you write HMS rather than Her Majesty's Ship. Some shortened forms are so standard that there are people who have never seen mister written out. It's always Mr. And it's not a new idea. Centuries ago, the Romans used the letters SPQR rather than spell out Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Senate and the Roman People). (Easier if you're carving it in stone.)

Generally, shortened words and phrases are called abbreviations. These are broken down into specific kinds of abbreviations, but even the experts don't agree on what the various names mean. Some abbreviations are made up of initial letters where you don't try to pronounce it as a word such as SPQR or HMS.

In 1943, the guys at Bell Laboratories came up with the word acronym to mean an abbreviation that can be pronounced. Sometimes they're made up of the initial letters such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), radar (radio detection and ranging), and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Others are made from putting parts of the words together such as sonar (sound navigation and ranging) and INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization). Usually, though, they're all called acronyms.

Every area of business and industry uses acronyms. As tech writers, we tend to just automatically learn the ones that we need. From working with GM, I know that MSRP means manufacturers suggested retail price. And from his time working with BP, Bryan knows that CNG is Compressed Natural Gas. Where the problem arises is that different definitions are used in different situations. PMS to a medical professional means something quite different from what it means to a professional printer.

To add to the potential for misunderstanding, an abbreviation can have different meanings in different parts of the world. For example, PDO is a common abbreviation. To a meteorologist it stands for pacific decadal oscillation. In the UK it can mean potentially damaging operation or Pilots Development Officer. In the US it can be Public Defender's Office or paid days off. In Australia it means Postal Delivery Officer - what we'd call a postman or a mailman.

This week's exercise is to find at least two meanings for each of these familiar acronyms. For extra credit, you can also identify the business or industry they're used in.

AAA AKA AMA CIO ISO

NDA PAC SALT SME SOP

Here are the answers:

In case you're wondering, TLA is an acronym for three-letter acronym.

AAA

abdominal aortic aneurysm
- medical American Automobile Association
- business arrival and assembly area
- US military

AKA

above knee amputation
- medical also known as
- business

AMA

Academy of Model Aeronautics
- model planes against medical advice
- medical American Management Association
- business American Marketing Association
- marketing American Medical Association
- medical American Motorcyclist Association

CIO

Central Intelligence Organisation
- secret police in Zimbabwe Chief Information Officer
- business Congress of Industrial Organizations
- unio