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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Abbreviations - Are there rules?
These must seem like stupid questions to most of you, but I would just like to expand my knowledge in the English language. I would really like to know if there are any forms of reference or authoritive rules to state how abbreviations may be used. If someone could point me to a web page, or post a list of rules then I would be very grateful.
1 - I have observed the use of abbreviated terminology as a nouns. Forexample, I have been using the WBL (Web Based Learning) for over two years. Now I have been offered to buy "a 1-year WBL" for a friend, for only 1/2 price.
Is it gramatically possible to buy the noun "Web Based Learning", even if it is only 1/2 price?
2 - In a computer financial education environment, the programmers createdthe abbreviation FVF, which in this application is taken to mean "Fast Value Fall". In my performance summary I "FVFed" several times.
Can one say "I FVFed several times"? If so, then does that mean that "I Fast Value Falled several times"? or does the abbreviation somehow absolve the bad grammar?
3 - Can abbreviations be abbreviated? Sounds silly, but here they have begunusing the term MIP. MIP stands for MIDI-IC-PIC! (MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface) (IC - Integrated Circuit) (PIC - Passive Interface Circuit).
I always thought that PIC was a single chip processor (Processor IC?), but it seems I was wrong. This leads me into the last stupid question:
4 - How "standard" are standard abbreviations? Is there a reference worksomewhere?
AA, for example, always means "Amino Acid" in the circles of chemists, but it is more widely used by milllitary as an abbreviation for "Anti-Aircraft". So can Automobile Association (UK) and American Airlines (USA) prevent American Acoustics from using it, or can anyone use it to describe their Active Antennas?
Seasons greetings and good continuation to all.
1 - I have observed the use of abbreviated terminology as a nouns. Forexample, I have been using the WBL (Web Based Learning) for over two years. Now I have been offered to buy "a 1-year WBL" for a friend, for only 1/2 price.
Is it gramatically possible to buy the noun "Web Based Learning", even if it is only 1/2 price?
2 - In a computer financial education environment, the programmers createdthe abbreviation FVF, which in this application is taken to mean "Fast Value Fall". In my performance summary I "FVFed" several times.
Can one say "I FVFed several times"? If so, then does that mean that "I Fast Value Falled several times"? or does the abbreviation somehow absolve the bad grammar?
3 - Can abbreviations be abbreviated? Sounds silly, but here they have begunusing the term MIP. MIP stands for MIDI-IC-PIC! (MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface) (IC - Integrated Circuit) (PIC - Passive Interface Circuit).
I always thought that PIC was a single chip processor (Processor IC?), but it seems I was wrong. This leads me into the last stupid question:
4 - How "standard" are standard abbreviations? Is there a reference worksomewhere?
AA, for example, always means "Amino Acid" in the circles of chemists, but it is more widely used by milllitary as an abbreviation for "Anti-Aircraft". So can Automobile Association (UK) and American Airlines (USA) prevent American Acoustics from using it, or can anyone use it to describe their Active Antennas?
Seasons greetings and good continuation to all.
Top answer
[nq:1]These must seem like stupid questions to most of you, but I would just like to expand my knowledge in ... [/nq] No. [nq:1]If someone could point me to a web page, or post a list of rules then I would be very ...
- [nq:1]These must seem like stupid questions to most of you, but I would just like to expand my knowledge in ...
- [/nq] No.
- [nq:1]If someone could point me to a web page, or post a list of rules then I would be very ...
- 1/2 price.
- [/nq] I'm not sure what WBL is, but it sounds like a course that has a charge to take.
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2 Answers
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[nq:1]These must seem like stupid questions to most of you, but I would just like to expand my knowledge in ... like to know if there are any forms of reference or authoritive rules to state how abbreviations may be used.[/nq]
No.
[nq:1]If someone could point me to a web page, or post a list of rules then I would be very ... 1/2 price. Is it gramatically possible to buy the noun "Web Based
No.
[nq:1]If someone could point me to a web page, or post a list of rules then I would be very ... 1/2 price. Is it gramatically possible to buy the noun "Web Based
00
[nq:1]... Trying to figure out abbreviations without knowing the application would drive you to drink and to joining AA. (Alcoholics Anonymous) You just have to know the context. There are no rules.[/nq]
Ok Tony, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply, you have confirmed my fears. My main problem is that people here are doing exactly as they please, and you should hear some of th
Ok Tony, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply, you have confirmed my fears. My main problem is that people here are doing exactly as they please, and you should hear some of th
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