85 Abbreviations and acronyms

A

B

C

D Abbreviations pronounced as individual letters

e.g. for example, from exempli gratia (Latin) i.e. that is, from id est (Latin) AD the year of our Lord, from Anno Domini (Latin), used in the Christian calendar to count years since the birth of Christ; many people prefer CE as an alternative [Common Era] BC before Christ, used to count the years before the birth of Christ; many people prefer BCE

[before the Common Era] EU European Union ID identity document NB note well, from nota bene (Latin), used as a warning or to point out something important IQ intelligence quotient: a way of measuring people’s intelligence using a system of numbers PTO please turn over USB Universal Serial Bus: a type of connection between a computer and an electronic device FAQ frequently asked questions ASAP as soon as possible VIP very important person RSVP please reply (used on invitations, from French, répondez s’il vous plaît) UFO /juːefˈəʊ/ unidentified flying object; often used to talk about an alien spaceship

Shortened and blended words

bedsit a flat with only one room which is a bedroom and a sitting room sitcom short for situational comedy: a kind of humorous TV programme sci-fi /ˈsaɪfaɪ/ science fiction info information biodata /ˈbaɪəʊ deɪtə/ biographical data: details about someone’s life, job and achievements biopic /ˈbaɪəʊpɪk/ biographical picture:a film about the life of a real person wi-fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ wireless fidelity: wireless connection for computers and electronic communications

Acronyms

Some abbreviations are acronyms, i.e. they are formed from the first letters (or occasionally syllables) of a word or series of words and are pronounced as a word. AIDS /eɪdz/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome NATO /ˈneɪtəʊ/ North Atlantic Treaty Organisation PIN personal identification number (used on credit cards, bank cards, etc.) VAT value-added tax (a kind of tax on goods), pronounced /væt/ or /ˌviːeɪˈtiː/

Abbreviations used in academic writing and bibliographies

fig. figure (a picture or drawing, often with a number, in a book or other document). Example: See fig. 2. ed. (plural eds.) editor/editors (often used in bibliographical references) p. (plural pp.) page/pages. Examples: see p. 26, see pp. 58–61 (from page 58 to page 61). cf. compare. Example: Carter (1997) investigated core vocabulary (cf. Lee 1987). et al. and others (used in bibliographical references to refer to a book or article with several authors, usually three or more). Example: O’Keeffe et al. (2010) discuss this problem.

85.1

85.2

85.3

85.4

Insert the correct Latin abbreviations from A opposite into the gaps.

1 This helmet dates from 500 . It’s over 1,500 years old. 2 The file extension, the letters that follow its name, such as .docx, .jpg, .mp3, tells you what type of file it is. 3 Type your message here. , press ‘save’ before pressing ‘send’, or you may lose your message. 4 Fruits, lemons, pears or grapes, are sometimes added when cooking poultry.

How are the abbreviations and shortened expressions in these sentences pronounced? What do they stand for?

1 NATO is an alliance of North American and European countries. 2 Their FAQ page is completely useless. You can never find what you’re looking for. 3 She’s very fond of sci-fi films. I prefer biopics. 4 I forgot my PIN and couldn’t get into my bank account online. 5 Do you believe in UFOs? 6 Write back asap. 7 Most of the cafés in town have free wi-fi. 8 The VAT rate is different in different countries of the EU. 9 A lot of people now prefer to use BCE instead of BC. 10 AIDS spread rapidly in the 1980s. 11 He manages to get into the VIP lounge at most airports. I don’t know how he does it. 12 Where’s the USB connection on this laptop? I can’t find it.

Answer the questions.

1 If someone asks you to send them your biodata, what will you send them? 2 Which is likely to be cheaper to rent in the same street in a city, a two-bedroom flat or a bedsit? 3 If someone asks you for ID, what do they want? 4 If you’re watching a sitcom on TV, are you more likely to want to cry or to laugh? 5 If a party invitation says RSVP, what should you do? 6 If someone asks you to take an IQ test, what do they want to find out? 7 If you see PTO on a document, what should you do next? 8 What would you expect to find if you clicked on ‘live traffic info’ on a website?

Correct these false statements about academic abbreviations.

1 Smedley and Jones (eds.) means Smedley and Jones wrote the book or article referred to. 2 See fig. 7 means look at number 7 in a list. 3 Markov et al. means Markov wrote a book or article with another person. 4 See pp. 33–37 means see the information on page 33 and on page 37. 5 Cf. Oswald (1987) means ‘read Oswald (1987)’.