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[FAQ] Acronymphomania !

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Sep 10, 1997, 3:00:00 AM9/10/97

Archive-name: pratchett/acronym-faq
Posting-Frequency: weekly (every wednesday)
Last-modified: 22 Aug 1997
URL: http://www.lspace.org/faqs/

- hi; 26. again, "Followup-To" set to: poster [me]
[please remove both letter "y"s of the address in the reply-to: line]
- remove this follow-up-to line from the header, to post to AFP (q.v.)
- but in either case, *please* don't repost the entire faq:
i already have it, and i believe there's also a copy on AFP (q.v.)...

-----!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!-----!-----

* ACRONYMPHOMANIA ! *

The No-Longer Totally Unofficial, But Still Incomplete,
AfpGuide to Acronyms and other Abbreviations in Common Use upon AFP

n.b. this guide has, nevertheless, quite specifically
*not*
received the imprimatur of the CABAL (q.v.)
which, equally specifically,
*does*not*exist*

you may also care to read the afp article,
"[FAQ] [M] [I] [G] [R] [A] [F] - what's it all about ?"
(an unofficial guide to the [X] keycode system in use here on afp (q.v.))

italicised entries (e.g. _Eric_) indicate that the afpbreviation is of the
title of a book by "Pterry" (Terry Pratchett), or related to his oeuvre.

*** in the l.h. margin indicates next to, or below, an entry indicates
an addition or a revision; constructive suggestions,
additions, alterations, and alliterations, etc. are always welcome...

ABP alt.books.pratchett - a strictly serious newsgroup devoted to
the rigorous analysis of the works of a lesser-known humourist.
A.D. anno domini; a dating system based on a mistaken interpretation of
the information given in the new testament of the bible regarding
the date of birth of one particular palestinian. best estimate of
the numerical error in assigning the "nazarene"'s date of birth
would put it in 6 B.C.(q.v.), sfaiaa (q.v.), and in approximately
march of that year, too...
AFAIK as far as i know [cf. SFAIK (q.v.) & SFAIAA (q.v.)].
AFK absent from keyboard.
AFP, afp alt.fan.pratchett - a generally harmonious anarchy once more :-)
AFPA alt.fan.pratchett.announce - a rigidly controlled dictatorship
for articles of an announcementish sort of afpishness [which, it
is promised, is fairly loosely defined].
AFPB either AFPBOFH (q.v.) or a mistaken abbreviation (for ABP (q.v.)):
because of the possibility of confusion, probably better not used
AFPBOFH alt.fan.pratchett.bofh (see BOFH) - but naught but spam, now :-(
AIUI as i understand it
aka also known as - indicating alternate title(s), especially of a
(a.k.a.) book or story. nothing whatsoever to do with the monke^H^H^H^H^H
any recently reformed sixties pop-group created by don kirshner.
AOL ! "me too !" (from the alleged [commonly accepted as true] newbie-
("aol !") ish 'net behaviour of users posting via a certain ISP (q.v.), but
("aol !") neither restricted to their users, nor universal to them [it just
("aol !") *seems* like it, sometimes...])(is losing capitalisation as it be-
comes generic through common usage - frequently in triplicate...)
A.S.R. alt.sex.reptiles (see LART)
ATM at the moment; automatic teller machine (bank "hole in the wall");
asynchronous transfer mode.
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation, The; aka "The Beeb". publicly-
owned, but not directly government-controlled uk tv + radio net-
work, and publisher. commercial tv in the uk is provided by the
ITV (q.v.) network, and C4 & S4C (q.v.); latterly, the overtly
populist C5 has started transmission, to almost universal apathy.
BBC1, BBC2 = two national t.v. channels (BBC1 with regional varia-
tions); R(adio) 1, R2, R3, R4, R5 (q.v.) = national radio channels.

the beeb has broadcast radio dramatisations of a number of Disc-
world books, and t.v. dramatisations of two of the "Johnny Maxwell"
books (but not, i think, of OYCSM (q.v.)).

the service is funded by the t.v. license fee payable by all uk
households using a television, and which is set by the government,
who also appoint the governors of the public corporation, who app-
oint its director-general and "deputy dg", as vacancies arise -
whereafter little or no day-to-day control *need* exist. but n.b.
international services, as the World Service of the BBC, are run
by the bbc for, and are directly funded by, the u.k. government
Foreign Office, which *does* exercise its control, and on a daily
basis, from time to time (not least, the reconquest of the falkland
isles + during the u.n. war against iraq).
aka (q.v.) "Auntie", prior to the coining of "The Beeb" by the
late, greatly lamented kenny everett.
BBFN, bbfn 'bye-'bye for now [cf. BFN, GBFN, TTFN (q.v.)]
B.C. "before christ" [cf. B.C.E., A.D., C.E. (q.v.)]
B.C.E. a system for dating years prior to the first year C.E./A.D.
counting is retrograde, by the number of years by which a given
year preceded the start of the C.E.(q.v.)/A.D.(q.v.) calendar.
see also, entry immediately above this.
ba*d bastard (coined: co...@lspace.org - not a member of the CABAL (q.v.))
BFN 'bye for now [cf. BBFN, GBFN, TTFN (q.v. omnia)]
BICBW but i could be wrong (also ICBW, ICBWB, BICVWBW ..very well be...)
BOFH, bofh bastard operator from hell: sys(tem)admin(istrator) - or,
"the tech who knows how these ******* things work" (see LART).
BSL big scary looming (BSL Simes, originally)(coined by - joann ?)
BTSOOM beats the shit out of me [also ..F.. - fuck*; ..H.. - hell; etc.]
BTW, btw by the way
C4 Channel Four; the commercial fourth uk national tv channel (save
for the welsh, who have S4C (q.v.)). has run the Cosgrove Hall
animations of _Truckers_, and _Wyrd Sisters_, and are due to run
their animation of _Soul Music_ in autumn 1997 [see also BBC, ITV,
and S4C]
CABAL a covert association of conspirators, frequently one attempting to
wrest control of an organisation; or, actually having succeeded in
taking control, that chooses to keep its existence - and the extent
of its powers - hidden from all but its own members. originally, a
group of advisors to the ruler whose existence, and power, was sim-
ilarly kept covert, after the name by which the group of (uk) king
Charles II's advisors was called, once their privileged positions
and cohesion started to become apparent; Clifford, Arlington, Buck-
ingham, Ashley and Lauderdale; the acronym being coined from the
initial letters of their names, and is therefore in this sense an
acroeponym. (it is probable that the coiner was aware of the exist-
ence of the french "cabale", derived through medieval latin from
the hebrew Qaballah (Kaballah, etc.), of arcane jewish religious
teachings and interpretations, if not in fact a student thereof).
* n.b. there is *_no_* CABAL controlling AFP (q.v.) *
C.E. common era: indicates dating system used. numerically identical to
the A.D. system, this makes no presumption about the faith(s) of the
readers, or the historical accuracy (or otherwise) of such faiths.
regarded by some as more polite, derided by others as PC (q.v.).
cf. confer
C|N>K coffee (through the) nose (onto the) keyboard; extended to "..>M"
ditto, but all over the monitor; and "..>S", over the screen, etc.
CORFLU, correcting fluid (cf. "snopake" - "idiot ink" - "whiteout" - but):
corflu pink, inflammable and "sniffable", way back in the dim and distant
age of _The Enchanted Duplicator_); now used both in the original
sense (mostly by wrinkllies and crumblies - hi, dave ! -) and as a
generic magical liquid of great strength, most efficacious, though
strictly NBM (q.v.) (from fandom).
DMWC (the) dear madwoman carol (_the_) [and variations extemporised therefrom]
DWC _The Discworld Companion_ (when using, please specify the edition,
as the pagination differs from the h/cvr & yp/b to the updated and
re-set (and with at least 14% greater text content) p/b edition.
DWC #1 the discworld convention; this was held in june 1996
DWC #2 the discworld convention #2; to be held in august 1998
E _Eric_ [see also F^HE]
e.g. exempli gratia
ER _Equal Rites_
et seq. et sequentia
etc. et cetera
ETLA extended three-letter acronym [because FLA isn't] [and DETLA, etc.]
F^HE _Faust^H^H^H^H^H_Eric_ [see also E]
FAQ, faq frequently asked questions - and files listing same, with answers,
periodically posted to AFP (q.v.); available via FTP (q.v.) from
ftp.lspace.org (in the netherlands), ftp-au.lspace.org, ftp-uk.
lspace.org (was also nl), and ftp-us.lspace.org [see also RTFFAQ].
FETLA further-extended three-letter acronym. after ETLA (q.v.). [etc....]
FLA four-letter acronym; but it isn't one [see ETLA/DETLA].
FoC _Feet of Clay_; also Free of Charge.
FTP, ftp file transfer protocol: getting files from a distant online compu-
ter; if you do not yet know how to achieve this, RTFM (q.v.) <g>;
if you have none, ask your ISP (q.v.) or the nearest friendly BOFH
(q.v.); if they cannot, or will not help, ask one who has the same
ISP as you. if you still have no joy, ask on AFP (q.v.) - but be
prepared to be a) swamped with offers of instruction - and helpful
advice - or b) totally ignored (at random). (- n.b. i said "at";
not "by"...<g>) (- if b), ask on the relevant demon.ip.support.
group [.newuser, .pc (for dos), .turnpike, .unix, .win95, .winsock,
.nt, .os2, and .other (for aught else] but do read the group also...
FUBAR fucked up beyond all recognition*
FUD fear, uncertainty, and dismay [or doubt, or disinformation]
FWIW, fwiw for what it's worth ("stop, hey, what's that sound...") (sorry)
FX, fx. effects - originally a stage direction indicating sound effects -
now frequently given as <fx: (description or definition of effect
desired)>, or <fx>: (name of sound or other effect to be imagined)
- n.b. no longer restricted to _sound_ effects in 'net usage.
G!G! _Guards! Guards!_ [though it parses to "Guards Not-Guards Not"...]
GBFN good-bye for now [cf. BBFN, BFN, TTFN (q.v.)]
g,d&r(vf)(v,vf)
*** grins, ducks and runs (very fast); or "...(very, very...)" & so on.
GG [see G!G!]
GO _Good Omens_
H _Hogfather_ (but "Hf" is the more common afpbreviation); heroin.
HAND "have a nice day" - meaningless phrase parrotted incessantly and
completely insincerely by many, esp. merkins; the sentiments of the
phrase may be truly and honestly meant - by a few - who would not
so abbreviate it... (cf. WYMM (q.v.)).
h/cvr hardcover
Hf _Hogfather_ (more common than "H", which is also afpused)
HM(M)HYG - see "SHM(M)HYG"
HTH hope this [/that] helps - _not_ to be confused with WTH (q.v.) !
ibid. ibidem
ICBW i could be wrong (also BICBW (q.v.), etc.)
ICURYY4ME see YYUR, YYUB
i.e. id est
IIRC, iirc if i recall correctly
IMAO in my arrogant opinion
IMHO, imho in my humble opinion
IMNSHO in my not so humble opinion
IME in my experience
IMO in my opinion
IOW in other words [or, in other worlds...]; also Isle of Wight
IRL, irl in real life [see RL]
ISP, isp internet service provider - the company, institution, group, or
individual that is responsible for letting you loose on AFP (q.v.).
ISTR, istr i seem to recall [rembember]
IT _Interesting Times_
ITV, itv Independent Television; the commercial third uk tv channel, comp-
osed of a rapidly decreasing number of increasingly large media
companies, or megacorps-owned tv companies, who bid for the area
franchises auctioned by the government. [see also BBC, C4, S4C]
IIUC, iiuc if i understand (understood) correctly
IYWBSG(AT) if you would be so good (as to...) [similarly IYWBSK ....kind]
J&tB [see JatB]
J&tD [see JatD]
JatB _Johnny and the Bomb_
JatD _Johnny and the Dead_
l. line [followed by ordinal number of the line referred to from the
top of the page: quote after giving page number (see "p.")].
ll. lines [followed by ordinal numbers of the lines referred to from
the top of the page: quote after giving page number (see "p.")].
the abbreviation is also used for giving the total (cardinal) num-
ber of lines in a piece of text to which reference is being made]
L&L, LAL _Lords and Ladies_
LART, lart this information is classified: see your nearest BOFH (q.v.) for
further instruction, or demonstration. (n.b. no responsibility is,
nor can be accepted by yr hmbl spnt, the compiler, for aught that
may subsequently transpire - cf. etiam ASR (q.v.))
LOL, lol laugh(ing) out loud
M _Mort_; also "mega-" in abbreviations of compounds s.i. unit
names, indicating units of one thousand of the basic one.
M@A [see MAA]
MAA _Men at Arms_
M!M _Maskerade_ [from "Maskerade, not Mort"]
merkin _not_ an abbreviation: it is a word in the english language: natal,
though not necessarily native, or adoptive inhabitant, or ex-inhab-
itant, of the USA (q.v.); n.b. also the afprecognised existence of
a number of "clueful merkins".
mmp/b mass market paperback: "strippable" merkin paperback [cf. tp/b]
MP _Moving Pictures_
n.b. nota bene
NTSC Never The Same Color - merkin t.v. format, not compatible with any
european (variously PAL (q.v.), PAL/Secam and probably others),
nor xxxxian, kiwiiian, or anywhere else-ian, save canadadadian.
this gives rise to problems with videos from the different areas
not being compatible, though they all be VHS (q.v.). some more ex-
pensive video players are dual standard - check, before you buy !
OLF, olf one line follow-up [commonly considered a netcrime, but AFP (q.v.)
is significantly more tolerant of them, than most newsgroups -
*if* the preceding text is trimmed to the minimum needed for the
olf's point to remain needle-sharp; *if* the effect is punctuatory]
OTOH, otoh on the other hand
OTTH on the third hand [etc....]
OYCSM _Only You Can Save Mankind_
P _Pyramids_ [also the musical direction, or indication, "piano"].
p. page [followed by the ordinal number of the page referred to - use
the number printed on the page unless you explicitly state that an
alternative numbering system is in use, and state which edition of
which book is being used] [see also "pp.", "l." & "ll.")]
PAL Prolongs Active Life; also the basic european colour tv standard;
though there are national variations (eeek ! - it's those variable
standards again !). [see also NTSC]
p/b paperback [see also h/cvr, mmp/b, tp/b, yp/b]
pp. pages [followed by ordinal numbers of the pages referred to - use
the numbers printed on the pages unless you explicitly state that
an alternative numbering system is in use, and state which edition
of which book is being used: follow giving page number (see "p.")]
[the abbreviation is also used for giving the total (cardinal) no.
(q.v.) of pages in a book (or other piece of text) to which refer-
ence is being made] [see also "l."]
PC, pc personal computer; personal computer based on the standards used by
I.B.M. for their personal computer; also "politically correct" -
i.e. following or applying a standard or standards of moral be-
haviour to actions. in this latter sense, also misused and derided
by the senseless to left and right of the political spectrum, and
by idiots in general: where it is abused in this way, consider the
proposals or arguments made - and also the source of the "abusage".
q.e.d. quod erat demonstrandum
q.v. quod videt
R1; BBC (q.v.) uk "national" radio network programmes; "Radio One" et
R2; seq.(q.v.). R1: current pop music; R2: (in transition from) light
R3; MOR (q.v.) music and entertainment to (?) general pop music of
R4; any time; R3: pre-, post- and classical music, and also study of
R5 music; some drama; R4: (under reconstruction) news, analysis and
current affairs; drama; test match commentary on long wave, as is
appropriate; desert island discs; science (reportage and discuss-
ion; some classical music; inane chat shows and soaps [in other
words, a mess; and this is overtly the premier uk national public-
ly-owned radio programme]; R5 [allegedly "live"]: sport; R4 exhib-
its some u.k. regional and constituent national variation.
there were formerly three uk-wide radio programmes (until 1967);
these were the Home Service (now R4), the Light Programme (renamed
R2); most "light" programming later transferred into R4, some to
R5), and the Third Programme (now R3). you may see some crumblier
and wrinklier uk afpers referring to these, or to the current R2 -
4 by the names with which they are more familiar - still...
see "BBC" entry for explanation of the autonomy/vulnerability
to interfernce and control by the government of the uk, of this
public corporation; also for earlier structure of radio services.
RL real life - a semi-mythical state of existence (also IRL, q.v.).
RM _Reaper Man_; also the Routemaster, the last bus designed for
london & londoners, by a team from london county council, london
transport and A.E.C., who built it. the best big city bus ever.
ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFLKAS rolling on the floor laughing, kicking and screaming [etc....]
RP, rp recived pronunciation; formerly known as the queen (or king)'s
english, or bbc english; formerly thought to be classless, correct
pronunciation (mostly by the london and south eastern middle clas-
ses upon whose pronunciation it was based); also rocket projectile.
RSN, rsn real soon now (from fandom - means "sometime, honestly !")
RTFFAQ read the fucking FAQ (q.v.)*
RTFI read the fucking instructions*
RTFM read the fucking manual*
S _Sourcery_ [n.b. not Strata, which is not commonly afpbreviated]
S4C Sianel Pedwar Cymru - the welsh national commercial fourth tv
channel, broadcasting welsh language programmes plus a selection
drawn from C4 (q.v.) including the Cosgrove Hall animations of WS
and SM; but rarely, if ever, simultaneously with C4. correct pro-
nunciation of S4C is "es pedwar ec" [thanks, warren], and of the
full, "shannel pedwar kumree" (a short u, as in a very brief "ook")
[see also BBC, C4 and ITV]
SFAIAA so far as i am aware [cf. AFAIK, SFAIK (q.v.)]
SFAIK so far as i know [ditto]
SG _Small Gods_
SHM(M)HYG so how much (money) have you got ? - an afpropriate response to
any so ill-advised as to lightly pop the question "WYMM (q.v.) ?"
SIG, .SIG signiature file: small (c. four lines of text is strongly advised)
sig, .sig file of information, or quotation (or a mix of these), appended to
e-mails and news articles sent by a user, and by 'netwide co-op-
erative convention, separated from each item's text by the .sig
separator, which is a line "-- <cr>" (hyphen hyphen space return).
programs exist to vary the .sig automat(/g)ically, and also rand-
omly, if desired. some (?many?) readers can be set to not display
the .sigs of articles and e-mails received: if using a spam (uce)
trap, don't depend on advice of this in your .sig being seen...
# in following-up to a newsgroup articles, previous contributors'
.sigs should normally be cut (unless relevant to your afposting) #
# n.b. - many newsgroups are intolerant of large or ugly .sigs #
SM _Soul Music_; more generally irl (o.k., & fantasy) Sado-Masochism.
SNAFU situation normal; all fucked up* [also as a noun; a snag or error]
SO; so Significant Other - spouse, partner, etc. - non-prescriptive as to
sex, or legal status, and therefore PC (q.v.)
sub. sub (cf. sup.)
sup. superior (cf. sub.)
TAP thermionically adroit prestidigitator
TCoM _The Colour of Magic_
TCP _The Carpet People_
TDSotS _The Dark Side of the Sun_
TIA thanks (or thank-you) in advance
TLA, tla three-letter acronym or abbreviation [which it is]
TLC _The Last Continent_ - working title of Discworld novel due 11/98;
also Thin Layer Chromatography (Chromatogram); Tender Loving Care.
TLF _The Light Fantastic_
tp/b non-strippable merkin paperback [cf. mmp/b; also h/cvr, p/b, yp/b]
TRSZ the red salamander zaruga
TTFN, ttfn ta-taa for now [cf. BBFN, BFN, GBFN (q.v.)]
TUC _The Unadulterated Cat_<fx: bright pink ppint.> (thanks, michael);
Trades Union Congress [is also a proprietory brand salty biscuit]
TWSS,BTHD The Wheel's Still Spinning, But The Hamster's Dead (thanks, glinda)
ube unsolicited bulk e-mail [cf. uce, below]
uce unsolicited commercial e-mail - junk-mail via the 'net; as opposed
to "spam" and "velveeta", which are abuse of newsnet.
UK, uk the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland (which
incorporates within its boundaries the kingdoms and principalities
of scotland and of wales. i do not recall whether this includes
the isle of man, nor the channel islands (which are in origin, the
remnants of the duchy of normandy)(might some kind afper advise ?)
USA, usa merkia [which is, itself, a back-formation from "Merkin" (q.v.),
name modelled on "mercia", the saxon kingdom]; the united states
of america. (<fx: thinks>: does this imply that all other american
states are disunited - canadadada, we know about, but...?)
UUC _The Unseen University Challenge_ (no, i don't know what happened
to the "T" - maybe ask merkins (q.v.) about a gala in boston ?)
(the discworld quizbook written by david langford)("our" dave l.)
VHS proprietory videocassette system format, though n.b. variations of
electronic standards mean that incompatibilities do exist between
VHS videos from different areas [see NTSC, PAL]: more expensive
dual standard players exist, but ask before you buy !
*vom* *** ejaculation indicative of excess (vide context, as to whether the
excess in question be of alcohol, "loveydoviness", joy, or sheer
*cute*) nausea. presumably derived by abbreviation from "vomit".
WA _Witches Abroad_
WAIS Western Antarctic Ice Shelf; also Wide Area Information Service.
WitH _Words in the Head_
WRT, wrt with regard to
WS _Wyrd Sisters_
WTF what the fuck*
WTH what the hell...?
WYMM, wymm will you marry me ? (the afpuse of the abbreviation may be taken
as a reliable guide as to the sincerity of, and the depth of, the
feelings involved upon the part of the purported supplicant... -
and is properly answered by counterquestion by acronym, such as
"SHM(M)HYG ?" (q.v.), by misdirection, or by dignified silence...)
YHBT you have been trolled (a practice not greatly encouraged upon AFP);
hence: YKYHBTW (phrase): you know YHBT when (circumstances)
YMMV, ymmv your mileage may vary (merkinism) = your opinion may differ: derived
from the "so you can't sue us clause" in car advertisements quoting
a mileage figure for fuel consumption, so also may be used to mean
that your _experimental_results_, i.e. your experience, may differ.
YHN your humble narrator
yp/b yuppieback: paperback formed by uk h/cvr (q.v.) signiatures being
trimmed and glued into card covers. [originated by the maintainer
of "FAQ Acronymphomania ! [M]" c.1977; now widespread trade termin-
ology in uk.] [in origin, contemptuous; now not _necessarily_ so.]
[see also mmp/b, p/b, tp/b]
YYUR,YYUB "... ICURYY4ME" <g>

* - abbreviations now most oftenly used without any necessary
implication or meaning of great force, or desire to offend...
the coy may wish to imagine polite alternatives to parts of
the verb, "to fuck": the polite may choose to avoid these
expressions - and their abbreviations - completely...

------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!-----!------

- that's all i've been able to think of, or have noticed on AFP (q.v.), or
have been advised of & see to be of afprelevance, since agreeing the need
for, and offering to compile, this list. many thanks to everyone else
on AFP who's helped, hindered, or may yet help in the future, and
*especially* to tracy ("tj") wilkinson, who did a *lot* of the early work.

- the entries for NTSC, PAL and VHS are unsatisfactory; help would
be appreciated, in explaining to me the various distinctions and
differences, as well as for giving the phrases in full, so that
i may rectify this - plus corrections of any errors i may've made.

- love, ppint. 22/8/97 (8/22/97 for merkins)
--
"the life of a vegetable is of absolutely no interest whatsoever -
including to the vegetable in question. i speak from experience."
- ppint. at interstellar master traders
lancaster's sf, fantasy & horror role-playing game and book shop

ppint.

unread,

Sep 17, 1997, 3:00:00 AM9/17/97

Archive-name: pratchett/acronym-faq
Posting-Frequency: weekly (every wednesday)

Last-modified: 9 Sep 1997
URL: http://www.lspace.org/faqs/

- hi; take 28 (9/9/97). again, "Followup-To" set to: poster [me]
[please remove the letter "y" of the address in the reply-to: line]

- remove this follow-up-to line from the header, to post to AFP (q.v.)
- but in either case, *please* don't repost the entire faq:
i already have it, and i believe there's also a copy on AFP (q.v.)...

-----!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!-----!-----

* ACRONYMPHOMANIA ! *

The No-Longer-Totally-Unofficial, But-Still-Incomplete,

AfpGuide to Acronyms and other Abbreviations in Common Use upon AFP

n.b. this guide has, nevertheless, quite specifically
*not*
received the imprimatur of the CABAL (q.v.)
which, equally specifically,
*does*not*exist*

you may also care to read the afp article,
"[FAQ] [M] [I] [G] [R] [A] [F] - what's it all about ?"
(an unofficial guide to the [X] keycode system in use here on afp (q.v.))

italicised entries (e.g. _Eric_) indicate that the afpbreviation is of the
title of a book by "Pterry" (Terry Pratchett), or related to his oeuvre.

*** in the l.h. margin indicates next to, or below, an entry indicates
an addition or a revision; constructive suggestions, additions,

alterations, and alliterations, etc. (q.v.) are always welcome -
and may even be adopted, adapted or otherwise mutilated and (ab)used...

neither restricted to their users, nor universal to them [it just

*seems* like it, sometimes...])(is losing capitalisation as it be-
comes generic through common usage - frequently in triplicate...)
A.S.R. alt.sex.reptiles (see LART)
ATM at the moment; automatic teller machine (bank "hole in the wall");
asynchronous transfer mode.
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation, The; aka "The Beeb". publicly-
owned, but not directly government-controlled uk tv + radio net-
work, and publisher. commercial tv in the uk is provided by the
ITV (q.v.) network, and C4 & S4C (q.v.); latterly, the overtly
populist C5 has started transmission, to almost universal apathy.
BBC1, BBC2 = two national t.v. channels (BBC1 with regional varia-
tions); R(adio) 1, R2, R3, R4, R5 (q.v.) = national radio channels.
the beeb has broadcast radio dramatisations of a number of Disc-
world books, and t.v. dramatisations of two of the "Johnny Maxwell"
books (but not, i think, of OYCSM (q.v.)).

the service is funded by the t.v. licence fee payable by all uk

households using a television, and which is set by the government,
who also appoint the governors of the public corporation, who app-
oint its director-general and "deputy dg", as vacancies arise -
whereafter little or no day-to-day control *need* exist. but n.b.
international services, as the World Service of the BBC, are run
by the bbc for, and are directly funded by, the u.k. government
Foreign Office, which *does* exercise its control, and on a daily

basis from time to time (not least, the reconquest of the falkland

isles + during the u.n. war against iraq).
aka (q.v.) "Auntie", prior to the coining of "The Beeb" by the
late, greatly lamented kenny everett.
BBFN, bbfn 'bye-'bye for now [cf. BFN, GBFN, TTFN (q.v.)]
B.C. "before christ" [cf. B.C.E., A.D., C.E. (q.v.)]
B.C.E. a system for dating years prior to the first year C.E./A.D.
counting is retrograde, by the number of years by which a given
year preceded the start of the C.E.(q.v.)/A.D.(q.v.) calendar.
see also, entry immediately above this.
ba*d bastard (coined: co...@lspace.org - not a member of the CABAL (q.v.))
BFN 'bye for now [cf. BBFN, GBFN, TTFN (q.v. omnia)]

BICBW but i could be wrong (also ICBW, ICWBW, BICVWBW ..very well be...)

BOFH, bofh bastard operator from hell: sys(tem)admin(istrator) - or,
"the tech who knows how these ******* things work" (see LART).

BSL big scary looming (BSL Simes, originally) (coined by domini joann)

BTSOOM beats the shit out of me [also ..F.. - fuck*; ..H.. - hell; etc.]
BTW, btw by the way
C4 Channel Four; the commercial fourth uk national tv channel (save
for the welsh, who have S4C (q.v.)). has run the Cosgrove Hall
animations of _Truckers_, and _Wyrd Sisters_, and are due to run
their animation of _Soul Music_ in autumn 1997 [see also BBC, ITV,
and S4C]
CABAL a covert association of conspirators, frequently one attempting to
wrest control of an organisation; or, actually having succeeded in
taking control, that chooses to keep its existence - and the extent
of its powers - hidden from all but its own members. originally, a
group of advisors to the ruler whose existence, and power, was sim-
ilarly kept covert, after the name by which the group of (uk) king
Charles II's advisors was called, once their privileged positions
and cohesion started to become apparent; Clifford, Arlington, Buck-
ingham, Ashley and Lauderdale; the acronym being coined from the
initial letters of their names, and is therefore in this sense an
acroeponym. (it is probable that the coiner was aware of the exist-
ence of the french "cabale", derived through medieval latin from
the hebrew Qaballah (Kaballah, etc.), of arcane jewish religious
teachings and interpretations, if not in fact a student thereof).
* n.b. there is *_no_* CABAL controlling AFP (q.v.) *

CCDE Clarecraft Discworld Event - second (most recent) held august '97
at Ms Flitworth's, nr. bury st. edmunds, and generally agreed to
have been a successful afpmeet, despite its proximity to Europe, or
Yeurp (and hence the large number of european afpers in attendance).
("By the time we got to Flitworth's, we were half a hundred strong...")

C.E. common era: indicates dating system used. numerically identical to
the A.D. system, this makes no presumption about the faith(s) of the
readers, or the historical accuracy (or otherwise) of such faiths.
regarded by some as more polite, derided by others as PC (q.v.).
cf. confer
C|N>K coffee (through the) nose (onto the) keyboard; extended to "..>M"
ditto, but all over the monitor; and "..>S", over the screen, etc.
CORFLU, correcting fluid (cf. "snopake" - "idiot ink" - "whiteout" - but):
corflu pink, inflammable and "sniffable", way back in the dim and distant
age of _The Enchanted Duplicator_); now used both in the original
sense (mostly by wrinkllies and crumblies - hi, dave ! -) and as a
generic magical liquid of great strength, most efficacious, though
strictly NBM (q.v.) (from fandom).
DMWC (the) dear madwoman carol (_the_) [and variations extemporised therefrom]
DWC _The Discworld Companion_ (when using, please specify the edition,
as the pagination differs from the h/cvr & yp/b to the updated and
re-set (and with at least 14% greater text content) p/b edition.
DWC #1 the discworld convention; this was held in june 1996

DWC #2 the discworld convention #2; to be held in september 1998

E _Eric_ [see also F^HE]
e.g. exempli gratia
ER _Equal Rites_
et seq. et sequentia
etc. et cetera

ETLA extended three-letter acronym [because FLA isn't] [DETLA = doubly]

F^HE _Faust^H^H^H^H^H_Eric_ [see also E]
FAQ, faq frequently asked questions - and files listing same, with answers,
periodically posted to AFP (q.v.); available via FTP (q.v.) from
ftp.lspace.org (in the netherlands), ftp-au.lspace.org, ftp-uk.
lspace.org (was also nl), and ftp-us.lspace.org [see also RTFFAQ].
FETLA further-extended three-letter acronym. after ETLA (q.v.). [etc....]

FLA four-letter acronym; but it isn't one [see ETLA, & FETLA, above].

FoC _Feet of Clay_; also Free of Charge.
FTP, ftp file transfer protocol: getting files from a distant online compu-
ter; if you do not yet know how to achieve this, RTFM (q.v.) <g>;
if you have none, ask your ISP (q.v.) or the nearest friendly BOFH
(q.v.); if they cannot, or will not help, ask one who has the same
ISP as you. if you still have no joy, ask on AFP (q.v.) - but be
prepared to be a) swamped with offers of instruction - and helpful
advice - or b) totally ignored (at random). (- n.b. i said "at";
not "by"...<g>) (- if b), ask on the relevant demon.ip.support.
group [.newuser, .pc (for dos), .turnpike, .unix, .win95, .winsock,
.nt, .os2, and .other (for aught else] but do read the group also...
FUBAR fucked up beyond all recognition*
FUD fear, uncertainty, and dismay [or doubt, or disinformation]
FWIW, fwiw for what it's worth ("stop, hey, what's that sound...") (sorry)
FX, fx. effects - originally a stage direction indicating sound effects -
now frequently given as <fx: (description or definition of effect
desired)>, or <fx>: (name of sound or other effect to be imagined)
- n.b. no longer restricted to _sound_ effects in 'net usage.
G!G! _Guards! Guards!_ [though it parses to "Guards Not-Guards Not"...]
GBFN good-bye for now [cf. BBFN, BFN, TTFN (q.v.)]

g,d&r Grins, Ducks and Runs (Very Fast); or "...(Very Very Fast)" and
(vf)(vvf) so on

GG [see G!G!]
GO _Good Omens_
H _Hogfather_ (but "Hf" is the more common afpbreviation); heroin.
HAND "have a nice day" - meaningless phrase parrotted incessantly and
completely insincerely by many, esp. merkins; the sentiments of the
phrase may be truly and honestly meant - by a few - who would not
so abbreviate it... (cf. WYMM (q.v.)).
h/cvr hardcover
Hf _Hogfather_ (more common than "H", which is also afpused)
HM(M)HYG - see "SHM(M)HYG"
HTH hope this [/that] helps - _not_ to be confused with WTH (q.v.) !
ibid. ibidem
ICBW i could be wrong (also BICBW (q.v.), etc.)
ICURYY4ME see YYUR, YYUB
i.e. id est
IIRC, iirc if i recall correctly

IIUC, iiuc if i understand [understood] correctly

IMAO in my arrogant opinion
IMHO, imho in my humble opinion
IMNSHO in my not so humble opinion
IME in my experience
IMO in my opinion

IOW in other words [or, in other worlds...]; also Isle of Wight (uk).

IRL, irl in real life [see RL]
ISP, isp internet service provider - the company, institution, group, or
individual that is responsible for letting you loose on AFP (q.v.).
ISTR, istr i seem to recall [rembember]
IT _Interesting Times_
ITV, itv Independent Television; the commercial third uk tv channel, comp-
osed of a rapidly decreasing number of increasingly large media

companies, or megacorp-owned tv companies, who bid for the area

franchises auctioned by the government. [see also BBC, C4, S4C]

IYWBSG(AT) if you would be so good (as to...) [similarly IYWBSK ....kind]
J&tB [see JatB]
J&tD [see JatD]
JatB _Johnny and the Bomb_
JatD _Johnny and the Dead_

k kilo- prefix indicating thousands

l. line [followed by ordinal number of the line referred to from the
top of the page: quote after giving page number (see "p.")].
ll. lines [followed by ordinal numbers of the lines referred to from
the top of the page: quote after giving page number (see "p.")].
the abbreviation is also used for giving the total (cardinal) num-
ber of lines in a piece of text to which reference is being made]
L&L, LAL _Lords and Ladies_
LART, lart this information is classified: see your nearest BOFH (q.v.) for
further instruction, or demonstration. (n.b. no responsibility is,
nor can be accepted by yr hmbl spnt, the compiler, for aught that
may subsequently transpire - cf. etiam ASR (q.v.))
LOL, lol laugh(ing) out loud

M _Mort_; also "mega-" in abbreviations of compounds s.i.(q.v.) unit
names, indicating one million times the basic unit. (<*blush*>)

M@A [see MAA]
MAA _Men at Arms_
M!M _Maskerade_ [from "Maskerade, not Mort"]

merkin *not* an abbreviation: a word in the english language: a natal,
though not necessarily native, or adoptive, inhabitant, or ex-in-
habitant, of the USA (q.v.); n.b. also the afprecognised existence

of a number of "clueful merkins".

MKS, mks metre, kilogramme, second: one of the two basic sets of units that
define the metric system, lacking only a basic electrical unit, to
*** give full newtonian (? and einsteinian ?) universal descriptions.
a delight to work with mathmatically, as opposed to the imperial
system, which is generally possessed of units of more everyday
usefulness or s.i. (q.v.). alternative is cgs: centimetre, gramme,
and second; i do not know why there is no "mgs" system standard.

mmp/b mass market paperback: "strippable" merkin paperback [cf. tp/b]

MOR middle of (the) road - boring and undiscriminating selection of
music playlisted on the basis of causing least offence to, and
requiring least effort upon the part of the perceived audience -
not necessarily to the exclusion of all good music; but the sel-
ection criteria tend to make for bland beige musical wallpaper,
being essentially tasteless.

MP _Moving Pictures_
n.b. nota bene

NTSC *** Never Twice the Same Color - National Television Standard for
Color - merkin t.v. format, not compatible with any european (var-
iously PAL (q.v.), PAL/Secam) (and probably others), nor xxxxian,

kiwiiian, or anywhere else-ian, save canadadadian. this gives rise

to problems with videocassettes from the different areas not being
compatible, though they all be VHS (q.v.). _some_ more expensive

video players are dual standard - check, before you buy !
OLF, olf one line follow-up [commonly considered a netcrime, but AFP (q.v.)
is significantly more tolerant of them, than most newsgroups -
*if* the preceding text is trimmed to the minimum needed for the

olf's point to remain needle-sharp; *if* the effect is punctatory]

OTOH, otoh on the other hand

OTTH, otth on the third hand [etc....]

OYCSM _Only You Can Save Mankind_
P _Pyramids_; also the musical direction, or indication, "piano".
p. page [followed by the ordinal number of the page referred to - use
the number printed on the page unless you explicitly state that an
alternative numbering system is in use, and state which edition of
which book is being used] [see also "pp.", "l." & "ll.")]

PAL *** Prolongs Active Life; also the basic european tv display standard;
though there are national variations (eek ! - it's those variable
standards again !), Phase Alternate (Alternation) Line (-rate) -
in origin, defining the frequency with which each single point in
the picture ("pixel") is updated. the UK (q.v.) version is based
on a 625 line standard with _alternate_ lines being displayed on
each frame at 50 frames per second - so the picture is fully refr-
eshed 25 times per second ("you are feeling fully refreshed"...);
common in europe is PAL60 (...30 times per second). PAL50 is the
only format to which NTSC (q.v.) can easily be translated, and in
which it may easily be displayed. [thanks, both terry + gabriel]

p/b paperback [see also h/cvr, mmp/b, tp/b, yp/b]

PC, pc *** personal computer; personal computer based on the standards used
by I.B.M. for their personal computer; also player character; in
fantasy role-playing gaming, a character in the game whose aims,
ambitions and (attempted) actions are determined by a player, as
opposed to being determined by the game master/mistress ("gm")
(or, in the games d&d and ad&d, "dm" for dungeonmaster/mistress)
as a foil for the players' characters; also "politically correct"

- i.e. following or applying a standard or standards of moral be-
haviour to actions. in this latter sense, also misused and derided

by the senseless to the left and right of the political spectrum,

and by idiots in general: where it is abused in this way, consider

well the proposals or arguments made - and also the source of the
"abusage"...
pp. *** pages [followed by ordinal numbers of the pages referred to - use

the numbers printed on the pages unless you explicitly state that
an alternative numbering system is in use, and state which edition
of which book is being used: follow giving page number (see "p.")]
[the abbreviation is also used for giving the total (cardinal) no.
(q.v.) of pages in a book (or other piece of text) to which refer-

ence is being made] [see also "l."]; also used as an abbreviation
of "per pro", itself derived by abbreviation of per procurationem.

q.e.d. quod erat demonstrandum
q.v. quod videt
R1; BBC (q.v.) uk "national" radio network programmes; "Radio One" et
R2; seq.(q.v.). R1: current pop music; R2: (in transition from) light

R3; MOR (q.v.) music and entertainment to (?) general old pop music of

R4; any time; R3: pre-, post- and classical music, and also study of
R5 music; some drama; R4: (under reconstruction) news, analysis and
current affairs; drama; test match commentary on long wave, as is
appropriate; desert island discs; science (reportage and discuss-
ion; some classical music; inane chat shows and soaps [in other
words, a mess; and this is overtly the premier uk national public-
ly-owned radio programme]; R5 [allegedly "live"]: sport; R4 exhib-
its some u.k. regional and constituent national variation.
there were formerly three uk-wide radio programmes (until 1967);
these were the Home Service (now R4), the Light Programme (renamed
R2); most "light" programming later transferred into R4, some to
R5), and the Third Programme (now R3). you may see some crumblier
and wrinklier uk afpers referring to these, or to the current R2 -
4 by the names with which they are more familiar - still...
see "BBC" entry for explanation of the autonomy/vulnerability
to interfernce and control by the government of the uk, of this
public corporation; also for earlier structure of radio services.

RL *** real life - a semi-mythical state of existence rumoured to exist
outside afp & afpmeets, CCDE, & dwc #1, 2 (q.v.). (also IRL, in..)

RM _Reaper Man_; also the Routemaster, the last bus designed for
london & londoners, by a team from london county council, london

transport and A.E.C, who built it. the best big city omnibus ever.
ROFL (etc.)see ROTFL
RO(T)FL rolling on (the) floor laughing
RO(T)FLKAS rolling on (the) floor laughing, kicking and screaming [etc....]

RP, rp recived pronunciation; formerly known as the queen (or king)'s
english, or bbc english; formerly thought to be classless, correct
pronunciation (mostly by the london and south eastern middle clas-
ses upon whose pronunciation it was based); also rocket projectile.
RSN, rsn real soon now (from fandom - means "sometime, honestly !")
RTFFAQ read the fucking FAQ (q.v.)*
RTFI read the fucking instructions*
RTFM read the fucking manual*
S _Sourcery_ [n.b. not Strata, which is not commonly afpbreviated]
S4C Sianel Pedwar Cymru - the welsh national commercial fourth tv
channel, broadcasting welsh language programmes plus a selection
drawn from C4 (q.v.) including the Cosgrove Hall animations of WS
and SM; but rarely, if ever, simultaneously with C4. correct pro-
nunciation of S4C is "es pedwar ec" [thanks, warren], and of the
full, "shannel pedwar kumree" (a short u, as in a very brief "ook")
[see also BBC, C4 and ITV]
SFAIAA so far as i am aware [cf. AFAIK, SFAIK (q.v.)]
SFAIK so far as i know [ditto]
SG _Small Gods_
SHM(M)HYG so how much (money) have you got ? - an afpropriate response to
any so ill-advised as to lightly pop the question "WYMM (q.v.) ?"

S.I., s.i. systeme internationale: a confusion created by the addition of
*** millions of names to the MKS (that was an "S", not a "P") (q.v.)
metric system's standard dimensionally-compounded units.
SIG, .SIG signature file: small (c. four lines of text is strongly advised)

sig, .sig file of information, or quotation (or a mix of these), appended to
e-mails and news articles sent by a user, and by 'netwide co-op-
erative convention, separated from each item's text by the .sig
separator, which is a line "-- <cr>" (hyphen hyphen space return).
programs exist to vary the .sig automat(/g)ically, and also rand-
omly, if desired. some (?many?) readers can be set to not display
the .sigs of articles and e-mails received: if using a spam (uce)

trap, *don't* depend on advice of this in your .sig being seen...

# in following-up to a newsgroup articles, previous contributors'
.sigs should normally be cut (unless relevant to your afposting) #
# n.b. - many newsgroups are intolerant of large or ugly .sigs #
SM _Soul Music_; more generally irl (o.k., & fantasy) Sado-Masochism.
SNAFU situation normal; all fucked up* [also as a noun; a snag or error]
SO; so Significant Other - spouse, partner, etc. - non-prescriptive as to
sex, or legal status, and therefore PC (q.v.)
sub. sub (cf. sup.)
sup. superior (cf. sub.)

TAP trans-urban amatory perambulationist

TCoM _The Colour of Magic_
TCP _The Carpet People_
TDSotS _The Dark Side of the Sun_
TIA thanks (or thank-you) in advance

TLA, tla three-letter acronym or abbreviation [which it is] (see ETLA, &c.)
TLC *** _The Lost Continent_ - working title of Discworld novel due 5/98;

also Thin Layer Chromatography (Chromatogram); Tender Loving Care.
TLF _The Light Fantastic_
tp/b non-strippable merkin paperback [cf. mmp/b; also h/cvr, p/b, yp/b]
TRSZ the red salamander zaruga
TTFN, ttfn ta-taa for now [cf. BBFN, BFN, GBFN (q.v.)]
TUC _The Unadulterated Cat_<fx: bright pink ppint.> (thanks, michael);
Trades Union Congress [is also a proprietory brand salty biscuit]
TWSS,BTHD The Wheel's Still Spinning, But The Hamster's Dead (thanks, glinda)
ube unsolicited bulk e-mail [cf. uce, below]
uce unsolicited commercial e-mail - junk-mail via the 'net; as opposed

to "spam" & "velveeta", which are in this context abuse of newsnet
UK, uk *** the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland (which

incorporates within its boundaries the kingdoms and principalities

of scotland and of wales. not included therein: the isle of man,
nor the channel islands, which are in origin, the remnants of the
duchy of normandy, and may fairly lay claim to include the u.k...
UP _Unclear Physics_

USA, usa merkia [which is, itself, a back-formation from "Merkin" (q.v.),
name modelled on "mercia", the saxon kingdom]; the united states
of america. (<fx: thinks>: does this imply that all other american
states are disunited - canadadada, we know about, but...?)
UUC _The Unseen University Challenge_ (no, i don't know what happened
to the "T" - maybe ask merkins (q.v.) about a gala in boston ?)
(the discworld quizbook written by david langford)("our" dave l.)

VHS *** Video Home System: Philips' proprietory videocassette system for-
mat, though n.b. variations of electronic standards mean that in-

compatibilities do exist between VHS videos from different areas
[see NTSC, PAL]: more expensive dual standard players exist, but

ask before you buy ! Philips defeated the technically superior
BetaMax system through their clever marketing, and Sony's inverse.

*vom* *** ejaculation indicative of excess (vide context, as to whether the

excess in question be of alcohol, "loveydoveyness", joy, or of
sheer *cute*). presumably derived by abbreviation from "vomit".

WA _Witches Abroad_
WAIS Western Antarctic Ice Shelf; also Wide Area Information Service.
WitH _Words in the Head_

WRT, wrt with regard to; with respect to;

WS _Wyrd Sisters_
WTF what the fuck*
WTH what the hell...?
WYMM, wymm will you marry me ? (the afpuse of the abbreviation may be taken
as a reliable guide as to the sincerity of, and the depth of, the
feelings involved upon the part of the purported supplicant... -
and is properly answered by counterquestion by acronym, such as
"SHM(M)HYG ?" (q.v.), by misdirection, or by dignified silence...)
YHBT you have been trolled (a practice not greatly encouraged upon AFP);
hence: YKYHBTW (phrase): you know YHBT when (circumstances)
YMMV, ymmv your mileage may vary (merkinism) = your opinion may differ: derived
from the "so you can't sue us clause" in car advertisements quoting
a mileage figure for fuel consumption, so also may be used to mean
that your _experimental_results_, i.e. your experience, may differ.
YHN your humble narrator

yp/b yuppieback: paperback formed by uk h/cvr (q.v.) signatures being

trimmed and glued into card covers. [originated by the maintainer
of "FAQ Acronymphomania ! [M]" c.1977; now widespread trade termin-
ology in uk.] [in origin, contemptuous; now not _necessarily_ so.]
[see also mmp/b, p/b, tp/b]
YYUR,YYUB "... ICURYY4ME" <g>

------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!-----!------

- thanks to terry crisp, and to gabriel krabbe, for the information
to improve the entries for NTSC, PAL and VHS - who should not be held
culpable for any errors i may've paraphrased into their explanations.

- love, ppint. 9/9/97 (9/9/97 for merkins)
--
"Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive." - Josephine Hart
[this .sig stolen from caroline jones (on afp)]

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