Abbreviations and Acronyms

1. TGIF = Try Getting Into FashionThank God It's FridayTo Get It Fixed 

2. FYI = For Your InformationFrom Your InanityFrom Your Instinct 

3. i.e. = Any questions?That is to sayThere you have it 

4. AI = Artificial IodineArtificial IntelligenceArtificial Ice 

5. KO = KaleidoscopicKnockoutKnock Only 

6. IOU = I owe youI owe moneyIt's often unfit 

7. PS = Park SlowlyPost SecretlyPostscript 

8. ASAP = As Slowly As PossibleAnswer Secretly And PrivatelyAs Soon As Possible 

9. ATM = Auto-Tuning MachineAutomated Teller MachineAutomatic Train Mechanism 

10. BC = Before ChurchesBefore ChristianityBefore Christ 

Chat rooms & SMS acronyms

An acronym is a word formed from the first or first few letters of several words. eg: ASAP = As Soon As Possible. This scripted online conversation is full of acronyms. Our friend, Sylvain, finds it very hard to understand them and to engage in conversation. Can you help him decode the acronyms written in red?

Butterfly3: Hello everybody? How R U?

Kelly114: Hello Butterfly, glad to C U. I sent you a pm, did you recieir it?

Butterfly3: SRY, what does 'recieir¡' mean? Is it English?

Kelly114: No, it's not LOL, just a typing mistake, I meant: 'receive'

Butterfly3: Ok, THX U

Kelly114: Have you heard from Kidd09 recently?.

Sylvain: Hi there! I am fine, and you? I'm a newbie here.

Butterfly3: Welcome then! ASL? Kelly. Nope, he went to the USA, that's the last I heard from him.

Sylvain: I am a 19 year-old boy, I live in London, but I'm French. What about you?

Kelly114: 21, F, Nottingham. To Butterfly: W@?! He's in the USA?! How lucky!

Butterfly3: Yes. Oh, my phone's ringing¡­BRB

Kelly114: No problem, I'm waiting. To Sylvain: How is it going in London? How do U like England?

Sylvain: Que¡­.what does BRB mean?

Butterfly3: I'm back. Sorry I have to leave you guys. My friend's coming. TTYL.

Kelly114: Ok, I've got to go too. XXs & Oos.

Butterfly3: Bye Kelly and CYA Sylvain

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Word	Meaning
Ltd	limited
mo	month
N/A	not applicable
NB	Nota Bene  (it is important to note)
no	number
PA	personal assistant
p.a.	per annum  (per year)
Plc	public limited company
pls	please
p.m.	post meridiem  (after noon)
p.p.	per pro  (used before signing in a person's absence)
PR	public relations
p.s.	post scriptum
PTO	please turn over
p.w.	per week
qty	quantity
R & D	research and development
re	with reference to
ROI	return on investment
RSVP	repondez s'il vous plait  (please reply)
s.a.e.	stamped addressed envelope
VAT	value added tax
VIP	very important person

BUSINESS ENGLISH VOCABULARY

Word	Meaning
@	at
a/c	account
AGM	annual general meeting
a.m.	ante meridiem  (before  noon)
a/o	account of  (on behalf of)
AOB	any other business
ASAP	as soon as possible
ATM	automated teller machine (cash dispenser)
attn	for the attention of
approx	approximately
cc	copy to
CEO	chief executive officer
c/o	care of  (on letters:  at the address of)
Co	company
cm	centimetre
COD	cash on delivery
dept	department
e.g.	exempli gratia (for example)
EGM	extraordinary general meeting
ETA	estimated time of arrival
etc	et caetera  (and so on)
GDP	gross domestic product
GNP	gross national product
GMT	Greenwich mean time  (time in London)
i.e.	id est  (meaning : 'that is')
Inc	incorporated
IOU	I owe you
IPO	initial public offer
Jr	junior
K	thousand
lb	pound (weight)
£	pound (money/currency)