ICYMI (in case you missed it), acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms are ways to shorten phrases and ideas both in normal speech and through texting and email. But a common FAQ (frequently asked ...

The use of social media and the web in general is awash with odd sayings and initialisms. Sometimes they leave users a little confused. Social media experts at How Sociable analysed Google searches ...

If an abbreviation formed from the first letters of several words is pronounced as one word, it's an acronym. Gif, laser and snafu are examples. If such an abbreviation is known by its letters, it's ...

In a recent newsletter, we asked the question “Who’s minding the acronym store?” The major point there was that our industry has a most confusing habit of reusing the same combinations of letters for ...

And in the midst of the mangled hyperbole that stands in its place is often that most dull and lazy attempt at rhetoric: the initialism. The ubiquity of trite Americanisms such as “WTF” or “LMAO” is ...

I read with some amusement the letter from John Neumeyer regarding the use of acronyms in the literature without identifying their meaning (C&EN, March 30, page 2). I used to believe that any ...