Unsure what Q&A stands for? Don’t know why everyone was posting “RIP Ziggy Stardust” on Facebook when David Bowie died?
In English we frequently use things called “acronyms”, which is when you take the first letter of each word in a phrase and join them together. Usually these letters are pronounced individually, for example, you sound out “vee eye pee”, for VIP, not “vip”, although very occasionally it’s pronounced as a single word, for example “LOL”.
Here are 11 of the most common acronyms and what they mean.
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ASAP
This is a very popular term that’s short for “as soon as possible”. For example, you might say to a colleague, “I’ll get that report finished for you ASAP”. Or you could tell a friend, “I missed the train but I’ll be at your party ASAP!”
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VIP
This stands for “very important person”. This might be a special guest at a big event, or sometimes just a person who has bought a more expensive ticket! For example, the “VIP” area at a typical club is usually for people who have paid more money for a table – you probably won’t see Rihanna in there, unfortunately.
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Q&A
“Question and Answer”. Often, this follows a person’s speech or presentation and is an opportunity for the audience to ask questions (and have them answered, of course).
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AKA
This means “Also known as”. It’s mostly used for people who have a famous nickname or stage name. For example, “Shawn Carter, AKA Jay-Z”.
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R.I.P.
R.I.P stands for “Rest in Peace” and is a polite way to show respect for someone who has recently died. You also see it carved into gravestones in cemeteries.
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BYOB
On a more cheerful note, another common acronym in English is BYOB, which means “Bring Your Own Bottle”. In other words, drinks won’t be provided, so please bring your own bottle of wine or whatever else you would like to drink. Some restaurants are also BYOB – usually you pay a small amount of money called “corkage”, but then you can drink any alcohol you’ve brought yourself.
7. ID
This refers to an Identity Document, for example your passport or driving licence. You might need it to prove who you are, for example if you are opening a bank account, or to prove your age, for example if you are going to a bar with friends.
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TBC
This means “To Be Confirmed” and means that this detail hasn’t been sorted out. For example, If a music festival says that their headline act (the biggest band of the night) is “TBC” it means that they haven’t sorted out which band will take that spot. If your boss tells you that the deadline for a project is TBC, it means that she or he doesn’t yet know when the work has to be completed. You wouldn’t usually hear it said out loud – just written down.
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FYI
This is short for “For Your Information”. In a business context, this is used seriously to bring your attention to something important that you need to know. In a casual context, it’s much more likely to be used in a humorous way to emphasise what they are saying, or online to exaggerate a point in an argument.
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OMG
This stands for “Oh My God!” and you would use it to express shock or surprise. For example, “OMG have you seen Justin Bieber’s latest tattoo? Why did he do that?!”
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LOL
Despite some older people sometimes confusing this with “lots of love”, this definitely means “laugh out loud”. You would usually write it in reply to someone who tells you something funny, although sometimes people do actually say “LOL”, which is used as kind of a joke in itself. It’s the only acronym on this list that you would pronounce as one word (“lol”), instead of sounding out the letters.
Have you come across any acronyms that you don’t recognise and want to know what they mean? Let us know in the comments section below!
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