[OT] 9-11 / WTC / Y2K ... Dates ...etc...

[Rashak Mani]

9-11 = Sept 9th
WTC = World Trade Center
Y2K = Year 2000 (takes out only 1 number... silly ?)
ASAP = As soon as possible

Curious... are these kinds of "abbreviations" everyday american habit or newspaper thing in order to fit some things into headlines ? Other common ones ?

In the internet we have loads of them as well... but then its a different thing. Quick chatting means cutting down typing. I know the military are big fans of this kind of thing (MIA, KIA, AWOL)... has this gone mainstream or is it coincidence ?

Also the DATES... for us that tragic date is 11-9 not 9-11. Day/Month/year. What other countries use this (strange for us) Month/Day/Year thing ?

 

[tabrumj]

9-11 = Sept 9th
WTC = World Trade Center
Y2K = Year 2000 (takes out only 1 number... silly ?)
ASAP = As soon as possible

Curious... are these kinds of "abbreviations" everyday american habit or newspaper thing in order to fit some things into headlines ? Other common ones ?

Abreviations are very popular here in America. Out of the abbreviations you have listed almost everything but WTC is used in day to day speech.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Acronyms are very popular in the US. The military is really in love with them - they used them fairly early on, but during World War II is when they came into their own.

 

[Cedric]

I was an ET2 and a RO in the USN. I went to NFAS, then NNPS, then NPTU to study at MARF in class 9204. Then I was a SPU and helped test the IDE, before I got out.

Cedric

 

[Grazzt]

ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXYZ

 

[Crothian]

It was never done any better then this:

"Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause of the leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P. "

 

[Dark Helmet]

Then there's PrC, DMG, AOO and D&D.

What is this crazy language these kids are speaking today.

 

[Rashak Mani]

hehe... liked the ABC DEF ... one...

Y2K is my pet peeve... silliest 'abbreviation' ever. 2000 is a number longer only.

What about dates ? Asians and Europeans how do you number your dates ?

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Pretty much everywhere except the US numbers dates day/month/year, I think. I have no clue why this is. I'm guessing that it used to be done this way in the early days of American existance, and because of our relative isolation we never switched when everyone else did.

We do have a lot of abbreviations, but most of them don't bother me all that much. I get sort of irritated when I hear people say "ATM Machine," but I'll live. Y2K is sorta annoying, but only because the media used it so much.

But we still remain the country who elected a president named John who insisted we "call him Jack for short."

 

[tleilaxu]

hong kong does the british way which is day/month/year

Abbreviations are great!

SCUBA: self contained underwater breathing apparatus

Some people actually pronounce ASAP as a word Asap.

English is one of the best languages for technical language (one of the reasons it is so popular!)

Isn't E-Mail far superior to Post Electronique?


For those who are interested, Cantonese has tons of borrowed english words...

Taxi= Tik See
Bus= Ba See
Cola = Ho Lo

etc etc...