From: Karen Subject: [FAQ] Acronyms - including Pratchett newsgroup specific usage. Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett.announce,alt.fan.pratchett,alt.books.pratchett Followup-To: poster Reply-To: afpfaqs@goodgulf.demon.co.uk Organization: I live in hope Keywords: Pratchett Discworld FAQ netiquette acronym Approved: afpa-mod@lspace.org,ridcully@unseen.ankh.edu X-Autoposter: This FAQ was autoposted by Archive-name: pratchett/acronyms-faq Posting-Frequency: weekly Last-modified: 7 Sep 2000 URL: http://www.lspace.org/faqs/ Maintained-by: karen Written-by: ppint. "Followup-To" set to: poster 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.)... This and all the other FAQs for Pratchett newsgroups and things Pratchett related may be found at: Additionally, if you are unable to find the answer to your query in the relevant FAQ, or have a more general query or request, there is a Help Facility to be reached by mailing: -----!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!-----!----- * ACRONYMPHOMANIA ! * 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* NB *** in the l.h. margin indicates next to, an entry indicates an addition or a revision. Suggestions, additions, etc. (q.v.) are always welcome - and may even be adopted, adapted and used. You may also care to read the afp article, "[FAQ] [M] [I] [G] [R] [A] [F] - Tagging and how it works" Many additional acronyms, other than those which are afp-specific or simply in common use by afpers, may be found in specialist web sites such as the following: The Acronym Finder The Acronym Lookup Additionally the lspace FAQs page contains a link to the "Jargon File" where you will find many more of the terms and abbreviations in common use on Usenet in general. Italicised entries (e.g. _Eric_) indicate that the abbreviation is of one of Pterry (Terry Pratchett)'s titles, or one commonly referred to by the abbreviation. ***Books and publications are now listed seperately before the main section. Apologies to those confused by this last week. Books and Publications: ---------------------- AD2000 The Assassin's Diary published in UK in September '99, but not reaching Merkian shores until 2001, despite the acronym being in Merkian form... Not to be confused with 2000AD, British graphic art comic which gave birth to Halo Jones (thank you Andrew Breen and Ally) AMCWD Ankh-Morpork City Watch Diary [for the year 1999 A.D. (q.v.)] DD _Death's Domain_ - the fourth discworld map, by paul kidby. also Double Diamond, Duplex Drive & Donald Duck. E _Eric_ [see also F^HE]; Espana (international vehicle identifier). ER _Equal Rites_; elizabeth regina (EIIR, elizabeth secunda regina); F^HE _Faust^H^H^H^H^H_Eric_ [see also E] FoC _Feet of Clay_; also free of charge. G!G! _Guards! Guards!_ [though it parses to "Guards Not-Guards Not"...] GG _Guards! Guards!_ [see G!G!]; also girl guides GO _Good Omens_ IT _Interesting Times_; info J _Jingo_ [- is an abbreviation for this title *truly* needed ?]; joules J&tB, JatB _Johnny and the Bomb_ J&tD, JatD _Johnny and the Dead_ L&L, LAL _Lords and Ladies_ M _Mort_; also "mega-" in abbreviations of compound SI (q.v.) unit names, indicating one million times the basic unit. MAA _Men at Arms_ [also "M@A"] M!M _Maskerade_ [from "Maskerade, not Mort"] MP _Moving Pictures_; Military Police; member of parliament. NOC _Nanny Ogg's Cookbook_ published November 1999 OYCSM _Only You Can Save Mankind_ P _Pyramids_; also the musical direction, or indication, "piano". RM _Reaper Man_; also Routemaster, the last bus designed for london and londoners, by a team from london county council, london tran- sport and A.E.C, who built it. the best big city omnibus ever. S _Sourcery_ [n.b. not Strata, which is not commonly afpbreviated]; Sulphur ["Sulfur" for merkins] (chemical symbol for). SG _Small Gods_; standard gauge SM _Soul Music_; more generally irl (o.k: & "fantasy") Sado-Masochism. SoAM _The Streets of Ankh-Morpork_[".._Being a concise and possibly even accurate Mapp of the Great City of the Discworld_.."]["..Including Unseen University and environs!_"]["Also finest assortment of aven- ues, lanes, squares and alleys for your walking pleasure_"] (map of A-M (q.v.) & streetguide [and other details] booklet.) (see UUC for more on the missing "T") TCoM _The Colour of Magic_ TCP _The Carpet People_; trichlorophenylmethyliodasalicyl [acid/salts] TDSotS _The Dark Side of the Sun_ TFE, T5E _The Fifth Elephant_, 24th DW novel, published Nov '99. T5E is the preferred acronym on the newsgroups - TFE is here for information. TLC _The Last Continent_ also Thin Layer Chromatography (Chromatogram); Tender Loving Care. TLF _The Light Fantastic_; three-line followup TLH _The Last Hero_ large format book illustrated by Paul Kidby, due be published Autumn 2001 TOC,ToC "Theatre of Cruelty" dw short story, originally published in Bookcase 45, W.H.Smith's promotional magazine "Bookcase, 45, July/August '93; now expanded, it has very kindly been made available by pterry for our *private* reading pleasure [on www.lspace.org and by ftp from ftp.lspace.org & mirrors]. Revised and reprinted in the program book of OryCon 15 Convention, it has been further revised and reprinted in "The Wizards of Odd" edited by Peter Haining, 1996, Souvenire Press. Also "Table of Contents"... TT _The Truth_ Novel to be published Nov 2000 TUC _The Unadulterated Cat_ (thanks, michael); Trades Union Congress; a proprietory brand of light, salty biscuit. T5E, TFE _The Fifth Elephant_, 24th DW novel, published Nov '99. T5E is the preferred acronym on the newsgroups - TFE is here for information. WA _Witches Abroad_; wallace arnold; western australia WS _Wyrd Sisters_; william shakespeare ============================================================================== Main Section ------------ ABEND Absent By Enforced Net Deprivation (see AFK); also abnormal end 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... AD2000 The Assassin's Diary published in UK in September '99, but not reaching Merkian shores until 2001, despite the acronym being in Merkian form... Not to be confused with 2000AD, British graphic art comic which gave birth to Halo Jones (thank you Andrew Breen and Ally) AFAIK as far as i know [cf. SFAIK (q.v.) & SFAIAA (q.v.)]."..WK" we know AFK absent from keyboard. AFP, afp alt.fan.pratchett - a generally harmonious anarchy [once more :-)] AFPA, 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][though this could change] AFPBOFH alt.fan.pratchett.bofh (see BOFH) technical discussions but mostly only frequented by afpers. For a wider audience on a technical issue your best prospect is more likely to be the appropriate comp., alt. or other group or maillist. AFPC alt.fan.pratchett.classic - old articles recycled:) AIUI, aiui as i understand it aka also known as - indicating alternate title(s), especially of a (orig'lly. book or story. nothing whatsoever to do with the monk^H^H^H^H^H "a.k.a.") *any* recently reformed sixties pop-group created by don kirshner. A-M Ankh-Morpork AMCWD Ankh-Morpork City Watch Diary [for the year 1999 A.D. (q.v.)] 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 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...) APF the Annotated Pratchett File - please consult this, before posting aught you suspect may be a new gem, for herein is contained the distilled wisdom (or something that passes for the same) of AFP (q.v.)'s elucidation, elaboration and upon occasion even explan- ation of the arcane or other obscure significance or references employed by Pterry, as compiled by AFP (q.v.)'s indefatigable leo the beauteous; the current version is apf7.0a and is to be ftp-ed from ftp.lspace.org (and mirrors), or found at www.lspace.org ASL, asl American Sign Language (see also BSL) ASR, asr alt.sex.reptiles (see LART); anti-submarine reconaissance [radar] ATB all the best ATM, atm at the moment; automatic teller machine (bank "hole in the wall"); asynchronous transfer mode. see also next item: ATM-D, alt.talk.mended-drum - a newsgroup set up by afpers and ex-afpers atm-d to recapture and enforce what they believe to be the now-dead true spirit of afp. bot-moderated, will bounce articles which are not to the librarian's liking: ask of an active atm-d-er for advice as to the manner of mollification necessary to avoid such a fate (atm-d is discussing publishing details of this arcane mystery). B5 Babylon 5: merkin tv sf series, developed very well indeed after something of an ordinary start, producing some of the most intriguing, retrospective intensive recomplications of plot and interpretations of both images and events seen in dramatic sfnal performance since The Rocky Horror (Picture) Show (with which it bears little, if any, other similarity); this especially true of the third series (year's) programmes. was, sadly, showing signs that the creative fires were dimming, during its fourth year, but afpreport suggests this may have righted itself. also a spun-off series of novels, and _The Babylon Project_ role-playing game. ba*d bastard (coined: colm@lspace.org - not a member of the CABAL (q.v.)) BBC, 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, 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, which is set by the government, who also appoint the governors of the public corporation, who appoint its director-general and "deputy dg", as vacancies arise - where- after little or no day-to-day control *need* exist. but n.b. the 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 (las malvinas) + during the u.n. war against iraq), e.g. - this was not previously done with so heavy a hand (leastways, not in the sixties), but now bids fair to undermine respect for the world service's hitherto widely-admired reporting objectivity. aka (q.v.) "Auntie", prior to the coining of "The Beeb" by the late, greatly lamented kenny everett However BBC Transmission (which distributes the radio and tv programs) now privatised and known as CTI (Castle Transmissions International), owned primarily by Crown Castle International (formerly Castle Tower) and also by T'l'diffusion de France. 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.)]; also a cartoon cave-man character in eponymous strip set in stone age times 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. b.e.m. bug-eyed monster BFN 'bye for now [cf. BBFN, GBFN, TTFN (q.v. omnia)] BICBW but i could be wrong (also ICBW, ICWBW, BICVWBW ..very well be...) BITCH Being In Total Control of Herself [: thanks, glindearestone]; BOFH, bofh bastard operator from hell: maybe sys(tem)admin(istrator) - or, "the tech who knows how these ******* things work" (see LART). Or occasionally the "boring old fart from hell" (dunno what that makes me 'though ) BSE, bse bovine spongiform encephalopathy - "mad cow disease" - which is more widespread than most governments are prepared to admit, in the eu (q.v.) or in merkia. caused by the feeding of the infected parts of diseased cows back to cows without complete pyrolysis of the prions, which practice became widespread in the uk once the tory government made it legal, & made it legal to not declare the presence of such ingredients in processed feedstuffs; but which has also taken place in most, if not all, other countries using processed feedstuffs for cattle. _may_ have originated from the inclusion in cattlefeed of "byproducts" of sheep infected with scrapie (but this is not *known*, sfaiaa); causes "new form CJD" (q.v.) in human beans. - n.b. "encephalitis" is _inflammation_ of the organ, and may well prove to be treatable. (thank-you for pointing out my error, iain.) BskyB British Sky Broadcasting, the UK's main satellite network; part of that truly fine merkin (q.v.) citizen, rupert "the dirty digger" murdoch,'s trans- and extra-planetary empire. Divested himself of Oz citizenship in order gain US media ownership^W^Wcitizenship. (US law frowns on too much foreign media ownership, unlike the UK's;) BSL big scary looming (BSL Simes, originally) (coined by domini joann); also British Sign Language (see also ASL) BTDT Been There, Done That BTDTGTTS Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt BTSOOM beats the shit out of me [also ..F.. - fuck*; ..H.. - hell; etc.] BTW, btw by the way c/s cycles per second (see Hz) C3Bs see CCCBs C4 Channel Four; the commercial fourth uk national tv channel (save for the welsh, who have S4C (q.v.)). have run the Cosgrove Hall animations of _Truckers_, and _Wyrd Sisters_, and _Soul Music_ in autumn 1997 [see also BBC, ITV, S4C and C5] C5 Channel Five; the commercial fifth uk national tv channel (save for most of the uk, which cannot yet receive it, except by cable [or, possibly, satellite]). specialises in total rubbish; but also runs some good films - some recent - in amongst the dross. 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.) * otoh(q.v.) there *is* a cabal controlling lspace; the lspace cabal. cc. courtesy copy; originally carbon copy, from the mechanical means orig. c.c. of its production [unless its use can be shown to antedate this]; cubic centimetre (nowadays = millilitre) in volume measurements. CC Clarecraft CCCBs chocolate-coated coffee beans. there is occasionally some afdoubt C3Bs expressed, as to whether C3Bs are a food item. (- or ambrosia.) CCDE Clarecraft Discworld Event - third (most recent) held July '99 ccde at Wetherden Farm, nr. bury st. edmunds, and generally agreed to have been a successful afpmeet, despite its proximity to Europe, or Yeurp (& hence, the large number of european afpers in attendance). ("By the time we got to Flitworth's, we were half a hundred strong...") see afpa, ftp. or www.lspace.org, or e-ask elton for more details (elton@clarecraft.com), for details of the next event - likely to be in 2001, on the current schedule. 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 CJ _Carpe Jugulum_; also Carolyn Janice CJD, cjd creuzfeldt-jakobs disease; closely related to BSE (q.v.) destroy- ing the brains of those afflicted. occurs very sporadically for no known reason; "new form" cjd is caused by the consumption of BSE-infected beef and beef byproducts, and has recently been shown to be the same disease. there remains an unknown probability that non-new form cjd cases amongst farm-workers may have been caused by exposure to organo-phosphates. 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. hence also T|N>K (q.v.); and, potentially, other "substances"|N>K. CORFLU, correcting fluid (cf. "snopake" - "idiot ink" - "whiteout" - but): corflu royal blue, inflammable and "sniffable", way back in the dim and distant age of _The Enchanted Duplicator_); now used both in the original sense (mostly by wrinklies and crumblies - hi, dave ! -) and as a generic magical lotion of great strength and most efficacious, as in "pass the corflu", but strictly NBM (q.v.) (from fandom). DD _Death's Domain_ - the fourth discworld map, by paul kidby. also Double Diamond, Duplex Drive & Donald Duck. DMWC (the) dear madwoman carol (_the_) [& various extemporisations therefrom], the most recent uncracked being "the uatsspdrfodmwc" . DYOH Do your own homework - since afp/abp whilst being generally helpful and accommodating are not there to do it for you. DW, dw the discworld - but 'ware pitfall: also Dr. Who (a classic bbc tv, radio & novel SF (q.v.) series, sometimes even good - or better). DWC _The Discworld Companion_ (please specify the edition on afp/abp, as the pagination differs from the h/cvr & yp/b to the updated & re-set (and with at least 14% greater text content) p/b edition). [*not* in afpuse, but a suggestion: because of the confusion with DWC #1, #2 (q.v.), for _The Discworld Companion_, use DWComp1 for the hardcover & y/pb first edition, and DWComp2 for the revised & expanded (ordinary format) p/b edition...] DWC #1 discworld convention #1; this was held in june 1996 DWC #2 discworld convention #2; this was held in september 1998 DWC #3 discworld convention #3: millennium hand and shrimp ! - the Radisson Edwardian hotel (near Heathrow) has been booked for the 27th to 31st of July 2000. E _Eric_ [see also F^HE]; Espana (international vehicle identifier). E.C., e.c. European Community; formerly European Economic Community (i am EC, ec uncertain as to precisely when the latter ceased to be correct; possibly, when it was discovered to not be so very economical ?); also Entertainment Comics, which company was the major focus of the censorship campaign uniting the extreme and religious right- wing fundamentalists with the communist party [!!] against the so- called "horror comics"; eventually all of EC's were closed down, as Mad magazine was uncontroversial, untargetted and so well dis- tributed - and *far* more profitable... e.g. exempli gratia ER _Equal Rites_; elizabeth regina (EIIR, elizabeth secunda regina); "Emergency Room" (more-or-less dire hospital-set t.v. soap). et seq. et sequentia etc. &c. et cetera ETLA extended three-letter acronym [because FLA isn't] [DETLA = doubly] EU, eu europe; also eutectic (and eutectic solution, or point) 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, and ftp-us.lspace.org; they are also on www.lspace.org [see also RTFFAQ]. sometimes parsed "frequently answered questions". FETLA further-extended three-letter acronym. after ETLA (q.v.). [etc....] FLA four-letter acronym; but it isn't one [see ETLA, & FETLA, above]; also Alabama Liberation Front (liberation from whom, being unclear) FoC _Feet of Clay_; also free of charge. FRPG, frpg see RPG 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.) ; 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"...) (- 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; fuck the pope (combative, aggressive and derogatory wall slogan in use in some parts of northern ireland - and other parts of the uk) FUBAR fucked up beyond all recognition* FUD fear, uncertainty, and doubt [or, dismay, or disinformation] FWIW, fwiw for what it's worth ("stop, hey, what's that sound...") (sorry pp.) FX, fx. effects - originally a stage direction indicating sound effects - now frequently given as , or : (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(lb) Grins, Ducks & Runs; ("...& runs like buggery"); (...vf)(vvf) ("...& Runs Very (Very) Fast)" (and so on...) GG _Guards! Guards!_ [see G!G!]; also girl guides GCSE, General Certificate of Secondary Education - english, welsh & north- gcse ern irish [variable] standard of education to c.sixteen years old, and examinations and syllabus relating thereunto. GO _Good Omens_ GST goods & services tax: xxxxian & kiwiiiian; a regressive tax on ex- penditure comparable somewhat with the uk's old purchase tax, which had a degree of progression provided for, and somewhat with v.a.t. (VAT q.v.), though this latter is far more inefficiently organdised. GURPS Generic Universal Role-Playing System, a cut-down version of which, known as "GURPS Lite", is included in the GURPS Discworld rpg book, which is therefore a stand-alone RPG (q.v.) as well as a beautifully- paul kidby-illustrated and suitably atmospheric discworld sourcebook. H _Hogfather_ (but "Hf" is the more common afpbreviation); heroin; hydrogen (chemical symbol for) HAND "have a nice day" - meaningless phrase parrotted incessantly and completely insincerely by many, esp. (by no means only) merkins; the sentiments of the phrase may be truly and honestly meant (by a few) who would not so abbrev. it. (cf. WYMM (q.v.)) (see also HTH) HANN `"have a nice newsfeed" - of course' [thank-you, mchl grnt ] h/cvr hardcover HF, Hf _Hogfather_ (more common than "H", which is also afpused) HM(M)HYG - see "SHM(M)HYG" HS Hebrew Scriptures - non-loaded term for those biblical writings christians generally refer to as OT (q.v.) preferred by academe as non-judgemental as to the validity of religious viewpoint - and as non-insulting (- and therefore pc (q.v.)) HTH hope this [/that] helps - _not_ to be confused with WTH (q.v.); also Honour to Hastur; HTH; HAND "...; His Arrival Nears Daily") HTML - "HyperText Mark-up Language is a simple markup language used to create hypertext documents that are portable from one platform to another" http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/MarkUp/html3/CoverPage.html HTML should *not* be used to post to newsgroups which require plain text. HTML versions of documents are substantially larger than their plain counterparts and filtered out entirely by some newsfeeds. Hz herz: SI (q.v.) unit of frequency; equivalent to "c/s" (q.v.) IANA[X] I Am Not A...[e.g. IANAL ...Lawyer; IANAN ...Number; etc.] ibid. ibidem ICBW i could be wrong (also BICBW (q.v.), etc.) ICM5UKP ***I Claim My 5ukp - as in " You are 'x' and ICM5UKP", a form of 'spot the celebrity' developed by newspapers to boost sales [you had to be carrying the paper at the time to claim your money] Thanks Melody! ICURYY4ME see YYUR, YYUB ICQ I seek you (onomat.): a free online pager service similar in some ways to IRC (q.v.) i.e. id est IFU ***Instant Family Unit - the extra bonus of added children, with your chosen partner, without all the tiresome waiting... IGMC I'll get my coat; IJGMC: i'll just get...(most recently from the Fast Show, BBC TV) IIRC,iirc if i recall [remember] correctly IIUC, iiuc if i understand [understood] correctly IMAO in my arrogant opinion IMHO, imho in my humble opinion IMNSHO, imnsho in my not so humble opinion IME, ime in my experience IMO, imo in my opinion IOW in other words [or, in other worlds]; also Isle of Wight (uk). IRC,irc internet relay chat - online, realtime, conversational newsgroup equivalent; unless you have free phonecalls, *very* dangerous... IRL, irl in real life [see RL] ISIHAC I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue (a semi-legendary bbc radio show) ISIRTA I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (a legendarily anarchic, long- running, humorous bbc radio show) ISP, isp internet service provider - the company, institution, group, or individual that is responsible for letting you loose on AFP (q.v.). ISTM, istm It seems to me IT _Interesting Times_; info ISTR, istr i seem to recall [remember] Information technology; International Times (until legal action foorced them 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] IYKWIM/IYSWIM - If you know/see what I mean. IYWBSG(AT) if you would be so good (as to...) [similarly IYWBSK ....kind] J _Jingo_ [- is an abbreviation for this title *truly* needed ?]; joules JRRT - see LOTR J&tB, JatB _Johnny and the Bomb_ J&tD, JatD _Johnny and the Dead_ k kilo- prefix indicating thousands; used in metric system (SI q.v.) K kalium [potassium] (chemical symbol for); also a measure of comput- er memory or file magnitude somewhat variable in size. KISS Keep it simple stupid! - widely used in the old IT world as the equivalent of "less is more". If you are really old you may even have come across KISS COBOL... l. line [followed by ordinal number of the line referred to from the top of the page: quote after giving page number (see "p.")]; also litre(s). 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 LotR _The Lord of the Rings_ by j(ohn).r(onald).r(euel).tolkien M _Mort_; also "mega-" in abbreviations of compound SI (q.v.) unit names, indicating one million times the basic unit. MAA _Men at Arms_ [also "M@A"] MAFPIA Not an acronym but a commonly used term on afp - I quote Andy Fawcett (Tap)'s explanation of teh term: "The term 'MAFPIA' was coined by my lovely wife a couple of years ago on lspace IRC. At that time the 'afpfamily' thing was flourishing, and it was likened to 'Sicilian families'. IIRC it all went on from there..." Just a play on words - intended to be inclusive not exclusive. 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 an indeterminate 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. not to be confused with mpk. mmf Make Money Fast: pyramid scheme uce(q.v) & spam; illegal, im- practical and logically demonstrably intellectually indefensible. 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_; Military Police; member of parliament. mpk initials (and sometimes sign off) of one Mr Knell of the lspace Cabal (TINC) MUD Multi user dungeon as used in RPGs (see below) n.b. nota bene NBM nil by mouth (in origin, a medical abjuration) 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 & nipponononian. 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 ! NOC _Nanny Ogg's Cookbook_ published November 1999 nyk not yet known (orig. n.y.k.) nyp not yet published Ob Obligatory; Obligation; & "...Own Business" [The Great Explosion, fix-up incorporating "...And then there were None." - efr] OFiaH Old Fart in a Hat OLF, olf one line follow-up [commonly considered a netcrime, but AFP (q.v.) is significantly more tolerant of them, than are 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] O/P, o/p out of print OT Old Testament; implicitly judgemental name for those parts of the bible held in common by both jews and (most) christians. (see HS) OTOH, otoh on the other hand OTT, ott over the top 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 !); either Pray And Learn, or Phase Alternate (or Alternation) Line [-rate no.]. the rate defines 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 refreshed 25 times per second ("you are feel- ing fully refreshed"); common in europe is PAL50 (...25 times per second). PAL60 is the only format to which NTSC (q.v.) can easily be translated, and in which it may easily be displayed. the alternation of phase allows for the correction of errors in- troduced by phase shift due to reflections from buildings & terrain, and atmospheric conditions; if much error compensation is requir- ed, pal tends to suffer from a "herringbone" moire pattern whose strength corresponds to the degree of colour shift that under the same conditions would be experienced with NTSC (q.v.). n.b. do not confuse this moire pattern with that visable when some- one on screen wears a striped suit: *that* is due not to bad recep- tion, but to bad taste. SECAM, Systeme des Emissions en Couleur A Memoire (or Supreme Effort Contra les AMis [AMericains]), is the PAL-derived standard used in france, russia & the ex-cccp countries; its colour-encod- ing error correction is reportedly superior still. Confused? This site is kept fairly up to date and contains all you may wish to know:^): Try 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 (further see RPG); also "politically correct" - i.e. following or applying a standard or standards of moral behaviour to actions. in this latter sense, also misused and derided by the unthinking brainwashed to both the left and right of the political spectrum, and by senseless idiots in general: where it is abused in this way, consider well the actual proposals or arguments made; and also bear in mind the source of the "abusage"... PHB formerly Pointy-Headed Bastard; more recently, "sanitized" to Pointy-Haired Boss, in Scott Adams' "Dilbert" cartoon strip. A vile creature in most incarnations. pov point of view 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 abbr. from "per procurationem". [- "PP" (no period) indicates the musical dynamic "pianissimo".] PSP Portable Scorpion Pit; a device introduced by the Sisters of Vetinari. In the custody of Alice Aforethought to whom application should be made on behalf of suitably deserving cases. The criteria for prioritising needy cases are yet to be clarified. Also Paint Shop Pro, graphics package. 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 also exhibits some u.k. constituent national, and regional, 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/or 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. rfc request for comment: variously, one of the technical specifications defining the format of e- and 'net- communication (the rules of the 'net, in the sense that failure to conform to them will result in no communication); strong recommendations for the written format of e-communications (failure to conform to which is liable to result in ex-communication), and recommended advice of "netiquette" - net etiquette - what is considered acceptable in behaviour in e-mail and upon newsnet (failure to conform generally to which is highly likely to result in the receipt of more or less irritated, even irate, e-communications; & persistent failure in ex-communication.) RL, 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 Routemaster, the last bus designed for london and londoners, by a team from london county council, london tran- sport 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 [do not confuse with Rot13 (q.v.)] RO(T)FLKAS rolling on (the) floor laughing, kicking and screaming ROTFLMAO rolling on (the) floor laughing my ass off [etc.... that's the lot!] Rot13, deliberately easily-breakable encryption in which every letter is rot13 replaced with that thirteen letters on in the alphabet. used to allow those afpers who would rather not read a potential spoiler to avoids it. Rot13 is 'net standard and an option on many readers, but is *not* in general an effective alternative to spoiler space. n.b. that Rot13-ing plain text an even number of times decodes it. RP, rp received pronunciation; formerly known as the queen (or the king)'s english, or bbc english; formerly thought to be classless, correct pronunciation (mostly by those of london & south eastern uk middle classes upon whose pronunciation it was based); rocket projectile. Also 'Role Play' - usually used to mean a chatroom/telnet-based session of a RPG, or a log of such, or any Role-Playing session, esp. when referred to on an OOC (out-of-character, opposite IC, in-character) list. (Thanks Michelle) RPG, rpg role-playing game (also "frpg" for fantasy rpg: but this is taken as inclusive of sf, horror, cartoon and historical rpg; and "lrpg" for live rpg, which is closer to co-operative amateur dramatics): games derived from, or ultimately inspired by, gary gygax & dave arneson's "Dungeons & Dragons" concept of players role-playing the characters in a fantasy setting provided by a game master/mistress. "D&D" itself, and games immediately derived from it (e.g."Tunnels & Trolls"), provided relatively little inherent encouragement for character role-play, being heavily biased towards looting, pillag- ing and killing (it was in origin a development of personal combat rules by the two teenage male wargamers), but the longterm rewards of rpg come from the combination of social play with developing & testing both the skills of fantasy role-playing and the created characters and worlds. [and not, therefore, a spectacularly good acronym to adopt for fantasy combat adventure computer games.] also; rocket-propelled grenade [irl (q.v.), as well as in games; thank-you, o dai wai (- really ! - duke nukem 3-d ! <iggle>)]. r.r.p. recommended retail price 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]; Sulphur ["Sulfur" for merkins] (chemical symbol for). 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" ("come-ree"; or a short u, as in a *very* brief "ook", "book" [non-tyke]). [see also BBC, C4+5 & ITV] SCA Society for Creative Anachronism; merkin mock medievalists, in practice inclusive of quite a wide range of interests, some more, some less concerned with authenticity (cf. the Sealed Knot). has manors or principalities or whatever outside merkia, including in xxxxia, The SCA can be found at: SF Science Fiction; Speculative Fiction - originally "Scientifiction" both this and "Science Fiction" coined by hugo gernsback, who was (in 1926) the publisher of the first english language SF magazine. n.b. "SF" is primarily a publishing category, or is descriptive of the author's mental approach to their chosen themes' impacts upon people, individually and collectively; n.b. it is not a genre, as there is nothing generic to it. (- common newsnet usage (e.g. on rec.arts.sf.written, and .fandom) is to include fantasy, which may be illogical, but seems to be practical .) n.b. further *_not_* "Sci-Fi", which monstrosity was formed by analogy with "Hi-Fi", by sam moskowitz (iirc); and adopted by rip-off publishers in the fifties, who neither knew nor cared aught for SF - and with whose standard of "product" this neologism is now permanently associated (and which is properly pronounced "skiffy", according to forrest ackermann - and others). also, San Francisco. (ppint) However an alternative 'iirc', from Andrew Foley suggests that the monstrosity was 'originated by Forrest Ackerman. Moskowitz, for all his faults, is not the guilty man here. The cover of abook edited by Ackerman referred to its editor as "Mr S**-F*"' Andrew also believes it was Frank Herbert, in the introduction to a volume of _Nebula Award Stories 15_ who, quite po-faced, instructed the world that it is pronounced "skiffy". This was clearly an attempt at irony. Definitive answer anyone as to who was first? SFAIAA so far as i am aware [cf. AFAIK, SFAIK (q.v.)] SFAICR so far as i can recall (remember) SFAIK so far as i know [cf. AFAIK, SFAIK (q.v.)] SFAIU so far as i understand SFAR so far as regards SG _Small Gods_; standard gauge 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 more or less famous scientists' names to the MKS (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 "-- " (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.) SoAM _The Streets of Ankh-Morpork_[".._Being a concise and possibly even accurate Mapp of the Great City of the Discworld_.."]["..Including Unseen University and environs!_"]["Also finest assortment of aven- ues, lanes, squares and alleys for your walking pleasure_"] (map of A-M (q.v.) & streetguide [and other details] booklet.) (see UUC for more on the missing "T") sub. sub (cf. sup.) sup. superior (cf. sub.) TAP, tap Tasmanian Axolotl Protection t.b.a. to be announced TCoM _The Colour of Magic_ TCP _The Carpet People_; trichlorophenylmethyliodasalicyl [acid/salts] TDSotS _The Dark Side of the Sun_ TFE, T5E _The Fifth Elephant_, 24th DW novel, published Nov '99. T5E is the preferred acronym on the newsgroups - TFE is here for information. TIA,tia thanks (or thank-you) in advance TINC, tinc There Is No CABAL (q.v.) TLA, tla three-letter acronym or abbreviation [which it is] (see ETLA, &c.) TLC _The Last Continent_ also Thin Layer Chromatography (Chromatogram); Tender Loving Care. TLF _The Light Fantastic_; three-line followup TMI Too Much Information (Thanks to Glinda, still at M$?;) T|N>K Tea through Nose onto Keyboard (by analogy with C|N>K (q.v.) (thanks, marina invent.[?] first noted 6/1/98 (1/6/98 merkin). TOC,ToC "Theatre of Cruelty" dw short story, originally published in Bookcase 45, W.H.Smith's promotional magazine "Bookcase, 45, July/August '93; now expanded, it has very kindly been made available by pterry for our *private* reading pleasure [on www.lspace.org and by ftp from ftp.lspace.org & mirrors]. Revised and reprinted in the program book of OryCon 15 Convention, it has been further revised and reprinted in "The Wizards of Odd" edited by Peter Haining, 1996, Souvenire Press. Also "Table of Contents"... TOH the other half TOT The One True (prefixing afper's name), coined by The Gotdammerell for TOTKat, originally to distinguish herself from Kat Knight (Kat@lspace.org). tp/b non-strippable merkin paperback [cf. mmp/b; also h/cvr, p/b, yp/b] TRDE The Real Dick Eney, by rights should now be TRRE. Without whom we might well be shy one Tamar. TRSZ, trsz the red salamander zaruga TSaLF _The Sea and Little Fishes_ discworld story first published in a limited edition freebie sampler dos-a-dos with "The Wood Boy" by raymond e. feist. Since published in _Legends_ h/b collection edited by Robt. Silverberg. Tsbgofs ***The Small Boring Group of Faint Stars TTFN, ttfn ***ta-taa for now [cf. BBFN, BFN, GBFN (q.v.)] although more recent research by Orjan has unearthed an alternative theory: "originally the farewell the dancers at the Royal Ballet Company shouted at their lovers as they were bodily dragged to rehersals by their stern taskmasters. It stands, of course, for 'TuTu For Now', and in this sinple phrase the dancers managed to convey the loss of parting as well as their love for their art; a love that meant more to them than even their devoted lovers." TUC _The Unadulterated Cat_ (thanks, michael); Trades Union Congress; a proprietory brand of light, salty biscuit. TWOC, Taking WithOut Consent [of the owner, implicit]; ukpolicespeak for twoc the practice referred to in the tabloids as "joyriding" - stealing cars and driving dangerously, frequently under the influence of alcohol, etc, and [? mostly ?] under-age for drinking or driving. hence the verb, "to twoc"; & the gerund, "twoccing" [hard "c"] T5E, TFE _The Fifth Elephant_, 24th DW novel, published Nov '99. T5E is the preferred acronym on the newsgroups - TFE is here for information. 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; the channel islands (these are in origin, the remnants of the duchy of normandy, and may fairly lay claim to include the u.k...) UL urban legend - a modern story or "fact" widely bruited, with _no_ known authoritative source; frequently disproven, but still current. The concept can be traced back at least as early as the 18th century, and even earlier. _The Choking Doberman_ is believed to be directly descended from "The Robber's Bride". Jan Brunvald possibly invented the term. (Thank you Tamar!) UN _Uberwald Nights_; United Nations 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 (: does this imply that all other american states are disunited - canadadada, we know about, but...?) native of which political entity being "merkins". UU, uu the Unseen University 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.) UUD Unseen University Diary [for the year 1998 A.D. (q.v.)] VAT, Value Added Tax. a regressive tax levied upon every stage of man- v.a.t. ufacture or transfer of ownereship in the EC (q.v.) upon the real or fancied increase in the goods' or services' so taxable value by calculation of the tax owing, less the tax refund payable if correctly calculated and claimed. all goods and services in the EC are either "exempt" or "vattable", though vattable goods may be "zero-rated": but once a zero-rated item is moved to a higher rate of v.a.t, it cannot ever again be re-zero-rated... ...and an honest trader's nightmare: bring back purchase tax ! VHS Video Home System: JVC's proprietory videocassette system format, but n.b. variations of electronic standards mean that incompatib- ilities do exist between VHS videos from different areas [see NTSC, PAL]: more expensive dual standard players exist, but ask before you buy ! VHS defeated the technically superior BetaMax system through clever marketing, and Sony's (and Philips') inverse. *vom* ejaculation indicative of excess (vide context, as to whether the excess in question be of alcohol, "loveydoveyness", joy, or of un- diluted *cute*). derived by abbreviation ["vomit"], from the famous scene in Monty Python's Meaning of Life where mr. creosote's urgent requirement for a bucket at the end of a light meal becomes clear. the phrase "reach me my vom bucket" achieved popularity in the uk in the late 20th century as a result. [thanks, mike.] WA _Witches Abroad_; wallace arnold; western australia WAIS Western Antarctic Ice Shelf; also Wide Area Information Service. WBDE WallBro Discworld Event involving various alcoholic bevarages - "or so i'm told"... - last wbde was 5/12/98; the next will be ? [provisional entry: suggested by dmark, but not yet in afpusage] WIHIHH "what in hell is happening here" which comes from Uncle Roger, mostly) Flight magazine. It may be of RAF origin. (thanks Dave and others) WitH _Words in the Head_ WRT, wrt with regard [respect] to WS _Wyrd Sisters_; william shakespeare WTF what the fuck* WTH what the hell...? WWACCDE99 ***We Weren't At CCDE '99. Or perhaps We Wibbled At CCDE '99? Either way an organisation built on Lune-tic foundations... WYBM.. will you be my..("..S-D" "..sugar-daddy" [thank-you, karen], etc.) WYJMH, sH will you join my harem (sub-harem) [after WYMM (q.v.)] a by-blow or off-shoot of the Great Temple Affaire [or Disaster]. ask gid. 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...) Y2K, Y2k the year 2000 [A.D.] (q.v.): with which, many pcs (q.v.) will or do have problems; *not* the start of the new millennium, but will nevertheless be observed as such, by many 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 experiences, 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]"; now widespread trade terminology in the uk.] [in origin, contemptuous; now not _necessarily_ so.] [see also mmp/b, p/b, tp/b] YYUR,YYUB "... ICURYY4ME" * - 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...or substitute the words "fascist", "friendly" or "functional" as preferred by some afper's:^);) ------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!------!-----!------ - 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. - thanks to terry crisp, gabriel krabbe, & erik green, and Jann Thomsen for the information to improve the entries for NTSC, PAL and VHS - and to catweasel, for the alternative explanations for "PAL" & "SECAM": they should not be held culpable for any errors paraphrased into their explanations. -- Karen@lspace.org