An initialism is a new word created from the first letters of a phrase, but read letter-by-letter.
| AA
Alcoholics Anonymous (a group that helps people with drinking problems)
| GI
galvanised iron (now noted as ‘government/general issue’). GI is an American soldier, and the acronym describes their equipment.
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| AD
anno Domini (‘in the year of the Lord)
| GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
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| ADD
Attention Deficit Disorder (a problem of not being able to stay still or concentrate for long)
| HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
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| BA
Bachelor of Arts
| LGBT+
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, plus others
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| B & B
bed and breakfast
| MA
Master of Arts
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| BC
Before Christ
| MBA
Master of Business Administration
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| BYOB
bring your own bottle (on party invitations, or at restaurants = bring whatever you want to drink)
| MIA
missing in action (= they went to do something, and haven’t come back)
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| CCTV
closed-circuit television
| MRI
magnetic resonance imagining
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| CD
compact disc
| NGO
non-governmental organization
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| CEO
Chief Executive Officer
| OR
operating room
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| CFO
Chief Financial Officer
| PA
personal assistant
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| DIY
do it yourself
| PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
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| DUI
driving under the influence (= drunk driving, or driving whilst on drugs)
| p.s.
post script
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| DVD
digital video disc (or digital versatile disc)
| RIP
requiescat in pace (now adapted to ‘rest in peace’)
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| EMT
emergency medical technician
| RnB
rhythm and blues
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| ER
emergency room
| RSVP
repondez s’il vous plait (French; translated: please reply)
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| ETA
expected time of arrival
| UAE United Arab Emirates |
| IB
International Baccalaureate
| USA
United States of America
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| IPO
initial public offering
| USB
universal serial bus
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