AMERICAN ENGLISH ABBREVIATIONS
A.D. (Latin) anno Domini “in the year of the Lord”
a.k.a. also known as (referring to a second, well-known name)
a.m. (Latin) ante meridiem (time period; midnight to noon)
apt. apartment
ASAP as soon as possible
AV audio-visual
Ave. Avenue
AWOL absent without leave (military)
B.A. Bachelor of Arts (academic degree)
BBQ,
Bar-BQ barbeque
Bldg. building
BMOC “Big Man on Campus” (unofficial college title)
Boul. Boulevard
Bros. brothers
B.S. Bachelor of Science (academic degree)
B.T.U. British Thermal Unit
bx. box
BYOB bring your own bottle/booze (type of informal party)
C. Centigrade scale
c., ca. circa (about); c. also for cup (cooking measurement)
C.E.O. chief executive officer (business)
C.O.D. cash on delivery
C.P.A. Certified Public Accountant
cop., c. copyright
Corp. corporation
C & W country and western music
D.C. District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); direct current
D-Day the Allies’ Normandy Invasion of Europe, June 6, 1944
D.D.S. Doctor of Dental Surgery (dentist)
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
DOA dead on arrival
dz. dozen (l2)
ed. edition, editor
e.g. (Latin) exempli gratia “for example”
EKG electrocardiogram
encl. enclosed
esp. especially
ESP extrasensory perception
et. al. (Latin) et ali “and others”
ESA estimated time of arrival
etc. (Latin) et cetera “and so forth”
F. Fahrenheit scale
fl. oz. fluid ounce
FYI for your information
G.O.P. Grand Old Party (Republican Party)
GNP gross national product
gyn gynecology
hp horsepower
H.Q.,
hdqts. headquarters
hrs. hours
H.R.H. Her Royal Highness (Britain)
ht. height
I.D. identification (papers, card)
i.e. (Latin) id est “that is”
Inc. incorporated
incl. included
Intl. international
I.Q. intelligence quotient
Is. island
ISBN International Standard Book Number
IRS Internal Revenue Service (U.S. taxes)
ital. italic (script)
IV intravenous
J.D. Juris Doctor (Doctor of Law), lawyer
J.P. Justice of the Peace
Jr. junior (named after his father)
JV junior varsity (sports)
K.P. “kitchen police” (military kitchen duty)
K.O. knockout (boxing)
lb. (Latin) libra “pound”
lg., lge large (size)
M.A. Master of Arts (academic degree)
M.B.A. Master of Business Administration (academic degree)
M.D. Medicineane Doctor (Doctor of Medicine)
med. medium (size)
M.F.A. Master of Fine Arts (academic degree)
mdse. merchandise
Mgr. manager
MHZ megahertz
M.I.A. missing in action (military)
misc. miscellaneous
mph. miles per hour
M.S. Masters of Science (academic degree)
ms(s) manuscript
msg. message
MSG monosodium glutamate (food seasoning)
Madison Square Garden (stadium in New York City)
M.S.W. Masters of Social Work (academic degree)
Mt (s). mountain(s)
Natl. national
n.b. (Latin) nota bene “take note”
no. number
nt. wt. net weight
O.E.D. Oxford English Dictionary
o.j. orange juice
oz. ounce
PA public address (system)
pd. paid
P.E. physical education
pg. page
p.m. (Latin) post meridiem (time period; noon to midnight)
P.O.
(box) post office (box)
P.O.E. port of entry
P.O.W. prisoner of war (military)
PDQ “pretty darn quick” – fast
p.s. (Latin) post scriptum “post script” (note at end of letter)
“p’s
and q’s” manners, etiquette
pt. pint
“3 R’s” “reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic”: basic education
R & B rhythm and blues music
R & D research and development
Rev. Reverend (religious)
RFD rural free delivery (postal)
R.I.P. “rest in peace” (gravestone marker)
REM rapid eye movement
R.N. registered nurse
rpm (s) revolution per minute
RR railroad
RSVP (French) respondez s’il vous plait “please respond”
S.A.S.E. self-addressed stamped envelope
sm. small (size)
Sr. senior (father whose son is given the same name; see Jr.)
SRO standing room only (public event)
St. saint (St. Louis, MO); street
SWAK sealed with a kiss (on envelope of romantic letter)
TB tuberculosis
Tbsp. tablespoon
tsp. teaspoon (cooking measurements)
TGIF “thank God (goodness) it’s Friday” (office worker’s slogan)
TLC tender loving care
UFO unidentified flying object
UHF ultra high frequency
VCR video cassette recorder/player
V-E Day Allies declared “Victory in Europe”, May 8, 1945
VIP “Very Important Person”
V-J Day Allies declared “Victory in Japan”, august 15, 1945
vs. versus (against)
x signature of an illiterate person; an unknown or unnamed quantity, factor, person or thing; by, in a measurement (2" x 4")
x’d to delete or cancel with a series of x’s
X-mas Christmas
zzzzz,
z’s sound of someone sleeping or snoring