Buzzwords

Here are some everyday buzzwords and abbreviations explained. If you have any yourself, post away.





Everyday Use

DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid (genetic blueprint for life, a real 1990's buzzword)
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus (the cause of AIDS)
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
BMW BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke (German for: Bavarian Motor Works)
HI-FI High Fidelity
LCD Liquid-Crystal Display
NICAM Electronics Near-Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex (for digital coding of audio signals)
VCR Video Cassette Recorder
DVD Digital Versatile Disc (new standard in digital video, audio and data)
LSD Lysergic acid Diethylamide (hallucinogenic drug: Acid)
TDK Tokyo Denkikagaku Kogyo (Japanese company, makes tapes and CD's)
JVC Victor Company of Japan (makes stero's and camcorders)
QANTAS Queensland And Northern Territories Air Services (Australian Airline)
GMT Greenwich Mean Time
FAX Facsimile Transmission
UPS United Parcel Service
BASF Badische Anilin und Soda-Fabrik (German chemical and electronics company)
NEC Nippon Electric Company (Japan)
YKK Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha - or 'YKK' for short. (Japanese name translates roughly as 'Yoshida Company Limited', largest zipper manufacturer in the world)
ISBN International Standard Book Number
MDMA Methylene-dioxymeth-amphetamine (hallucinogenic drug; Ecstasy)
PCP phen-cyclo=hexyl-piperidine (the drug phencylidine; Angel Dust)
JCB Joseph Cyril Bamford (excavating machines manufacturer)
PVC Polyvinyl Chloride (type of plastic)
3M Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
SAAB Svensk Aeroplan Aktiebolag (Swedish aircraft and car company)
CNN Cable News Network
AM Radio Amplitude Modulation
FM Radio Frequency Modulation
AC Alternating Current (mains electricity)
DC Direct Current (battery electricity)
LED Light-Emitting Diode
NiCad Nickel-Cadmium (battery)
CT (Also CAT) Computerized Axial Tomography (medical X-ray equipment)
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging (medical imaging equipment)
SCART Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs
(type of cable used to connect domestic entertainment equipment e.g. TV, Games consoles, Satellites/Cable television)

Mobile Phones

SIM Subscriber Identification Module (As in SIM card)
SMS Short Messaging Service (As in text messages)
GSM Global System for Mobile Communication
WAP Wireless Application Protocol
3G Third Generation
GPRS General Packet Radio Service (Sometimes called 2.5G)
PUK Personal Unblocking Key (Mobile phone master code)
PIN Personal Identification Number

Computers and The Internet

WWW World Wide Web
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
CD-ROM Compact Disc Read Only Memory
RAM Random Access Memory
CD-R Compact Disc Recordable
CD-RW Compact Disc Re-recordable
MHz Megahertz (speed at which computer processors are measured)
USB Universal Serial Bus (type of computer port)
ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscription Line ( commonly known as Broadband)
ISDN Integrated Digital Services Network (High-speed digital telephone line)
PC Personal Computer
IBM International Business Machines
HP Hewlett-Packard
MODEM Modulator Demodulator
GIF Graphics Interchange Format (this and the next two entries are type of computer picture format)
BMP Bitmap
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group
CPU Central Processing Unit
ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange
HTML Hypertext Mark up Language
SVGA Super Video Graphics Array
VDU visual display unit
DPI Dots Per Inch (computer printer specification)
Bps Bits Per Second (digital information transfer rate, used in modems etc.)
PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (Standard for PC expansion card manufacture and use.)
SCSI Small Computer System Interface
MP3 Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 (standard in digital music)
MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
SSL Secure Sockets Layer (standard digital encryption technology)
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol