Acronyms list could do with an update

[catsofa]

Just tried to look up "OPK" which is constantly on all the TTC threads, but it's missing from the v v helpful acronyms list. There are loads there which I've never seen used too, is the whole thing maybe just slightly out of date?

Anyone like to have a look and add here anything else that needs adding or updating? Probably handy for MNHQ to have several suggestions in one place.

Should I then report the thread to request the changes, or will it be seen in "Site Stuff" anyway?

[DawnMumsnet]

Hi catsofa,

No need to report your thread, we're always looking in here.

Thanks for flagging this. And in case you hadn't found out yet, OPK stands for Ovulation Predictor Kit, btw.

Please do feel free to add any other acronyms you think should be included (or indeed excluded) from our lists - it could well be that we're due an overhaul.

Fire away, folks!

[Panzee]

Work out of the home mother, ie not a stay at home one!

[catsofa]

Thanks MNHQ!

Should NN = no no, rather than just no? Also sometimes stands I think for nickname?

Would it be worth including WTAF as well as WTF?

I have never heard ODFOD or TSSDNCOP, and still have no idea what the latter actually means even after looking it up .

[DiaDuit]

The secret service does not comment on procedure

[catsofa]

It's the TTC threads that get me, I've only just started and between the acronyms, the references to things which happened in previous thread number 273, and my lack of knowledge of anything much about fertility to start with I have no idea what's going on at all!

I also can't easily work out which is the current thread for something, e.g. which number "just shagging" is the current one and how do I find it before it gets full and a new one starts?

But that's a separate issue really, sorry to hijack my own thread.

I wonder if Acronyms should be changed to a proper Glossary, to include whole words which aren't always obvious to newbies too?

Thought of another one - D&V isn't on the acronyms list, that comes up a lot.

DiaDuit are there a lot of secret agents on here then?

[catsofa]

Also BFF - is this Best Friend Forever?

[TanteRose]

D&V - diarrhea and vomiting

Yes, best friend forever

[FruVikingessOla]

I thought BFF = Best Female Friend, to differentiate from BF = Boyfriend?

"DiaDuit are there a lot of secret agents on here then?". catsofa, MNHQ uses TSSDNCOP when they don't want to tell us their procedure/s behind certain actions

[TomatoSorbetWoman]

People could just google? I loathe the ds crap. Just say "my son"

[CafeAuLaitMerci]

I think the list is fine, it's a short list of words used across all the boards.

Each area will also have quite a few of their own, you couldn't possibly list them all - it would be a HUGE list. It's quickly obvious what they mean and if it's not, just ask :)

Good luck conceiving.

[DoItTooJulia]

I found the acronym lst really useful when I first found MN, don't get rid of it!

People don't always like the acronyms but it won't stop people using them.

[catsofa]

DPO - days past ovulation?

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

What about FOTTBOF etc?

[catsofa]

We definitely need something. Lots of people won't be familiar with internet slang at all if this is their first forum, and while you could google "IMHO" or "OP" which are used everywhere, a newbie would have no way of knowing which piles of letters were MN ones and which were more widely used and lookupable.

Plus, a group of people speaking to each other regularly will always start to invent bits of its own language, and it's fine that there are words and expressions unique to MN - as long as they can be looked up easily so they don't exclude people.

And then there is the fact that any area of expertise will need bits of its own language, e.g. "OPK", "TTC", "PCOS", "POAS". Jargon happens because we need to refer to these things a lot, and it's fine and even useful as long as it can be easily interpreted. Son, daughter, mum, dad etc are probably the most frequently used concepts on these boards, so it's not surprising they get abbreviated.

[DawnMumsnet]

Hi again,

We're still here, taking notes.

And by the way, ODFOD stands for oh do fuck off dear.

But you'll get deleted if you use it

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Maybe you should have the main acronyms used across the board, and then for the more specialist boards eg conception have additional lists easily reached from within the board.

Acronyms are often a PITA though - I am frequently confused by GP; doctor, grandparent or guinea pig?

Maybe MNHQ could do a kind of Linky thing like some boards do with add eg make known acronyms a link that can be clicked/hovered over for explanation? Or if they were being really clever when you typed a message with an acronym in a wee box could pop up offering to write the full text or with choices if more than one possibility (eg GP)

As far as I can tell people use acronyms because things like EWCM take ages to write out in full, but no-one minds reading the full text.

TL;DR

Separate acronym glossaries for different boards
MNHQ to auto-convert acronyms to full-text

[catsofa]

OW = The Other Woman (is missing)

I am frequently confused by GP; doctor, grandparent or guinea pig?
LOL

[IonaMumsnet]

We were amused to read yesterday a poster say she had always thought STB Ex was short for Stupid Bastard Ex (Soon To Be).
We're making notes. Keep em coming.

[catsofa]

NC = No Contact

[catsofa]

EA = Emotionally abusive

[MollyAir]

I always read STBX as Stupid Bastard Ex.

[catsofa]

PA = passive aggressive

[FruVikingessOla]

catsofa

EA can also = Estate Agent

and

PA can also = Personal Attack