In the world of internet, the use of acronyms and abbreviations has become a common thing. In fact, some of the often used abbreviations and acronyms became a new word that made dictionaries, like Merriam-Webster, to include them at their book.
People love abbreviations and acronyms. It makes communication way easier and better especially in this kind of technology-driven world we are living in. While there’s no wrong about it, I think it’s still important for us, especially the younger generations, to really know the meaning of these shortened words.
Below is a list of often used words that some people had no idea are acronyms.
SCUBA
SCUBA diving is indeed fun and exciting but did you know that the word SCUBA is actually an acronym? SCUBA is a shortened version of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.
LASER
Laser is now widely considered as a normal word by majority of people. LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
RADAR
RADAR is an often used military acronym that means Radio Detection And Ranging.
BASE Jumping
The word BASE from base jumping is an acronym for the thing you can jump from – Building, Antenna, Span and Earth.
GEICO
GEICO is not a word. It’s an acronym for Government Employees Insurance Company.
TASER
This name isn’t just a random word that was invented because it sounds cool or fitting for the weapon. It actually stands for Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle. According to records, TASER inventor Jack Cover named it after his favorite children’s book character, Tom Swift.
YAHOO!
Who would have thought that YAHOO actually means Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle?
SMART Car
SMART car wasn’t named smart because of the intelligent and advanced technology behind it. SMART is an acronym for Swatch + Mercedes + Art. SMART car was a project between Swatch and Mercedes thus the name of it.
ZIP code
Zone Improvement Plan code.
TIME Magazine
No, the TIME in TIME magazine doesn’t portray actual time. It stands for The International Magazine of Events.
CANOLA Oil
If you often use Canola oil, then this might blow your mind. Canola oil was originally called Canada Oil Low Acid and it was abbreviated to the term Canola oil as year passes by. Cool right?
via mentalfloss.com , brainjet.com , rd.com
