Acronyms which are words

The Gestapo came into being in Nazi Germany in If you grew up in the '90s, you probably played Pogs. But according to the OED , the name was an acronym for passion fruit, orange, guava, and was named after a drink in Maui that provided the lids for the first games. Radar technology was developed in the lead-up to the Second World War. Now a division of the Daimler organization, the Smart Automobile company began in Germany in the late s. This is one of the most common questions people have about abbreviations: Do you have to use a period at the end when writing it out?

There's no strict rule that says you do—it's kind of up to you. Sometimes adding a period is expected and can make the abbreviation easier to read. Take the example below. On the other hand, some abbreviations never use a period; for example, state postal abbreviations like NY , CA , and TX. The abbreviation for United States of America can be written with a period between each letter, but it's much more common without.

The same goes for measurement abbreviations like ft , in , and cm. There are abbreviations for so many different things, it would be impossible to list them all here. Here are some of the most common abbreviations you'll see and use:. You may have noticed that the abbreviations for ounce oz and pound lb are a little different from the rest.

They're spelled using letters that aren't part of the original word. This is because the abbreviations are based on older forms of each word—ounce comes from the Italian word onza , and pound from the Roman word libra. Many blur the line between abbreviations and acronyms, but they're abbreviations nonetheless.

In other words, they abbreviate something in a contemporary way, using initials, slang, and other shorthand. They make it possible to communicate quickly, and that's what makes them a form of abbreviation. Look closely at the heading above, and you may find your answer. Believe it or not, OK is an abbreviation too, and we use it on the site all the time. A good rule for abbreviations is to put the reader first.

Ask yourself: Will the abbreviation make the sentence easier to read, or will it confuse the reader for example, if the abbreviation is too obscure? If an abbreviation still sounds like a good idea, next consider the context. Abbreviations are perfectly OK in personal and casual writing—they're often OK in formal writing too. You might want to ask your boss or your teacher if you're unsure.

As you read earlier, acronyms are used in place of a phrase or string of words. They're almost always made up of the words' initials and are spelled in all caps. They can represent all kinds of things, from organizations to mnemonics to sandwiches.

Like abbreviations , there's a lot of overlap between acronyms and initialisms —but remember, this doesn't really matter when it comes to using them. But the origins of the phrase are less simplistic than they first appear.

The group eventually changed its name to Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, as they began to broaden out their charitable reach. The term "care package" slipped into common parlance, and it's been there ever since.

In the heady all-mod-cons days of , we tend to use "spam" to refer to all the junk mail that weasels its way into our email inboxes. But let's not forget that "Spam" was, of course, originally more widely known as the name of a tinned meat product others are, of course, available.

While the origins of the name are, curiously enough, shrouded in secrecy, it is thought to be an acronym of either "Special Processed American Meat" or even just, "SPiced HAM.

Either way, the product was originally produced in and became very popular during World War Two and in the years of rationing afterwards. When writing in a professional capacity, such as for a school essay or a press release , you always want to write out the full version of the term when you first mention it. Then you should indicate the acronym in parentheses immediately afterward.

After the first mention, you can use the acronym throughout the rest of the piece. While at NASA, they learned how to be astronauts. The fear of misusing acronyms FOMA is real for grammar geeks.