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Acronyms | |
| alnico(s) | ALuminium, NIckel and CObalt: an alloy of iron, nickel, aluminium, cobalt and copper |
| amu | Atomic Mass Unit. |
| arpa | Address and Routing Parameter Area: an Internet top-level domain used exclusively for Internet-infrastructure purposes. It originates from Arpanet, originally developed by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency. |
| asdic | Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee: an early sonar |
| aspro | in Australian slang, an ASsociate PROfessor |
| awol | Absent WithOut Leave |
| bambi | a Born Again Middle-aged BIker. |
| buppy buppie | Black Urban Professional: a black yuppie. |
| codec | COde and DECode: apparatus for coding and decoding signals |
| conelrad | CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation: a US emergency warning broadcast system in the event of attack |
| elint | ELectronic INTelligence: intelligence gathered by electronic means; |
| eniac | Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator: an early American electronic computer: |
| eprom | Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory |
| fedex | FEDeral EXpress: to air freight |
| figjam | F--k I'm Good, Just Ask Me: (Australian slang) a very conceited person |
| flir | Forward Looking Infrared Radar: an electronic heat sensor able to detect and display on a T.V-like screen a distant scene despite darkness, smoke etc used esp in military aircraft. |
| fubar foobar | F--ked Up Beyond All Recognition |
| gestapo | GEheime STAatsPOlizei: Secret State Police |
| gox | Gaseous OXygen |
| gulag | the system of political prisons and forced labour camps in the Soviet Union; camp for the detention of political prisoners: an acronym of the body administering the system: Glavnoe Upravlenie ispravitelnotrudovykh LAGerei. |
| jafa | Just Another F---ing Aucklander |
| jato | Jet-Assisted Take-Off |
| kreep | potassium (Kalium), Rare Earth Elements, and Phosphorus: a basaltic lunar rock. |
| laser | Light Amplification By Stimulated Emission of Radiation |
| loran | LOng RANge navigation: a radio navigation system operating over long distances |
| magnox | MAGnesium No OXidation: a type of container for nuclear reactors |
| mips | Million Instructions Per Second: a measure of a computer's processing speed |
| mirv | Multiple Independently-targeted Reentry Vehicle, as in nuclear warheads |
| modem | MOdulate DEModulate: a device which converts digital data into analogue signals which can be sent over a telephone system. Also a verb |
| nairu | Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment |
| navarho | NAVigation Aid RHo (a navigation symbol for distance): a low-frequency long-range navigational system for aircraft |
| nicad | a battery, usually rechargeable, with NIckel anode and CADmium cathode |
| nife | NIckel FErrum (iron): the supposed material of Earth's core. |
| nimbyism | from Nimby, a person willing to have something occur so long as it does not affect him or take place in his locality: 'Not In My Back Yard' |
| nox | Nitrogen OXide. |
| oflag | OFfiziersLAGer: a German prisoner-of-war camp for officers |
| omov | One Man, One Vote: a voting system |
| perfin | PERForated INitials: a stamp perforated with the initials of firms, to prevent theft by employees. |
| pomo | POst-MOdernism |
| quango | QUasi-Autonomous Non-GOvernmental organisation |
| radar | RADio detection And Ranging |
| rato | Rocket Assisted Take-Off |
| ronzer | someone from the Rest Of New Zealand (i.e. other than Auckland) |
| rurp | Realized Ultimate Reality Piton: a very small hooklike piton used in mountaineering |
| scuba | Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus |
| shoran | SHOrt RANge navigation: a short range radar system |
| sial sialic | the lighter upper part of the earth's continental crust composed of rocks rich in SIlica and ALumina |
| sialon | various ceramic materials consisting of SIlicon, ALuminium, Oxygen and Nitrogen |
| snafu | Situation Normal: All F--ked Up: confusion or chaos regarded as the normal state |
| sonar | SOund Navigation And Ranging: an underwater communication and position finding device |
| spif | Stamp Perforated with the Initials of Firms, to prevent theft by employees. |
| spim | SPam Instant Messaging: unsolicited commercial communications received on a computer via an instant messaging system |
| stalag | STAmm LAGer: a base camp (for prisoners of war) |
| taser | Thomas A Swift's Electric Rifle: a small gun-like device which fires electrified barbs, used to stun. |
| tokamak tokomak | a toroidal device used in fusion, from toroidalnaya kamera s magnitym |
| twoccer twoccing twocker twocking | Taking Without Owner's Consent: a technical name for the offence of stealing a car |
| vatable vatman | Value-Added Tax |
| waac | member of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps |
| wof | Waste Of Flesh: (Australian slang) fool, idiot |
| woopie | a Well-Off Older Person |
| wysiwyg | What You See (on the screen) Is What You Get (on the printout) |
| ufo | Unidentified Flying Object, such as a flying saucer |
| yaba | Yet Another Bloody Acronym. Yes, that is really what it means. |
| yag | Yttrium Aluminium Garnet: an artificial garnet |
| yuppy yuppie | Young Urban (or Upwardly-mobile) Professional |