The Twelve Essays of Christmas: TFH

What's an abbreviation? It's the short version of a word or phrase.

It's the initial letters of a phrase, like 'AC/DC' (Alternating Current / Direct Current), or 'AKA' (Also Known As). Or nearly initial letters, as in 'XHTML' (Extended Hyper-Text Markup Language).

Except sometimes it's the initial few letters, as in 'PhD' (Doctor of Philosophy). And the letters don't even have to be next to each other, as in 'AWoL' (Absent Without Leave).

And except where it's the initial few letters of a single word, as in 'temp' for 'temporary' or 'temperature', or 'app' for 'application'.

Sometimes it can be pronounced as a word, as in laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) or snafu (Situation Normal - All Fucked Up), in which case we call it an acronym.

And it can be an english acronym even if the original words aren't in english. Gestapo is Geheime Staat Polizei - Homeland State Police). The cable that's probably connected to your digital TV receiver box is a scart (or SCART) cable, and that's a french acronym (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs). I've worked in video, and with experts in video, and most them had no idea what the letters stood for, or indeed that it wasn't for something in english. Nor did they need to know it to use the hardware.

'Mr' is the abbreviation of 'Mister'. But 'Ms' is the abbreviation of...erm, actually 'Ms' is an abbeviation without a full version. Which is a bit odd. Maybe the theoretical full version would be 'Mizzis'? And aren't these actually contractions and not abbreviations at all?

So what's the difference between an abbreviation and a contraction?

According to the experts at the Oxford English Dictionary (abbreviation: OED), a contraction is a word like 'Can't' or 'Shouldn't', created by dropping sounds or letters from a phrase, and indicating the omission by putting an apostrophe where they used to be.

Abbreviations OTOH (On The Other Hand) are single words created by mashing together multiple words, or short words created by chopping the beginnings and/or endings off longer words.

So...erm, what's the difference between an abbreviation and a contraction? They even list 're and 've (as in 'We're' and 'We've') as abbreviations, when I'd list them as bound-morphemes derived from auxiliary verbs. Or...possibly something else.

But I can definitely tell you that abbreviations are nouns or adjectives - except when they're not. And contractions are not nouns or adjectives - except when they are.

If you've got a better definition, please let me know. In the meantime, here are the 1959 words listed as Abbreviation in the COED. Which isn't listed as an abbreviation in the COED.

'm	're	've	4to	4WD
8vo	a.e.t.	a.m.	a/c	A/D
ABC	ABH	ABM	Abp	ABS
ABTA	ABV	AC	ACAS	ACL
ACLU	ACT	ACTH	ACW	AD
ADC	ADF	ADH	ADHD	Adj.
Adjt	Adm.	ADN	ADP	ADSL
ADT	advt	AEA	AEEU	aet.
AF	AFC	AFL	AFL-CIO	AFM
Ag	AGC	AGM	AGR	AH
AHA	AI	AID	AIH	AIM
AK	aka	AL	Ala.	Alas.
ALP	Alta	ALU	AM	Amex
AMRAAM	amu	ANC	AND	anon.
ANS	ANSI	AOB	AOC	APB
APC	APEC	API	Apoc.	Apocr.
app.	approx.	APR	Apr.	AR
ARA	ARC	arcos	arcsin	arctan
Ariz.	Ark.	ARP	arr.	AS
ASA	asap	ASCII	ASEAN	ASH
ASI	ASIC	ASL	ASLEF	ASM
ASP	Assoc.	ASSR	Asst	AST
ASV	ATB	ATC	ATF	ATM
ATOL	ATP	Atty	ATV	AU
AUC	Aug.	AUS	AUT	AV
Ave.	AWACS	AWS	AZ	AZT
b	b.f.	b.h.p.	b/w	B2
B2B	B2C	BA	BAe	BAFTA
BAOR	Bar.	Bart	BBC	bbl.
BBQ	BBS	BC	bcc	BCD
BCE	BCG	BD	Bde	Bdr
BDS	BE	BEd	Beds.	BEF
BEM	BEng	Berks.	BeV	BFPO
BG	BGH	BH	bi	BIS
bk	BL	BLitt	BM	BMA
BMI	BMR	BMus	bn	BNP
BO	BOD	bot.	bp	BPC
BPH	BPhil	bpi	bpm	bps
Bq	BR	Br.	Brig.	BRN
BRU	BS	BSc	BSE	BSI
BSL	BST	BT	Btu	BTW
Bucks.	BUPA	BUR	BVM	BWR
BYOB	c	C.-in-C.	c.f.	c.i.f.
c.w.o.	c/-	c/o	c/s	C2
C2C	ca	CAA	CAB	CAD
CADCAM	CAE	Caerns.	CAF	CAI
cal	Cal.	Calif.	CAM	Cambs.
Can.	Cant.	Cantab.	CAP	cap.
caps	Capt.	Card.	CARICOM	CAT
Cath.	CATV	CB	CBC	CBE
CBI	CBS	CC	CCD	CCJ
CCTV	cd	CD-R	CD-RW	Cd.
CDC	CDN	cDNA	Cdr	Cdre
CDT	CDV	CE	CEng	cent.
CEO	CERN	cert.	CertEd	CET
CF	cf.	CFC	CFE	CFS
CG	CGI	CGS	CGT	CH
ch.	chap.	Chas	ChB	CHD
Ches.	ChM	CHP	Chr.	Chron.
CI	CIA	CID	CIO	CITES
CJ	CJD	cl	CLit	Cllr
CM	Cm.	Cmd.	Cmdr	Cmdre
CMG	Cmnd.	CMV	CNAA	CND
CNG	CNN	CNS	CO	Co.
COD	Col.	Colo.	COMINT	comp
Con	Conn.	Cons.	Const.	cont.
COPD	Cor.	CORE	Corp.	cos
cosec	cosh	COSHH	cot	coth
Coy	CP	cp.	CPA	CPI
Cpl	CPO	CPR	CPS	CPU
CPVC	CR	Cr2	CRC	Cres.
cresc.	CRT	CS	CSA	CSE
CSM	CST	ct	CTC	CTS
CU	cu.	CV	CVO	CVS
CVT	CWO	cwt.	CY	d
D/A	D2	DA	DAB	DAC
Dak.	dal	dam	Dan.	DAT
dB	DBE	DBMS	DBS	DC
DCB	DCC	DCL	DCM	DCMG
DCVO	DD	DDI	DDos	DDR
DDT	DE	DEA	Dec.	DEFRA
deg.	Del.	Dem.	dep.	Dept
Deut.	DEW	DFC	DFE	DfES
Dfl	DFM	DG	DHSS	DHT
DI	dia.	DIL	dim.	DIMM
DIP	Dip.	DipAD	DipEd	DipHE
div	Div.	DJ	DK	dkl
dkm	DL	DLitt	DLL	DM
DMA	DMD	DMs	dmu	DMus
DMV	DMZ	DNB	DNR	DNS
do.	DOA	doc	DOD	DoE
DoH	DOI	dol.	DOS	DoT
doz.	DP	dpc	DPhil	dpi
dpm	DPP	DPT	Dr	dr.
DRAM	DS	DSc	DSL	DSM
DSO	DSP	DSS	DTD	DTI
DTP	DUI	DV	DVD	DVD-R
DVD-ROM	DVD-RW	DVLA	DWP	dwt
DY	dyn	DZ	e.g.	e.p.
E2	ea.	EAK	EAT	EAU
EBD	EBRD	EBV	EC	ECB
Eccles.	Ecclus	ECG	ECM	ECSC
ECT	ed.	EDI	edn	EDP
EDT	Edw.	EEC	EEG	EFA
EFL	EFTA	EFTPOS	EGM	ELF
ELT	EMF	EMG	EMS	EMU
enc.	encl.	ENE	ENG	ENT
EOC	EOT	EP	Ep.	EPA
Eph.	EPIRB	EPNS	EPO	EPOS
EPS	EPSRC	EQ	ER	ERM
ES	ESA	ESC	Esd.	ESE
ESL	ESN	ESOL	ESP	esp.
Esq.	ESR	ESRC	EST	est.
Esth.	ET	ETA	etc.	ETH
EU	Euratom	eV	EVA	Ex.
Exod.	exor	exp	ext.	Ezek.
f	f.o.b.	f.o.r.	f.w.d.	F2
FA	FAA	Fahr.	FAO	FAQ
FAS	FBA	FBI	FC	FCC
FCO	FD	FDA	FDDI	FE
Feb.	FET	ff	ff.	FHSA
FIFA	FIFO	fig.	FL	fl.
Fla	flor.	FM	FMV	FO
fo.	FOAF	FoE	fol.	forex
fp	FPA	FPS	FPU	Fr
fr.	Fri.	FRS	FS	FSA
FSH	Ft	FTC	FTP	fur.
fwd	FX	FY	FYI	G
g	G2	GA	Ga.	GABA
gal.	gall.	GAO	GB	GBA
GBE	GBG	GBH	GBJ	GBM
Gbyte	GBZ	GC	GCA	GCB
GCE	GCHQ	GCMG	GCSE	GCVO
Gdns	GDP	GDR	Gen.	Geo.
GeV	GG	GH	GHB	GHQ
GHz	GIGO	GIS	GLA	Glam.
GLC	Glos.	gm	GMO	GMS
GMT	GMWU	gn	GNP	Gnr
gns	GNVQ	GOC	GOP	gov.
govt	GP	gph	GPI	gpm
GPO	GPRS	GPS	GR	gr.
GRP	grt	gs	gsm	GSOH
GSR	GST	Gt	GUI	GUM
GUY	Gy	h	h.p.	H2
HAART	Hab.	Hag.	Hants	HB
HBM	HC	HCF	HDD	HDL
HDTV	HE	Heb.	Herts.	HEW
HF	HFC	HG	HGH	HGV
HH	hh.	hhd	HI	HIH
HIM	HIV	HK	HKJ	hl
hm	HMG	HMI	HMS	HMSO
HNC	HND	Hon	Hos.	HPV
HQ	hr	HRH	hrs	HRT
HSH	HST	HT	HTTP	HWM
Hz	I	I.Biol.	I.Chem.E.	i.e.
i.h.p.	I.Mech.E.	I.Min.E.	I.Mun.E.	i/c
I/O	I3	IA	IAEA	IATA
IB	IBA	IBF	IBM	IBRD
IBS	IC	ICAO	ICBM	ICC
ICE	ICI	ICT	ICU	ID
id.	IDA	IDE	IEE	IEEE
IF	IFC	IFR	Ig	IHS
IL	Ill.	ILO	ILP	ILS
IMAP	IMF	IMHO	IMO	IMP
IN	in.	Inc.	incl.	IND
Ind.	INF	INLA	INRI	INS
inst.	Inst.P.	int.	inter.	IOC
IOM	IOW	IP	IPA	IPO
IPR	IQ	IR	IRA	IRBM
IRC	IRL	IRO	IRQ	IRS
IS	Is.	ISA	ISBN	ISDN
ISO	ISP	ISSN	ISV	IT
ITA	ital.	ITC	ITN	ITU
ITV	IU	IUD	IUPAC	IV
IVF	IWC	IWW	J2	Jam.
Jan.	Jas.	JATO	JCL	JCR
JCS	Jer.	JET	JIT	Jn
Jnr	Jon.	Jos.	Josh.	JP
Jr	Jud.	Judg.	Jul.	Jun.
Junr	k	K2	Kan.	Kans.
KANU	kb	KBE	Kbps	kbyte
KC	kc/s	kcal	KCB	KCMG
KCVO	KE	keV	KG	Kgs
kHz	kJ	KKK	kl	km
km/h	kn.	Knt	KO1	KS
KStJ	KT	kV	kW	kWh
KWIC	KWT	Ky	l	l.c.
l.h.	L2	LA	La	Lab
LAC	LACW	Lam.	LAN	Lancs.
LAO	LAR	lat.	lb	LBDR
LBO	lbw	LCC	LCD	LCM
LCPL	LD	LDC	Ldg	LDL
LDS	LE	LEA	LED	Leics.
Lev.	LF	LGV	LH	LHD
LI	Lib.	LIBOR	Lieut.	LIFO
Lincs.	LittD	LJ	Lk.	ll.
LLB	LLD	LLM	LM	LMS
LMT	ln	LNB	LNG	long.
LP	LPG	LPO	LS	LSB
LSE	LSO	Lt	LTA	Ltd
LTP	LVO	LW	LWB	LWM
lx	m	m.m.f.	m.p.	M2
MA	Macc.	MAFF	Maj.	MAL
Mal.	Man.	Manit.	Mar.	Mass.
Matt.	max	MB	MBA	MBE
MBO	Mbps	Mbyte	Mc	MC
MCB	MCC	mcg	MCh	mCi
MCom	MCP	MCR	MD	Md.
MDF	MDMA	MDT	Me	MEcon
MEd	med.	MEP	Met	MeV
MEX	mf	MFH	mg	Mgr
MHK	MHR	MHz	MI	mi.
MI5	MI6	MIA	Mic.	Mich.
Middx	mil	min.	Minn.	MIRAS
MIS	misc.	Miss.	MIT	Mk
mks	Mkt	ml	MLA	MLC
MLD	MLitt	Mlle	MLR	mm
Mme	MMR	MMS	MMus	MN
MNA	MO	mo.	MOD	MOH
Mon.	Mont.	MOR	MORI	MP
MPC	mpg	mph	MPhil	MPV
MR	MRBM	MRC	MRCP	MRCVS
MRE	MRI	mRNA	MRPhS	MRSA
MS	MS-DOS	MSB	MSc	MSF
MSG	Msgr	MSgt	MSP	MSS
MT	Mt	MTB	MTBF	MTech
MusB	MusD	MV	MVO	MVP
MW	Mx	MY	n	n.d.
n.o.	n.p.	n/a	n/s	N2
NAACP	NAAFI	NAD	NAFTA	Nah.
NASA	NASDAQ	NASUWT	Nat.	NATFHE
NATO	NAV	NB	NBA	NBC
NBG	NC	NCO	ND	NDP
NE	NEB	Neb.	Nebr.	NEC
neg.	Neh.	NERC	Nev.	NF
NFL	Nfld	NFU	NGO	NH
NHS	NI	NIC	NIREX	NIV
NJ	NL	NLP	nm	NMR
NNE	NNP	NNW	No.	nom.
nor'	NORAD	Northants	Northumb.	nos
Notts.	Nov.	NP	NPV	nr
NRA	NRSV	ns	NSA	NSB
NSC	NSF	NSPCC	NSU	NSW
NT	Nth	NTP	NU	NUJ
NUM	Num.	NUS	NUT	NV
nvCJD	NVQ	NW	NY	NYC
NYSE	NZ	o	o.n.o.	o.p.
O2	OAP	OAPEC	OAS	OAU
OB	ob.	Obad.	OBE	OC
OCAS	OCD	OCR	oct.	OD1
Oe	OECD	OED	OEM	Ofcom
Off.	OFFER	Ofgas	Ofsted	OFT
Oftel	Ofwat	OH	OHC	OHMS
OHP	OHV	OIEO	OIRO	OK
Okla	OLE	OM	ON	ONC
OND	Ont.	OP	op-amp	Op.
OPEC	opp.	OR	orch.	ord.
Ore.	Oreg.	OS	OST	OT
OTC	OTE	OTT	OU	Oxf.
Oxon	oz	p	p.a.	p.c.
p.m.	p.s.i.	p.w.	P2	P2P
PA	Pa	PABX	PAC	par.
Parl.	PAS	Pat.	PAYE	pb
Pb	PBS	PBX	PC	PCB
PCI	PCM	PCMCIA	PCP	PCR
PCS	PCV	PD	PDA	PDP
PDQ	PDSA	PDT	PE	PEI
Pembs.	PEN	Pen.	Penn.	PEP
PET	Pet.	Pf.	PFA	Pfc.
PFI	PG	PGA	PGCE	PhD
Phil.	Philem.	PID	PIM	PIN
PIR	pk	PKU	PL	pl.
PLA	plc	PLO	PLP	PLR
PM	PMG	PMS	PMT	PNdB
PNG	PO	POP	pop.	POS
post-op	POV	POW	pp	PPARC
PPE	ppi	ppm	PPP	PPS
PPU	PPV	PQ	pr	PRA
Preb.	pref.	prep.	Pres.	PRO
Prof.	prop.	Prov.	prox.	PS
Ps.	PSBR	PSNI	PST	PSV
PT	Pt	PTA	PTE	PTFE
PTO	PTSD	Pty	pub.	PVA
PVC	PVS	Pvt.	PW	PWA
PWR	PY	q.v.	Q2	QB
QC	QCD	QED	Qld	QM
QMG	QMS	QPM	qr	QSO
qt	Que.	r	r.f.	r.h.
R2	RA	RAAF	RAC	RAD
RADA	RAF	RAID	rall.	RAM
RAMC	RAN	RAOC	RB	RBI
RC	RCA	RCH	RCM	RCMP
RCN	RCP	RCS	RCVS	RD
RDA	RDBMS	RDC	RDF	RDI
RDS	RE	recd	ref.	Regt
REME	Rep.	repr.	res	ret.
retd	Rev.	Revd	RFA	RFC
RGN	RGS	Rh	RHD	RHS
RI	RIA	RIBA	RICS	RIM
RIP	rit.	RL	rly	RM
RMA	RMM	RMP	rms	RMT
RN	RNAS	RNLI	RNZAF	RNZN
ro-ro	ROC	ROCE	ROE	ROI
ROK	ROM	rom.	RoSPA	ROTC
ROV	RP	RPG	RPI	rpm
rpt	RPV	RR	rRNA	RRP
Rs	RSA	RSC	RSFSR	RSI
RSJ	RSM	RSPB	RSPCA	RSV
RSVP	RTÉ	RT	RTA	rte
RTF	RU	RUC	RV	RWA
Ry	s	S-VHS	s.c.	s.h.p.
s.v.	S2	SA	SAC	SACD
SACW	SAD	sae	SALT	SAM
Sam.	SAR	SARS	SAS	SASE
Sask.	SAT	Sat.	SATB	SAYE
SBS	SC	sc.	ScD	SCE
sch.	SCID	Scot.	SCR	SCSI
SD	SDI	SDLP	SDP	SDR
SE	SEA	SEAQ	SEATO	sec
sec.	sect.	SEM	SEN	Sen.
Senr	Sept.	Sergt	SERPS	SETI
SF	SFA	SFX	sfz	SG
sgd	SGML	SGP	Sgt	sh.
SHAPE	SI	SIB	SIDS	Sig.
SIMM	sin	sing.	sinh	Sir.
SIS	SJ	SJC	SK	SLBM
SLD	SLE	SLR	SM	SME
SMS	SMSgt	SMTP	SN	SNP
Snr	So.	Soc.	SOE	SOHO
Som.	SP	sp.	SPAD	SPCK
SPF	spp.	SPQR	Spr	sq.
SQL	SQUID	sr	Sr	SRA
SRAM	SRN	SRO	SS1	SSAFA
SSC	SSE	SSL	SSP	ssp.
SSRC	SSRI	SSSI	SST	SSW
st	Sta.	Staffs.	START	stat
STD	stg	Sth	STOL	STP
str.	Sts	Sub-Lt.	Sun.	Supt
Sus.	Sv	SVGA	SW	SWA
SWAPO	SWG	SY	SYR	t
T2	TA	TAB	TAM	tan
tanh	Tas.	TB	TBA	TBC
tbsp	TCD	TCDD	TCM	TCP/IP
TD	TEFL	tel.	temp	temp.
ten.	Tenn.	TENS	TESL	TESOL
Tex.	TFT	TG	TGWU	Th.
THC	Thess.	THI	Thos	Thur.
TIA	TIFF	Tim.	Tit.	TKO
TLC	TM	TN	TNT	to
Tob.	TOC	TOW	Tpr	TQM
TR	TRH	tRNA	TSgt	tsp
TSR	TSS	TT	TTL	TTS
TU	Tu.	TUC	Tues.	TV
TVA	TVEI	TVP	TX	u.c.
U2	UAE	UBR	UC	UCAS
UDA	UDC	UDI	UDR	UEFA
UF	UHF	UHT	UK	UKAEA
ult.	UMTS	UN	UNA	UNCSTD
UNCTAD	UNDP	UNDRO	UNEP	UNESCO
UNFPA	UNHCR	UNICEF	UNIDO	UNITAR
Univ.	UNRWA	UPS	UPU	uPVC
URC	URL	US	USA	USAF
USB	USD	USM	USN	USP
USS	USSR	UT	UTC	Utd
UV	UVA	UVB	UVC	v
V2	VA	VAD	VAR	var.
VAT	VC	vCJD	VCR	VD
VDT	VDU	VED	Ven.	VFR
VG	VGA	vgc	VHF	VHS
VI	Vic.	VIN	VIP	Vis.
Visc.	VJ	VLF	VLSI	VN
VO	VOD	vol.	vols	VP
VPL	VPN	VR	VRML	VS
VSO	VSOP	VT	VTO	VTOL
VTR	vv.	w	w.e.f.	w.f.
w.p.	w/o	W2	WA	WAC
WAG	WAL	WAN	WAP	War.
Wash.	Wb	WBA	WBC	WC
WCC	WD	WEA	Wed.	Weds.
WEU	WFTU	WHO	WI	Wi-Fi
Wilts.	WIP	WIPO	Wis.	Wisd.
wk	WLTM	Wm	WMD	WML
WMO	WNW	WO	Worcs.	WORM
WP	WPC	wpm	WRAC	WRAF
WRNS	WRVS	WSW	wt	WTO
WV	WWF	WWI	WWII	WWW
WY	Wyo.	X	X3	xd
XHTML	XL	XML	y	Y2
Y2K	YAC	yd	YHA	YMCA
Yorks.	yr	yrs	YT	YTS
YV	YWCA	Z2	ZA	ZANU
ZAPU	Zech.	Zeph.	ZW