Best/favourite acronyms or mnemonic...

[lurok]

Many people I know think acronyms started with internet. LOL, OMG, ad nauseum. Saw a documentary on Brit TV a while back where one of our 'national treasure' writers, Alan Bennett, mentioned 'NORWICH' which he described as '(K)nickers off ready when I come home'. And that was from second world war. Thought was funny and have always remembered. So, post-hangover, am curious: is this a peculiarly english language phenomenon? What are the best/your favourite acronyms/mnemonics?

 

[scotpens]

Many people I know think acronyms started with internet. LOL, OMG, ad nauseum. Saw a documentary on Brit TV a while back where one of our 'national treasure' writers, Alan Bennett, mentioned 'NORWICH' which he described as '(K)nickers off ready when I come home'.

Of course, that’s a joking “backronym” — a phrase written so that its initials spell an already existing word. Fictitious organizations like UNCLE (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement), SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) and ZOWIE (Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage) are backronyms. So are the colorful but bogus folk etymologies for words like “posh” (Port Out, Starboard Home), “news” (North-East-West-South) and “fuck” (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Fornication Under Control of the King, etc.) Since acronyms weren’t commonly used in English before the mid-twentieth century, any word that predates jet aircraft and television probably didn’t originate as an acronym.

And technically, internet abbreviations like LOL and OMG are initialisms but not acronyms, since they can’t be pronounced.

As for mnemonics, I still remember the one I was taught in high school biology for the Linnaean classification system: King Philip cried, “Oh, for God’s sake!” (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

 

[iBender]

I thought the army started them.

A.S.A.P
M.A.S.H
A.W.O.L

Or perhaps telegraphs?

S.O.S

 

[lurok]

And the great:

FUBAR and SNAFU...

 

[iBender]

I like the classics.

LOL
ROFL...

 

[UssGlenn]

Or perhaps telegraphs?

S.O.S

SOS doesn't actually stand for anything. Save Our Ship/Souls was made up later. SOS was chosen because the ...---... is a very distinctive pattern.

 

[iBender]

Morce code! - That was on the tip of my tounge before.

This isn't really an Acronym, but my teacher in Year 2 (The 2nd Grade) gave us compasses, took us to the playground, pointed us North and stood infront of us and made us all face North, East, South, West going
"naughty elephants squirt water."
Until it was drummed into our heads what was North, what was East, what was South and what was West.

 

[scotpens]

And the great:

FUBAR and SNAFU...

Don’t forget JANFU — Joint Army-Navy Fuck-up. And REMF — Rear Echelon Motherfucker.

This isn't really an Acronym . . .
"naughty elephants squirt water."
Until it was drummed into our heads what was North, what was East, what was South and what was West.

You’re right, it isn’t an acronym; it’s a mnemonic. “Naughty Elephants Squirt Water” — that’s cute.

And there’s the one for the names of the Great Lakes, “HOMES” -- Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

 

[Lookingglassman]

REMF - Rear Echelon Mother F++++r

 

[Kommander]

I like the mnemonic for the colored bands on resistors because it's offensive: Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly.
0: Black, 1: Brown, 2: Red, 3: Orange, 4: Yellow, 5: Green, 6: Blue, 7: Violet, 8: Gray, 9: White.

Of course, it pretty much follows the pattern of rainbows, but rainbows are less offensive.

 

[captcalhoun]

i was taught Never Eat Shredded Wheat to remember north-east-south-west

 

[T'Girl]

I don't know if it qualifies, but. Born Raised And Transferred, for military brat.
Apparently the first word I could spell (before mom or cat) was brat.

A term of affection for those of us who were children of the armed services.

 

[sojourner]

TAANSTAAFL

 

[iBender]

Forced Upon Carnal Knowledge

 

[Thestral]

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally for solving a mathematical equation (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction)

and

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies for the planets

are two mnemonics I remember learning in school. I didn't need mnemonics often, but those were fun. We were taught us for Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species but I can't remember it, cause the actual order just rolls off my tongue and is easy for me to remember.

 

[scotpens]

Forced Upon Carnal Knowledge

Never heard that one, and I can’t say it even makes much sense. But then, neither does “Fornication Under Control of the King.” Fornication, by definition, is illicit sex. Therefore, it isn’t under the control of any authority, royal or otherwise!

Another facetious acronym from the military: SPAM really stands for Shit Posing As Meat.

 

[iguana_tonante]

As for mnemonics, I still remember the one I was taught in high school biology for the Linnaean classification system: King Philip cried, “Oh, for God’s sake!” (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

For me it's "Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me Right Now, Sweetheart", for remembering the temperature sequence of spectral classes of stars (from hotter to colder).

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies for the planets

Yeah but now, with the new classification, your mom doesn't serve you anything!

 

[Skellington]

I recall two mnemonics for the colours of the rainbow:
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain and Ring Out Your Great Bells In Victory. (The last two are indigo and violet, for anyone who's wondering.)

 

[bluedana]

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally for solving a mathematical equation (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction)

My 14 year old son was astonished (and amused) to learn that his mom and her friends changed this to Please Excuse My Dumb Ass Sister back in the day. Many temporary cool points that day.

 

[MetalPants]

Another vote for 'never eat shredded wheat' for the directions.

Roy G. Biv works for the order of colors in a rainbow.