Everyday Alphabet Soup!
ETA: Your friend texts that their ETA is 6:30 p.m. These three letters tell you when they expect to arrive.
Estimated Time of Arrival
SMH: Someone sends this abbreviation after reading an unbelievably foolish social media post.
Shaking My Head
SCOTUS: Legal journalists use these six letters when discussing decisions issued by America's highest federal court.
Supreme Court of the United States
CPR: This emergency lifesaving procedure combines chest compressions with rescue breaths when appropriate.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
WNBA: Established in 1996, this professional women's basketball league began play in 1997.
Women's National Basketball Association
CGI: Filmmakers use this technology to create digital characters, environments, and visual elements that may not exist during filming.
Computer-Generated Imagery
DJ: These initials describe a performer who selects and plays recorded music at clubs, radio stations, and events.
Disc Jockey
CPU: Often described as a computer's brain, this hardware component executes program instructions and performs calculations.
Central Processing Unit
BOGO: A shoe store advertises a BOGO special, encouraging shoppers to purchase one item to receive another.
Buy One, Get One
FOMO: This popular internet acronym describes the anxiety of missing an exciting experience or social event.
Fear of Missing Out
DOJ: The FBI operates within this federal department responsible for enforcing federal law.
Department of Justice
CBC: Doctors frequently order this blood test to measure red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets.
Complete Blood Count
UFC: This mixed martial arts organization was established in 1993 and became a major global combat sports promotion.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
VFX: Movie credits use this abbreviation for effects that manipulate or combine images to create the finished picture.
Visual Effects
R&B: This musical genre originated in African American communities during the 1940s and evolved through soul, funk, and contemporary pop influences.
Rhythm and Blues
RAM: This temporary computer memory stores information that programs need while they're running.
Random Access Memory
EOD: Your boss requests that a report be submitted by EOD Friday
End of Day
IRL: Online gamers use this abbreviation when referring to events happening outside the digital world.
In Real Life
FOIA: This federal law allows the public to request access to many records held by government agencies.
Freedom of Information Act
CSF: This clear liquid surrounds the brain and spinal cord and provides cushioning and protection.
Cerebrospinal Fluid
VAR: Soccer officials use this replay system to review certain match-changing decisions.
Video Assistant Referee
DGA: This American entertainment labor organization represents directors and members of directing teams.
Directors Guild of America
LP: Vinyl record collectors use this abbreviation for an album format generally containing more music than a single or EP.
Long Play
USB: This widely used connection standard allows computers to communicate with devices such as keyboards, drives, and smartphones.
Universal Serial Bus
MSRP: This abbreviation identifies the price a product's manufacturer recommends that retailers charge.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
FWIW: A person uses these four letters before offering an opinion or suggestion that others may or may not find helpful.
For What It's Worth
FISA: Passed in 1978, this federal law created a legal framework for certain foreign intelligence surveillance activities.
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
EEG: Neurologists use this diagnostic test to record electrical activity in the brain.
Electroencephalogram
OBP: Baseball statisticians use this percentage to measure how frequently a batter reaches base without a fielding error.
On-Base Percentage
BFI: This British organization supports filmmaking, preserves film heritage, and operates the BFI London Film Festival.
British Film Institute
A&R: At a record label, this department discovers talent, helps develop artists, and connects performers with appropriate songs.
Artists and Repertoire
API: Software developers use this interface to allow different applications and services to communicate through defined rules and functions.
Application Programming Interface
i.e.: This abbreviation comes from the Latin phrase used when restating something more precisely or explaining it another way.
Id Est, meaning "that is"
IIRC: This five-letter abbreviation is used when someone is offering information based on an uncertain memory.
If I Recall Correctly
USCIS: This federal agency administers immigration benefits, including naturalization and many lawful immigration applications.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
CRP: This protein, produced primarily by the liver, is measured in blood tests to help detect inflammation.
C-Reactive Protein
OPS: Baseball analysts use this statistic combining a hitter's ability to reach base and hit for power.
On-Base Plus Slugging
ADR: Filmmakers use this postproduction technique to rerecord dialogue when original audio is unclear or needs replacing.
Automated Dialogue Replacement
DAW: Music producers use this software environment to record, arrange, edit, and mix audio.
Digital Audio Workstation
NAT: Routers use this networking technique to translate between private and public IP addresses.
Network Address Translation