1548 Pages
    by CRC Press

    Published in 2001: Abbreviations, nicknames, jargon, and other short forms save time, space, and effort - provided they are understood. Thousands of new and potentially confusing terms become part of the international vocabulary each year, while our communications are relayed to one another with increasing speed. PDAs link to PCs. The Net has grown into data central, shopping mall, and grocery store all rolled into one. E-mail is faster than snail mail, cell phones are faster yet - and it is all done 24/7.

    Longtime and widespread use of certain abbreviations, such as R.S.V.P., has made them better understood standing alone than spelled out. Certainly we are more comfortable saying DNA than deoxyribonucleic acid - but how many people today really remember what the initials stand for? The Abbreviations Dictionary, Tenth Edition gives you this and other information from Airlines of the World to the Zodiacal Signs.


     

    Preface
    Acknowledgments
    How to Use this Book
    A to Z
    Abbreviations
    Acronyms
    Anonyms
    Appellations
    Computer Terminology
    Contractions
    Criminalistic and Data-Processing Terms
    Genealogical Terms
    Geographical Equivalents
    Government Agencies
    Historical, Musical, and Mythological Characters
    Initialisms
    Legal, Medical, Military, and Scientific Terms
    Short Forms
    Signs and Symbols
    Slang
    Airlines of the World
    Air-Pollution Index
    Airports of the World
    American States and Capitals
    Astronomical Constellations, Stars, and Symbols
    Bafflegab Divulged
    Bell Code from Bridge or Pilothouse to Engine Room
    Birthstones-Ancient and Modern
    British Counties Abbreviated
    Canadian Provinces
    Capitals of Nations, Provinces, Places, and States
    C-B (Citizens' Band) Radio Frequency Short-Wave Call Signs
    Chemical Element Symbols, Atomic Numbers, and Discovery Data
    Civil and Military Time Systems Compared
    Climatic Region Symbols
    Corrections Facilities and Criminalistic Terms
    Currencies of the World
    Diacritical and Punctuation Marks
    Dysphemistic Place-Names
    Earthquake Data (Richter Scale)
    Eponyms, Nicknames, and Geographical Names
    Fishing Port Registration Symbols (Great Britain and Ireland)
    Greek Alphabet
    International Civil Aircraft Markings
    International Conversions Simplified
    International Radio Alphabet and Code
    International Vehicle License Letters
    International Yacht Racing Union Nationality Codes
    Inventions and Inventors
    Irish Counties Abbreviated
    Mexican State Names and Abbreviations
    Musical Nicknames and Superlatives
    National Capitals
    National Holidays
    National Parks
    Numbered Abbreviations
    Numeration
    Oldest American Settlements
    Phobias
    Ports of the World
    Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States
    Principles, Laws, Rules, Theories, and Doctrines
    Proofreaders' Marks
    Railroad Conductors' Cord-Pull Signals Plus Engineers' Whistle Signals
    Railroads of the World
    Roman Numerals
    Rules of the Road-at Sea
    Russian Alphabet
    Ship's Bell Time Signals
    Signs and Symbols Frequently Used (including Emoticons)
    States, Nations, and Territories
    Steamship Lines
    Superlatives
    U.S. Naval Ship Symbols
    Vehicle Registration Symbols (Index Markers)
    Weather Symbols (Beaufort Scale)
    Wedding Anniversary Symbols
    Winds and Rains of the World
    Zip-Coded Automatic Data-Processing Abbreviations
    Zodiacal Signs

    Biography

    Dean Stahl and Karen Kerchelich

    "...this volume is essential. Its worth is enhanced by a listing of nicknames and appellations that are otherwise likely to be incomprehensible to foreigners...an essential addition to public, academic, and corporate reference libraries."
    -The San Diego Union
    "This book has it all...besides being informative, the book is interesting and fun."
    -Veterinary and Human Toxicology
    "This is a useful book and should appeal to the individual or library acquisitions director with a limited budget."
    -Verbatim

    "An up-to-date source for locating some of the most elusive segments of our language."
    -Booknotes
    "[This] compilation of abbreviations, acronyms, eponyms, terms, etc., is an excellent source for information that is not found in other works."
    -Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association
    "The classic status of this title endures: abbreviations are again joined by a dazzling array of acronyms, contractions, initials, nicknames, short forms, signs and symbols. Its 15,000 new terms swell the dictionary to nearly 300,000 entries…excellent and unique…"
    --S. Swanson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, CHOICE, October 2001, Vol. 39 No. 2